Instructor Verbal Guidance and Training Outcomes in the 3D Movement Method: A Mixed Methods Study of Midlife Women

Abstract

This mixed methods secondary analysis examined how perceived clarity of instructor verbal explanations was associated with practice frequency, satisfaction, physical progress and mental improvement among women practicing the 3D Movement Method (the 3DMM) in a fully remote format. Quantitative analyses used cross-sectional survey data from 330 adult female practitioners; analytic sample sizes ranged from 247 for perceived mental improvement to 329 for practice frequency. Key variables were single-item ratings of explanation clarity (1 - 10), practice frequency (0 - 30), satisfaction (0 - 25), and perceived physical progress and mental improvement (0 - 15). Pearson correlations and robust linear models showed that explanation clarity had small but statistically significant associations with practice frequency, satisfaction, and perceived physical progress. Explanation clarity showed no significant bivariate association with perceived mental improvement. Practice frequency was moderately associated with both physical progress and mental improvement and partially mediated the association between explanation clarity and physical progress. Because explanation clarity was not significantly correlated with perceived mental improvement, no direct or total effect was observed for mental improvement in subsequent models. A focused secondary thematic analysis of interviews with the 3DMM practitioners complemented these findings. Participants described clear, specific verbal explanations as central for understanding exercises, feeling safe during practice, and maintaining engagement over time, while emphasizing that psychological benefits accumulated primarily through repeated practice rather than instructional input alone. Overall, the findings indicate that high-quality, specific verbal guidance functions as an enabling factor in fully remote mind-body programs, whereas regular practice remains the primary driver of perceived physical progress and mental improvement.