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Impact of Virtual Exercise Classes on Physical Activity Levels among Female University Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Physical inactivity is an important public health concern among female university students in Nigeria because academic demands, sedentary lifestyles, prolonged screen use, limited access to recreational facilities, safety concerns, financial constraints, household responsibilities, and competing social activities may reduce opportunities for regular physical activity. Regular exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness, supporting cardiovascular health, improving mental well-being, maintaining healthy body composition, and reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases. Virtual exercise classes have emerged as a flexible approach to promoting physical activity through live or recorded sessions delivered through online platforms. These classes may include aerobic exercises, dance workouts, strength exercises, stretching, yoga, and other guided physical activities that students can participate in from their homes, hostels, campuses, or other convenient locations. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of virtual exercise classes on physical activity levels among female university students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on Social Cognitive Theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and Theory of Planned Behavior. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes self-efficacy, observational learning, goal-setting, reinforcement, self-monitoring, and environmental influences in developing and maintaining physical activity behaviours. The Technology Acceptance Model explains how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, accessibility, and acceptance of virtual exercise platforms may influence students' participation and continued engagement. The Theory of Planned Behavior emphasizes attitudes toward physical activity, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and behavioural intentions in shaping exercise participation. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how virtual exercise classes may influence physical activity levels among female university students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise female undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 years and above enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select geopolitical zones, states, universities, faculties or departments, levels of study, and eligible participants. Virtual exercise class participation will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of class attendance, duration of participation, type of exercise class, number of sessions completed, participation in live or recorded sessions, use of exercise schedules, instructor interaction, participation in fitness challenges, and consistency of engagement. Physical activity levels will be assessed using indicators such as frequency of physical activity, duration of activity, intensity of exercise, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, walking, aerobic exercise, muscle-strengthening activities, sedentary time, number of active days per week, and overall physical activity classification using an appropriate standardized physical activity assessment tool. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, standardized physical activity assessment instruments, virtual exercise attendance records where accessible and appropriately consented to, activity logs, and relevant university health or sports programme records. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, physical activity patterns, virtual exercise participation, sedentary behaviours, and exercise preferences. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of virtual exercise classes on physical activity levels. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, physical activity levels before and after participation in virtual exercise classes may be compared with those of a comparison group to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that virtual exercise classes have a significant positive impact on physical activity levels among female university students in Nigeria. Female students who regularly participate in virtual exercise classes are expected to demonstrate higher physical activity levels and lower sedentary behaviour than students without comparable access. Virtual classes may provide flexible scheduling, guided exercise instruction, social interaction, reminders, motivation, and convenient access to physical activity without requiring students to travel to fitness centres. The availability of instructors and structured exercise sessions may also improve students' confidence and consistency in participating in physical activity. However, poor internet connectivity, limited access to smartphones or suitable devices, inadequate exercise space, academic workload, lack of motivation, safety concerns, fatigue, and difficulty maintaining long-term participation may reduce the effectiveness of virtual exercise interventions. The study therefore expects accessible, engaging, appropriately supervised, and culturally relevant virtual exercise classes to contribute significantly to improved physical activity levels among female university students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on virtual exercise, physical activity, digital health, women's health, university student health, exercise promotion, sedentary behaviour prevention, online health interventions, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Education, universities, university health centres, university sports departments, fitness professionals, healthcare providers, digital-health developers, women's health organizations, public health practitioners, student organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for promoting physical activity among female students. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating virtual exercise classes into university health-promotion programmes, improving access to safe and affordable digital exercise opportunities, providing appropriate exercise guidance, strengthening student participation and engagement, combining virtual classes with campus-based physical activity opportunities, and developing culturally appropriate digital interventions for improving physical activity among female university students across Nigeria.

Keywords: Virtual exercise classes, physical activity levels, female university students, digital health, exercise participation, physical activity promotion, sedentary behaviour, women's health, university health, Nigeria, public health.