Perceived Constraints to a Gym Membership and How They Are Related to the Willingness-To-Pay and Willingness-To-Travel of People with Disabilities

Drawing on leisure constraints theory, this study investigates the relationship between perceived constraints by people with disabilities and their current (gym membership) and potential future (willingness-to-pay [WTP], willingness-to-travel [WTT] to an inclusive gym) gym-based participation. Data were collected with a quantitative online survey (n = 301) targeted at people with disabilities in Germany. The regression models indicate that several intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural constraints are related to being a gym member, WTP, and WTT. For example, men with physical disabilities are more likely to be gym members, while people with a mental disability who feel restricted to a higher extent have a higher WTP. This study sheds light on a large number of constraints that hinder people with different types of disabilities to participate in gym-based activities. These findings indicate that improving the inclusion of people with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities is a complex issue, underlining the need of specific strategic considerations.