Motives of Future Elementary School Teachers to Be Physically Active

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the motives for engaging in sports activities and the self-determination index (SDI) and how this in turn predicts the intentionality of future elementary school teachers to be physically active. Method: A total of 331 first-year students of the teacher training degree participated, 34.4% men and 65.6% women (M = 20.02; SD = 2.55). They answered the following questionnaires: “Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-3”, “Motives for Physical Activity Measure-Revised” and “Intention to be Physically Active”. Results: Fitness, fun and care of one’s appearance are the motives most valued by university students. A regression analysis (structural equation modeling) revealed that appearance and social motives were negatively related to SDI, although the model clearly predicted the intention to be physically active (R(2) = 0.74). A second model, which positively related the appearance and competence motives with the intention to be active, improved the coefficient of determination (R(2) = 90) and fit index. Conclusions: The motives for engaging in physical activity influence university students in different ways in relation to the SDI and strongly predict the intention to be physically active.