Trying New Sports and Availability of Enjoyable Exercise Options Are Correlates of Physical Activity: A Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese University Students

In this cross-sectional study conducted from September to December 2025, we examined associations among the preference for trying new sports, perceived availability of enjoyable exercise options, and physical activity in Japanese first-year university students. A total of 315 students (mean age, 18.81 years; 200 female, 63.49%) from a health sciences university participated in the study. Path analysis showed that a greater preference for trying new sports was associated with lower reluctance to exercise (β = −0.12, p = 0.04), and this association was mediated by perceived availability of enjoyable exercise options (indirect effect: β = −0.15, p < 0.001). The present study showed indirect associations of the preference for trying new sports with three exercise modalities (aerobic exercise [AE], resistance training [RT], and flexibility exercise [FE]), standing time, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) through the perceived availability of enjoyable exercise options.