CrossFit practitioners' motivation in Penafiel

Motivation is crucial for adhering to and maintaining regular physical activity. In CrossFit, factors such as competition, personal achievement, and socialization influence the continuity of practice. This study aimed to investigate the motivational aspects of CrossFit practitioners in boxes in the municipality of Penafiel. To this effect, an Exercise Motivation Questionnaire (QME), the Portuguese version of the Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 (EMI-2), was applied to 135 regular CrossFit practitioners. Data analyses were carried out using descriptive statistics and T-tests for independent samples to compare motivational aspects between sexes. The results indicated that the most prevalent motives were pleasure in practicing, the search for health, and personal improvement. There were statistically significant differences between the sexes, with men valuing competition and social recognition more, while women attributed greater importance to health and revitalization. Overall, CrossFit practitioners reported high scores on motives commonly associated with enjoyment, health, well-being, and personal improvement; however, because intrinsic and extrinsic motivation composites were not directly tested, this interpretation should be considered exploratory. These results reinforce the importance of taking these differences into account when designing strategies to promote the practice, aiming to increase adherence, boost involvement, and reduce drop-out rates.