Relationship between the Existence of Exercise Partners and Exercise Habits in University Students in Japan

Abstract

We investigated the relationships between the existence of exercise partners and exercise habits among Japanese university students. Subjects were 650 university students (539 males, 111 females; age range 18 - 27 years). They responded to an anonymous questionnaire asking about current and past exercise habits, preference for exercise ( i.e. , like or dislike of exercise), and the existence of one or more exercise partners. In the results, the existence of exercise partners had a significant association with exercise habits at each school stage in both genders. Exercise preference had a significant association with exercise habits during high school in both genders; during primary and middle school, however, this association was significant only in males. In males, exercise habits and the preference for exercising in high school affected current exercise habits. In females, only exercise habits in high school affected current exercise habits. Our results suggest that the existence of one or more exercise partners is important for the practice of exercise, as well as the preference for exercise. They also suggest that continuity of exercise habits is different between males and females.