The preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity: an exploratory analysis of intensity discrepancy in health clubs settings

Health clubs are considered one of the most relevant contexts of exercise. However, they suffer from high dropout rates and struggle to keep exercisers enrolled in the long run. Considering the exercise intensity-affect relation, the main objective of this exploratory study was to test the relation of the discrepancy between the intensity traits and current exercise training intensity, and possible differences in subjective vitality, habit, and weekly exercise frequency. A total of 485 participants (female = 274) aged between 18 and 63 years (M = 39.9) enrolled in several activities participated in this study. Descriptive, correlational, and group comparison analyses were developed for study hypothesis testing. Results tend to support that different levels of agreement between the intensity traits and current training intensity have differentiated outcomes. Particularly, having both intensity traits in agreement with current training intensity depicted the most relevant scores for vitality, habit, and exercise frequency. Both traits in disagreement presented the worst scores.