According to Steenbergen, things often go wrong at certain key moments in life, when major changes occur in people’s living conditions. Think of the transition from high school to university, starting a working life, the arrival of children, or later in life after a fall, injury, or the loss of a partner.

A life with movement

Simply repeating that exercise is important for health does not help; most people already know that. The key lies in organizing a life with movement that fits the new situation and the individual. Steenbergen’s research group studied this in a large NWA project, Transition Into Active Living NWO Projects - TRIAL and Radboud University - Transitions into active living. The project concluded in March.

In this project, fourteen parties collaborated, including municipal health services (GGD), the municipality of Nijmegen, the football and hockey federations (KNVB and KNHB), and several major fitness organizations. The research focused on network analyses, assuming that the social network around people plays a crucial role in sustaining behavioral change. Earlier studies support this idea ([Wang 2023])(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10297989/).

The social factor in exercise

A key element of the project was that sports organizations themselves developed programs that encouraged people to stay active. The social factor of exercising together acted as a motivating force.

People only move when they enjoy it

The Nijmegen approach stands out because participants were directly involved in shaping activities that matched their needs. Physical activity must fit into people’s daily lives. Only when people enjoy it, and when a social component is present, can movement become a sustainable part of everyday life. The project ultimately aims to create interventions that provide lasting support for healthy physical activity.

Initial results showed that, for young people, social support from teammates and coaches, as well as material support, proved crucial for sports participation (Spruijtenburg 2025). The project studied several age groups, and their results will be published in the near future.

Ultimately, TRIAL shows that sustainable movement starts with fun and social connection. Exercising together, discovering together, and persevering together make the difference – whether in the gym, on the sports field, or during a joint cycling trip.