Abstract
Introduction: Although many individuals are aware of the health benefits of regular exercise, few engage in it consistently. Stress, fatigue, and time pressures can deplete self-control resources, making it more difficult to prioritize exercise. When these resources are low, individuals may be more likely to choose activities based on automatic associations with pleasure and reflective evaluations of enjoyment rather than considering the long-term benefits. This tendency may lead individuals, particularly those who have negative perceptions of exercise, to remain sedentary. To address this challenge, we developed PlayFit (PF), a social physical play program designed to maximize exercise enjoyment. PF consists of modified sport-based games that are: (1) easier to play, (2) structured to encourage positive peer interactions, and (3) designed to support self-regulation of physical effort. Methods: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several significant modifications were made to the original registered trial design (see Methods section for details). Following these adjustments, the present study compared changes in exercise enjoyment and adherence over a 12-week period between two exercise programs matched for intensity, frequency, and duration: PF and a traditional group exercise program (Small Team Training; STT). Results: A total of 82 participants (38.3 ± 7.9 years of age; 76.8% female; BMI = 31.2 ± 8.1; VO2peak = 24.9 ± 7.9 ml/kg/min) were included in the final analysis. The PF group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in exercise enjoyment from baseline to week 12. There was no difference in the mean number of exercise sessions attended between the two groups, PF (14.0 ± 9.7 days) and STT (10.5 ± 9.6 days, p = 0.10). Conclusions: The observed increase in exercise enjoyment among PF participants suggests that enjoyment may be modifiable over time among adults with overweight or obesity and low cardiorespiratory fitness. These findings support the potential of programs like PlayFit to enhance exercise enjoyment. Future research, with adequate sample sizes and without pandemic-related constraints, is warranted to further explore the impact of intentionally designed enjoyment-focused interventions on long-term exercise adherence.