A systematic review of the wellbeing benefits of being active through leisure and fitness centres

The aim of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the scientific evidence for psychosocial wellbeing benefits for individuals who are active through settings like leisure centres, gymnasiums or swimming pools. The level of physical activity required to achieve wellbeing outcomes through centre usage was a focal point. Nine electronic databases (AUSPORT, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL complete, PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus) were systematically searched to identify relevant literature, including all articles published in English from January 2011 to December 2021. A total of 1667 manuscripts were identified of which 31 articles were included in this review. Mental health was the most investigated psychological outcome, followed by stress reduction and relaxation; bonding with family/friends was the most frequently studied social outcome. Regular physical activity at leisure/fitness centres may be associated with increased social and psychological wellbeing. Participation in group programmes seems to be superior to individual activities in achieving health benefits due to its social nature. Findings from this review confirm that outcomes of being active through leisure/fitness centres go beyond physical benefits. However, scientific evidence is limited and more longitudinal studies with larger samples, and a focus on the dose-response relationship issue are recommended.