As someone who has been involved in sports from a very young age and continues to be active today, I have heard countless people say the same thing: “I just don’t like exercise” or “movement isn’t for me.”

This has always made me wonder, how is that possible in a world with so many different forms of physical activity? With endless options available, how can someone not find even one that feels right for them?

Over time, I began to question whether the issue lies not in the people, but in the way sport and exercise are presented to them. The global fitness and sports industry — along with media representation — often focuses heavily on specific body ideals, performance standards, and narrow target groups. Images of perfectly sculpted bodies, high-intensity training, and competitive achievement dominate what we see and what we are told movement should look like. But how can this be appealing to someone who does not meet these social expectations? Or even more simply, to someone who just wants to try moving their body but cannot find the motivation or the sense of belonging?

These questions became my personal motivation to study and work in this field. Because in many cases, the systems and structures that shape sport, as well as the mindset of many coaches and sport professionals, are far from inclusive. The dominant focus is often on performance and achievement, rather than on participation, wellbeing, and the fundamental human need to move.

And yet, movement is essential — not just for physical health, but for mental and emotional wellbeing too.

Scientific research consistently shows that regular physical activity supports cardiovascular health, strengthens the immune system, improves metabolic function, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers. At the same time, movement plays a crucial role in mental health. Regular participation in physical activity is associated with reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, improved mood regulation, enhanced cognitive performance, and greater overall psychological resilience. Movement helps regulate stress responses, supports emotional processing, and contributes to a stronger sense of self-efficacy and wellbeing.

Movement is not a luxury. It is not something reserved for athletes, high performers, or those who “fit” a certain physical standard. It is a basic human need. And yet, the way sport is often structured sends the opposite message.

Many environments, from gyms to organized sports, are built around comparison, evaluation, and performance outcomes. Success is measured through speed, strength, endurance, skill level, body composition, or competitive ranking. While performance has its place, it should not be the entry requirement for participation. When movement becomes something that must be performed “well” in order to be valued, many people simply stop showing up. For those who feel inexperienced, unskilled, self-conscious, or different, physical activity becomes something to avoid rather than something to explore.

From my personal perspective, this pattern often begins very early, in school physical education classes. As someone who was always physically active and eager to participate, I was involved in almost every activity offered. Yet even then, I remember moments of discomfort when faced with a sport I wasn’t confident in or hadn’t practiced before. The environment often emphasized performance, ability, and comparison rather than exploration, enjoyment, or learning. The pressure to perform well sometimes made participation feel intimidating rather than freeing. Instead of movement being an opportunity for discovery, it sometimes felt like an evaluation of competence.

If this was my experience as an active child, it was even more intense for those who were not involved in sports outside of school. I observed classmates who felt different — whether in body type, skill level, personality, or self-expression — gradually disengage from physical activity altogether. Many felt judged, embarrassed, or simply out of place. Some avoided participation to escape comparison. Others internalized the belief that sport simply “wasn’t for them.” Over time, avoidance replaced participation.

Unfortunately, this is still happening today. Many children grow up associating movement with stress, exposure, or failure rather than joy, play, and wellbeing. Some develop a lasting dislike , even resentment, toward any form of sport or exercise. Experiences of exclusion or discomfort during early years can shape lifelong attitudes toward physical activity, influencing health behaviors well into adulthood.

But is that really the purpose of physical education? Is it meant to engage only those who already feel confident and capable? Or should it exist to introduce every child to movement in a safe, supportive, and empowering way?

True inclusion in movement is not simply about allowing more people to join existing systems. It is about rethinking how those systems are designed in the first place. Inclusion means creating environments where participation is valued as much as performance. It means building psychologically safe spaces where individuals can explore movement without fear of judgment. It means offering adaptable activities that respond to different needs, bodies, abilities, and experiences. It means representing diversity — not only in who participates, but in how movement is expressed and valued. It means shifting the focus from comparison to experience, from evaluation to exploration, from achievement to wellbeing.

When people feel safe, seen, and accepted, movement becomes attractive. Not because they are trying to meet external standards, but because it feels meaningful, enjoyable, and personally relevant.

For me, sport should be fully accessible and inclusive for everyone. Movement is not just physical activity — it is freedom. It is an expression. It is health. It is a connection. It is life itself. Every human being deserves the opportunity to experience movement without fear of judgment, exclusion, or inadequacy. Participation in physical activity should never depend on how someone looks, performs, or compares to others. The right to move belongs to all of us.

If we truly want more people to engage in physical activity, we cannot simply promote exercise more aggressively. We must make movement environments more welcoming. Inclusion is not an optional value in sport. It is the foundation of sustainable participation, public health, and human wellbeing. The question is no longer whether movement is beneficial — we already know it is. The real question is whether we are creating systems that allow everyone to access those benefits.

Because movement is freedom, and freedom should never be restricted. No one should ever be denied the opportunity to move, explore, and exist in their body without barriers. If sport is to serve humanity, it must belong to humanity, in all its diversity.

REFERENCES

Bailey, R. (2006). Physical education and sport in schools: A review of benefits and outcomes. Journal of School Health, 76(8), 397–401.


Eime, R. M., Young, J. A., Harvey, J. T., Charity, M. J., & Payne, W. R. (2013). A systematic review of psychological and social benefits of participation in sport. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 10(1), 98.

Lubans, D. R., et al. (2016). Physical activity for cognitive and mental health in youth: A systematic review. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(14), 890–899.


Warburton, D. E. R., Nicol, C. W., & Bredin, S. S. D. (2006). Health benefits of physical activity: The evidence. CMAJ, 174(6), 801–809.


World Health Organization. (2020). Guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.


Biddle, S. J. H., Fox, K. R., & Boutcher, S. H. (2000). Physical activity and psychological well-being. Routledge.