The Big Problem
For those looking to be more active, community fitness has an undeniable draw. From senior walking clubs and drop-in pickleball to family fitness nights and yoga in the park, these community programs are affordable, accessible, and can be a lot of fun. Community-based fitness is a world away from pricey boutique gyms and exclusive social clubs, offering a low-cost, beginner-friendly alternative for community members to get moving. Why, then, do many people hesitate to get involved?
From city planners to public health teams, encouraging community participation in physical activity is a common goal across all levels of leadership, especially as adults around the world frequently fall short of recommended activity guidelines.1 Inactivity is trending upwards, increasing by about 5% between 2010 and 2022. By 2030, inactive adults are projected to make up 35% of the global population, a number that would only increase global rates of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and certain cancers.1
Despite the pressing need to encourage physical fitness, many physical activity interventions are still rooted in the rational choice model of behavior, which assumes that people will increase their activity when provided with the right information.2 However, informational campaigns only lead to modest changes in activity level at best.2 This isn’t surprising given what we know about behavioral science; research shows that people often make decisions that override simple cost-benefit analyses.
In other words, people often decide whether or not to participate in community fitness for reasons unrelated to the long-term health advantages. Instead, these reasons tend to revolve around motivation, social identity barriers, and how well programs fit with daily life. In this article, we explore how behavioral science interventions like social norms, frictionless design, and intrinsic goal framing can help make community fitness feel more appealing, accessible, and attainable.
