The Intersection of Recreational Benefits and Sport Well-Being in Fitness Participation: A Relational Analysis

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the recreational benefits of fitness participation and individuals’ levels of sport well-being. The study was conducted with 500 volunteer participants (263 women and 237 men) who were engaged in fitness activities at private fitness centers in Ankara. A relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was employed. Data were collected using the Recreation Benefit Scale (RBS) developed by Ho (2008) and validated by Akgül et al. (2018), and the Recreational Sport Well-Being Scale (RSWBS) developed by Pi, et al. (2022) and adapted into Turkish by Koç (2022). In addition to descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine the relationships between the scales. Furthermore, independent samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to identify differences between groups based on demographic variables. The findings revealed a positive and significant correlation between the RBS and the RSWBS. Moreover, male participants reported significantly higher scores in perceived physical and psychological benefits compared to female participants. Significant increases were also observed in recreational benefits and well-being levels in relation to age and duration of fitness participation. In conclusion, it was determined that participation in fitness activities positively contributed to individuals’ sport well-being by enhancing their perceptions of physical, psychological, and social benefits.