Between motivation and barriers: the inactivity - re-engagement cycle in adult women with obesity

Abstract

Women with obesity often encounter interacting physical, psychological, and social factors that influence their participation in physical activity.The findings revealed an inactivity–re-engagement cycle, in which persistent barriers led to periods of inactivity, while health concerns, personal motivation, and social support prompted renewed but sometimes difficult to sustain attempts to become active. This study aimed to explore how adult women with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) experience, interpret, and make meaning of physical activity in daily life. This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted with 20 women aged 18–43 years with obesity. Data were collected through in-person, semi-structured, in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically using NVivo 10. The verbatim interview transcripts were systematically coded, and the resulting codes were grouped into subthemes and broader themes. Interviews were conducted in Turkish, either face-to-face or online (Teams- video call), at the participant’s preference, using a semi-structured interview guide and were audio-recorded with the participants’ consent. The audio recordings were transcribed verbatim before analysis. Trustworthiness was supported through researcher triangulation, verbatim transcription, participant confirmation, reflexive review, and representative quotations to enhance credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The analysis identified seven interrelated themes: meaning of physical activity, embodied self-perception, social and interpersonal influences, barriers to participation, motivation, the cycle of inactivity and re-engagement, and perceived gains. Participants described physical activity as daily movement, exercise, and a source of well-being. Body dissatisfaction, functional limitations, social judgment, time pressure, pain, fatigue, and emotional resistance shaped participation. Motivation was mainly linked to social and interpersonal influences, while the inactivity–re-engagement cycle was closely associated with barriers to participation. Perceived gains included improved mood, energy and bodily comfort; reduced pain; increased self-confidence; and positive effects on daily routines. Physical activity among adult women with obesity was experienced as a multidimensional, nonlinear process. Motivation was socially embedded and bodily informed, whereas participation was repeatedly interrupted by practical, physical, and emotional barriers. Interventions should therefore address motivation, body-related experiences, social context, daily routines, and sustainable re-engagement together.