Motivational factors of adherence to running groups

Abstract

The objective of the study was to identify the reasons that take street runners to integrate supervised groups of race, in the city of Porto Alegre RS. Study of transverse cut, with clusters sample, composed by 68 adults, being 34 men, with age varying between 22 and 57 years of age. The data collection happened in a street race, when the tents of sports advisors were visited and requested to the runners with uneven number of registration to fill a questionnaire. The results had been analyzed through the qui squared test to a level of significance of 5% and had shown significant differences between men and women. The reasons most important for women to adhere to a program with sport advisor were: improvement of physical conditioning and health, appreciate to be outdoors, increase of auto-esteem, and to feel that physical appearance improved. For the men, the reasons most important were: to feel itself less anxious, improvement of physical conditioning and health, form to reduce stress, improvement of auto-esteem and appreciate to be outdoors. The group as a motivational factor was significantly more important for the women (75%) than for the men (40%). The knowledge of the reasons that takes the individual to search for a definitive type of exercise supplies the physical education professional the tools to elaborate efficient programs and promote the adhesion to the ones.