Table 3 Analysis of categories of behavior and their organization into five higher order themes

Healthy competition

Team-mate, opposition, siblings, instructors, son/daughter

Competence and progress

Strangers, Team-mates, class-mates

**Fear of negative social judgments

**Fear of negative social judgments

Nurse

Noticing/recording progress

Son/daughter, Website/App, work colleagues

Activities individualized to me

Website/app/podcast, personal trainer, gym instructor

Available activities, gyms/companies, government

**Nothing that suits me, that I want to do

Public accountability

Website/app, social media, work colleagues

Realistic pace of progress

Health worker, class instructor

Showing me how to do it properly

Gym instructor

Team-mates/class-mates

**Social comparisons (I compare badly)

**Social comparisons (I compare well)

Work colleagues, friends

**The nature of the activity on offer has to suit me

Available activities

“Happy coincidences” – facilitating PA by accident or shared interest

Social media, employer, family, work colleagues, event organizers

Pragmatics and logistics

Husband/wife/partner, Daughter/son, child, Grand-children, Family, Employer

Family and work always come above exercise/PA

**Beneficial geography or local area

Physical environment, government

Physical environment, government

**Geographical and local issues

Wife/husband/partner, Team-mates

**Not supporting, or removing support

**Logistical/pragmatic support

Husband/wife/partner, family, gym instructor

Gyms/companies, physical environment, available activities

**Poor provision of facilities/opportunities

Friends

Social events can undermine PA

**Special projects and initiatives

Government, physical environment, employer

Government, Employer

**Lack of special projects and initiatives

Available activities, gyms/companies, government

**Lack of targeted/specialist provision

**Workload directly relates to PA

Employer, physical environment (commute)

Employer, Family, Physical Environment (commute)

**Workload directly relates to PA

**Consistency of messages between sources

Media, General Practitioner

Informational influences

Media, physical environment, available activities, family, friends, cultural norms

“Too many temptations” towards sedentariness

My job gives me awareness of key issues

Employers, work colleagues

Media

**Inconsistency of messages between sources

Personal assessments opened my eyes

Exercise referral worker

Media

**Demotivating, desensitizing, and making me feel hopeless

Raising awareness and ‘making me think’

Media, government

Employers (and clients), cultural norms, Media

**Norms promoting sedentariness

Referrals and recommendations

General practitioner, nurse, work colleagues

**Role models and leading by example

Husband/wife/spouse, Parents, Brother/Sister, Strangers, neighbors, work colleagues, media

General practitioner

**Failing to raise the issue with me

**Shocking images/stories scare me

Media, government

**Norms promoting physical activity

Friends, work/study colleagues, society/culture

Husband/wife/partner, Parent/father/mother, Family, Friend

**Their sedentariness limits what I can do

**Warning signs and alarm bells

GPs, media, family (e.g., older), friends getting sick

Allowing “me time” – to do it, or during

Husband/wife, friends, Team-mates, gym colleagues

Emotional influences

Friends

**Looking after (or spending time) with sedentary friends

**Altruism – supporting each other

Exercise class-mates, daughter/son/child

Husband/wife/partner

**Lack of support/encouragement

**Moral support, encouragement, interest

Husband/wife/spouse, son/daughter/child, Parents, Website/App,

Husband/wife/partner, Parent/father/mother

**Constant reminders can demotivate

**Prompting/reminding - of PA or health

Daughter, Wife/partner, Father/mother, friends, team-mates

Husband/wife/partner, Parent/father/mother, family, Friend, online gaming peers

**We engage in sedentary behavior together

**We do activity together

Husband/wife/spouse, son/daughter/child, Parents, Brother/Sister, Friends, Classmates/Team-mates

“Do it for your family” – being a reason to stay healthy

Children, family

Relatedness and belonging

Work colleagues, Family, Team-mates, Online gaming peers

**Group membership motivates sedentariness

“Mutual pushing” – doing it together and pushing each other

Wife/Husband/partner, Son/Daughter, Work colleague, team-mate

Personal trainer, gym instructor, class instructor

**Poor relationship with instructor

**Group membership in relation to PA fosters commitment

Team-mates, class mates, friends, strangers, husband/wife/partner

**PA provides opportunities to improve/expand social bonds

Parent/father/mother, husband/wife/partner, team-mates, class-mates

Online gaming peers, Husband/wife/partner, Family, Friends

**Social network supports sedentariness

**Good relationship with instructor

Personal trainer, gym instructor, class instructor