The longitudinal relationship between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise among university students: the moderating role of motivational beliefs

Purpose To investigate the longitudinal relationship between university students’ subjective exercise experiences and their physical exercise behavior using a cross-lagged research design, and to analyze the moderating role of motivational beliefs in this relationship. Methods A one-year, two-stage longitudinal questionnaire survey was conducted among 422 university students in Jiangxi Province (52.6% male, mean age = 18.29 ± 0.632 years) using the Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, the Adolescent Physical Activity Scale, the Exercise Self-Efficacy Scale and the Perceived Value of Exercise Scale. Results (1) Gender differences were observed in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior across the two phases; male participants scored higher on average than female participants across all measures. (2) There was a significant positive correlation between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students. (3) Results from a cross-lagged model controlling for gender indicated that subjective exercise experience at T1 significantly and positively predicted physical exercise behavior at T2 ( β = 0.385, p < 0.001), and physical exercise behavior at T1 significantly and positively predicted subjective exercise experience at T2 ( β = 0.336, p < 0.001). (4) Motivational beliefs exerted a significant positive moderating effect on both cross-lagged pathways. Conclusion Gender differences exist in both subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior among university students; there is a longitudinal relationship across time between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior; and motivational beliefs exert a significant moderating effect on the prospective predictive pathways between subjective exercise experience and physical exercise behavior.