Why do people take part in physical activity, what stops them, and how can they keep it up?
The reasons people take part in physical activity (health, enjoyment, social, competition, challenge), the barriers to participation, and the strategies that improve adherence to a healthy active lifestyle.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on maintaining a healthy active lifestyle, covering the reasons people take part in physical activity, the barriers that stop them, and the strategies that improve adherence and keep people active.
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What this dot point is asking
CCEA wants you to know why people take part in physical activity, the barriers that stop them, and the strategies that improve adherence, that is, keeping people active over time. This rounds off Health and Lifestyle Decisions by asking not just what a healthy lifestyle is, but how someone starts and sustains one.
Why people take part in physical activity
CCEA wants reasons, not sports. "Football" is not a reason; "to be social and compete" is. Different people are driven by different motives, which is why activities are marketed in different ways.
Barriers to participation
Common barriers include:
| Barrier | Example |
|---|---|
| Lack of time | Work, study or family commitments leave no spare time |
| Cost | Equipment, kit, club fees or travel are too expensive |
| Lack of facilities or transport | No suitable centre or pitch nearby, or no way to get there |
| Lack of confidence | Feeling self-conscious or unskilled, fear of judgement |
| Low motivation | Not seeing the point, or finding it boring |
| Injury or poor health | An injury or illness makes activity difficult |
These barriers connect to the factors affecting participation studied in the active leisure industry, such as age, gender, disability and income.
Adherence: keeping people active
Strategies that improve adherence
Effective strategies match the barrier they are trying to remove:
- Lower the cost: off-peak discounts, family and student rates, free taster sessions.
- Improve access: classes at varied times, a creche, good transport links.
- Build confidence and enjoyment: beginner, group or single-sex sessions and friendly coaching.
- Make it social: exercising with friends, clubs and teams.
- Set and reward goals: SMART targets, progress tracking and rewards.
Examples in context
Example 1. Why "couch to 5k" works. A beginners' running scheme tackles several barriers at once: it is free or cheap (cost), can be done locally at any time (access), starts very gently with walking (confidence), and uses a clear week-by-week plan with goals (motivation). Removing several barriers together is why such schemes keep people running, the heart of good adherence.
Example 2. Drop-out after January. Many people join a gym in January but stop by spring. Usually this is because the goals were vague, the sessions felt intimidating or lonely, and life got busy. Matching the plan to the person, social, convenient, with SMART goals, is what turns a New Year start into a lasting habit.
Try this
Q1. State two barriers that might stop a teenager taking part in sport. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: cost, lack of time, lack of confidence, low motivation, lack of facilities or transport.
Q2. Explain one strategy a leisure centre could use to improve adherence. [2 marks]
- Cue. For example off-peak discounts to remove the cost barrier, or beginner classes to build confidence so people keep attending.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA 2021 Paper 14 marksGive two reasons why people take part in physical activity and two reasons why some people do not.Show worked answer →
One mark for each reason for taking part and each barrier (up to two of each).
Reasons to take part: to improve health and fitness; for enjoyment and fun; to be social and make friends; to compete or meet a personal challenge.
Barriers: lack of time because of work or study; cost of equipment, kit or club fees; lack of facilities or transport nearby; lack of confidence or low motivation.
Markers reward any two clear reasons and any two clear barriers. Naming a sport is not a reason, so keep the answer to motives and obstacles.
CCEA 2023 Paper 16 marksEvaluate the strategies a sports centre could use to help more local people stick to a healthy active lifestyle.Show worked answer →
Up to four marks for strategies linked to barriers, with evaluation for the top band.
Lower the cost: off-peak discounts, family or student rates and free taster sessions remove the cost barrier and bring in people on lower incomes.
Improve access: more classes at different times, a creche and good transport links remove time and access barriers for parents and workers.
Build confidence and enjoyment: beginner and women-only sessions, friendly instructors and group classes reduce fear and make activity sociable and fun.
Set and reward goals: SMART targets, progress tracking and rewards keep people motivated so they adhere over time.
Evaluation: the most effective approach tackles several barriers at once, because people often drop out for more than one reason; a single measure such as a discount helps but rarely keeps someone active alone.
Markers reward strategies matched to barriers (cost, time, access, confidence, motivation), application to the centre, and an evaluative judgement.
Related dot points
- The meaning of health, fitness and wellbeing, the difference and the link between them, the physical, mental/emotional and social benefits of an active lifestyle, and the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on health, fitness and wellbeing, covering the definitions, the difference and link between them, the physical, mental and social benefits of an active lifestyle, and the consequences of inactivity.
- The effects of lifestyle decisions on health and performance: smoking, alcohol, recreational/social drugs, rest and sleep, and physical activity levels, and how positive choices support a healthy active lifestyle.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on lifestyle decisions, covering the effects of smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs, rest and sleep and activity levels on health and performance, and how positive choices support a healthy lifestyle.
- The factors affecting participation in physical activity (age, gender, disability, ethnicity/culture, socio-economic status, time and access), the groups whose participation is lower, and the strategies used to widen participation.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on the factors affecting participation in sport, covering age, gender, disability, ethnicity, socio-economic status and access, the under-represented groups, and the strategies used to widen participation.
- Setting SMART targets (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) and designing a personal exercise programme that applies the components of fitness, the methods of training and the principles of training, including a warm-up and cool-down.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on SMART goals and the personal exercise programme, covering the SMART target-setting principle (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound) and how to design a programme using the components, methods and principles of training with a warm-up and cool-down.
- The meaning and scope of the active leisure industry, the products and services it provides, the public, private and voluntary sectors, and the benefits of the industry to individuals and society.
A focused CCEA GCSE Physical Education answer on the active leisure industry, covering its meaning and scope, the products and services it provides, the public, private and voluntary sectors, and its benefits to individuals and society.