Exercise enjoyment and school sports: PE, general activity, and sports club participation

Background: Enjoyment of physical activity is a central determinant of lifelong engagement in exercise and health-oriented behavior. Objective: The present study examined associations between enjoyment of physical education (PE), general exercise enjoyment, and sports club participation among secondary school students. Methods: = 0.05). Results: < 0.05). Students who consistently enjoyed PE were five times more likely to report above-average enjoyment of general movement (RR = 5.0; 95% CI: 1.97-12.69) and four times more likely to be active sports club members (RR = 4.36; 95% CI: 1.41-13.42). Conclusions: Enjoyment of PE is strongly associated with general movement enjoyment and sports club participation. These results underscore the importance of competence-oriented, diverse, and enjoyable PE curricula and suggest that school-sports club collaborations can enhance intrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, and social engagement, promoting sustained physical activity in youth.