New research suggests enjoyment may help sustain long-term engagement with exercise
The findings are presented in a newly published article “Affect and exercise adherence: an integrative framework with the aerial yoga example” in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. The article presents a fresh framework for understanding why people struggle to stick with exercise and what might help them to adhere to it over time.
Despite decades of public health campaigns and widespread awareness of the risks of inactivity, global exercise adherence remains low. Traditional interventions have largely focused on rational decision-making: encouraging people to exercise because it is “good for them.” The new framework suggests that this approach overlooks a fundamental driver of human behaviour: the pursuit of pleasure and avoidance of discomfort.
A research team from the University of Jyväskylä proposes a shift toward affect-driven, autonomy-supportive exercise models, in which enjoyment, intrinsic motivation, and positive emotional experiences are central. As an illustrative case, the paper highlights aerial yoga, a form of yoga practiced using a suspended hammock that has grown in popularity in recent years, as a potentially powerful example of this approach. Lead author Dr Deniz Duman explains:
“For many people, long-term engagement with exercise is difficult not because they are unaware of its benefits, but because the experience itself is not rewarding enough to make them want to return. In the article, we propose that when physical activity can be adjusted to personal needs and promotes enjoyment, adherence becomes far more likely.”
Unlike more rigid or high-pressure fitness formats, aerial yoga combines moderate, adaptable intensity with elements that naturally enhance positive affect, including a sense of autonomy, opportunities to enter flow-like states, music, and the social dynamics of group movement.
Dr Duman further emphasizes the practical relevance of aerial yoga as a model for broader exercise design:
“Exercises like aerial yoga offer a unique level of flexibility because tools such as the hammock support, assist, as well as challenge the body in different ways. The role of the instructor is important too. By designing sessions that take these possibilities into account, instructors can help practitioners adjust the intensity of the exercise according to their personal needs and capacities. This may make the experience feel more accessible, enjoyable, and sustainable.”
The framework identifies five interacting dimensions that shape exercise adherence through affect:
- Optimal exercise intensity induces positive feelings
- Autonomy and personal choice promotes exercise enjoyment
- Flow-like experiences are inherently pleasurable
- Music works as an affective regulator
- Body movements, especially in synchronised group settings, can release feel-good hormones
Importantly, the authors stress that aerial yoga serves as an example rather than a prescription. The broader implication is that exercise programmes, from gyms to public health initiatives, may be more effective when they consider not only what movement does for the body, but also how it feels to the person doing it.
By designing exercise experiences that people genuinely enjoy, it may be possible to improve adherence rates, increase overall physical activity, and address the persistent global burden of inactivity-related health issues.
The article is open access and available via the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology: https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2026.2665668.
