Introduction
The Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 (EMI-2) is a 51-item self-report questionnaire that assesses people's motives for exercising, including psychological, interpersonal, health, body-related and fitness motives. David Markland and David K. Ingledew of the University of Wales, Bangor, published it in 1997, and it has received more than 850 citations.
The EMI-2 is intended for research on exercise motivation, health psychology and physical activity. This guide explains its 14 subscales, scoring, reliability and versions.
Key Features of the Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 (EMI-2)
Purpose and Use
The EMI-2 measures why a person exercises, or might exercise. It suits research, exercise psychology, health promotion and intervention planning.
Target Population
The EMI-2 is intended for adults aged 18 and older.
Structure
The final version keeps 51 items across 14 subscales, grouped into five broader motive types:
Motive type
Subscales
Psychological
Stress Management, Revitalization, Enjoyment, Challenge
Interpersonal
Social Recognition, Affiliation, Competition
Health
Health Pressures, Ill-health Avoidance, Positive Health
Body-related
Weight Management, Appearance
Fitness
Strength and Endurance, Nimbleness
Items cover motives such as reducing stress, feeling refreshed, enjoyment, personal challenge, social recognition, being with others, competition, health pressures from doctors or family, preventing illness, positive health, weight control, appearance, strength and endurance, and flexibility and agility.
Scoring Method
Items use a 6-point scale from "not at all true for me" to "very true for me," after the stem "Personally, I exercise (or might exercise)…".
Subscale scores: scores are interpreted at the subscale level, not as a diagnostic total.Scoring key: the development article groups item wordings by factor but does not give the scoring key, so request it from the first author.There are no diagnostic cut-off scores.
Administration Format
The EMI-2 is a self-report questionnaire. Basic familiarity with subscale scoring is recommended for interpretation.
Applications of the Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 (EMI-2)
The EMI-2 supports several uses:
Exercise psychology research: studying why people take part in exercise.Health promotion: understanding motives to plan physical activity programs.Intervention planning: informing the planning of exercise interventions.Languages and availability
The EMI-2 has been adapted in several languages:
Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal): transnational study of university studentsMaltese: psychometric testing of the Maltese versionSpanish: the AMPEF, an adapted version with 48 items and 11 factors rather than a direct translation, so compare scores with the original cautiouslyThe EMI-2 is available from the first author, David Markland, on request. The item wordings are included in Table 1 of the development article.
Reliability and Validity
The development study supported factorial validity with confirmatory factor analysis and showed gender invariance at the submodel level. Cronbach's alphas were:
Subscale
Alpha
Subscale
Alpha
Stress Management
0.916
Health Pressures
0.686
Revitalization
0.832
Ill-health Avoidance
0.901
Enjoyment
0.899
Positive Health
0.877
Challenge
0.857
Weight Management
0.914
Social Recognition
0.878
Appearance
0.859
Affiliation
0.910
Strength and Endurance
0.864
Competition
0.954
Nimbleness
0.899
Health Pressures had the lowest alpha and was described as only just acceptable.
Validation studies:
The measurement of exercise motives: factorial validity and invariance across gender of a revised Exercise Motivations Inventory (1997): study linkExercise motives among university students: a Brazil–Portugal transnational study (2022): study linkPsychometric testing of the Maltese versions of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale and EMI-2 (2022): study linkLimitations and Considerations
Keep these points in mind:
Scoring key: the scoring key is not reported in the development article and must be requested from the author.Health Pressures subscale: its reliability (alpha 0.686) was only just acceptable.Adapted versions: the Spanish AMPEF has a different structure, so scores are not directly comparable.Permissions: check permission, access and translation validity before using non-English versions or adapting the instrument.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
The EMI-2 revises the original Exercise Motivations Inventory (EMI).
These questionnaires are related:
Reasons for Exercise Inventory (REI)Motivation for Physical Activity Measure (MPAM)Personal Incentives for Exercise QuestionnaireBehavioural Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ) and BREQ-2Exercise Motives and Gains Inventory (EMGI)Additional Resources
The development article: linkThe Bangor University exercise motivation pages: linkFor the questionnaire and scoring key, contact the first author, David Markland, School of Sport, Health and Physical Education Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor.Browse more public health questionnaires in the ResRef database.Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What does the Exercise Motivations Inventory measure?The EMI-2 measures people's reasons for exercising across 14 subscales, from stress management and enjoyment to weight management, appearance, strength and nimbleness.
How is the EMI-2 scored?Items are rated on a 6-point scale from "not at all true for me" to "very true for me," and results are interpreted for each subscale. The scoring key should be requested from the first author.
Who developed the EMI-2?David Markland and David K. Ingledew of the University of Wales, Bangor, published the EMI-2 in 1997 as a revised version of the original Exercise Motivations Inventory.
How reliable is the EMI-2?In the development study, Cronbach's alphas ranged from 0.686 for Health Pressures to 0.954 for Competition, and the factor structure was invariant across gender.
A Word from ResRef About the Exercise Motivations Inventory-2 (EMI-2)
The EMI-2 is a self-report measure for assessing a broad range of motives for exercise participation. It is most suitable for research, exercise psychology, health promotion and intervention-planning contexts. Users should interpret subscale scores rather than diagnostic cut-offs, and should verify permission status, access and translation validity before using non-English versions or adapting the instrument.
References
Markland, D., & Ingledew, D. K. (1997). The measurement of exercise motives: Factorial validity and invariance across gender of a revised Exercise Motivations Inventory. British Journal of Health Psychology, 2(4), 361–376. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8287.1997.tb00549.xCampos, L. A., dos Santos, A., Sampaio, M. M. B., Marôco, J., & Campos, J. A. D. B. (2022). Exercise motives among university students – A Brazil-Portugal transnational study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1009762Spiteri, K., Caro, J. X. D., Grafton, K., & Broom, D. (2022). Psychometric testing of the Maltese versions of the Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale and Exercise Motivation Inventory – 2. Health Psychology Research, 10(3), 1. https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.37515