The Dynamics of Participation in Physical Activity in the Era of Sedentary Lifestyles: An Analysis of Visit Patterns and Exercise Consistency at Fitness Centers

Abstract

Objectives:
The main objective of this study is to analyze the dynamics of community physical activity participation by evaluating objective secondary attendance data. Specifically, the study aims to examine visit patterns to understand how people manage their leisure time amidst busy daily routines, and to assess exercise adherence to measure the resilience of their commitment to physical activity in a sedentary era.

Materials and Methods:
This study employed a descriptive quantitative approach with a retrospective observational design. The participants comprised 300 unique visitors from a middle-class (suburban) demographic at a commercial fitness center (Royal Gym Yon Armed 12 Kostrad) in Ngawi Regency. A total sampling technique was utilized, extracting the entire population of recorded visitors from April 1 to 30, 2026. The data collection instrument was the facility's administrative daily attendance list, focusing on three main variables: anonymized visitor ID codes, arrival dates, and arrival times. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, employing frequency distributions, percentages, and crosstabulation techniques via SPSS and Microsoft Excel.

Results:
The findings indicate a significant imbalance in visitation patterns, with peak attendance heavily concentrated on weekdays (66.0%) during the afternoon and evening hours (3:01 PM–10:00 PM), which collectively accounted for 71.5% of total visits. Despite this high volume of daily facility usage, individual exercise adherence was remarkably low. More than half of the visitors (55.0%) fell into the passive or sporadic category, visiting less than once a week. Conversely, only a minority (15.0%) maintained an active, consistent routine that met the minimum standard of at least three times per week.

Conclusions:
High public interest and visitation volume at fitness centers do not automatically translate to consistent individual exercise habits, demonstrating that having access to a gym does not guarantee success in combating a sedentary lifestyle. The practical implication of this study is that sports facility managers and public health policymakers must shift their focus from merely providing infrastructure and recruiting new members to implementing active participation retention programs, such as coaching for beginners and time-management-based physical literacy education.