Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale (EBBS) — Fitness & Exercise Self-Assessment
Likert-scale questionnaire assessing perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise participation.
The Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale (EBBS) is a validated, Likert-scale questionnaire designed to assess perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise participation. This Fitness and Exercise self-assessment helps individuals, trainers, and clinicians identify the motivating benefits that support regular physical activity as well as the perceived obstacles that reduce exercise adherence. Use this EBBS quiz to better understand your attitudes toward physical activity and to inform targeted strategies for increasing exercise participation and improving fitness.
Completing the EBBS takes just a few minutes and yields a clear numeric score representing the balance between perceived benefits and barriers to exercise. This analysis is ideal for anyone interested in fitness, exercise psychology, behavior change, or designing personalized exercise plans. The results can help you set realistic goals, prioritize interventions (time management, social support, or perceived harm reduction), and track progress over time to improve long-term physical activity engagement.
Regular exercise improves my physical health and stamina.
Perceived physical benefits from regular physical activity.
Exercise helps reduce my stress and improves my mood.
Perceived mental health and emotional benefits of exercise.
Exercising provides social opportunities and support for me.
Perceived social and community benefits from physical activity.
Exercise helps me maintain or improve my physical appearance.
Perceived aesthetic or body-image benefits of exercise.
Being active through exercise makes daily tasks easier for me.
Perceived functional and practical benefits (mobility, energy).
Regular exercise reduces my risk of long-term health problems.
Perceived preventative health benefits of consistent exercise.
I don’t have enough time to exercise regularly.
Perceived time barrier to exercise participation.
Lack of access to facilities, equipment, or safe spaces prevents me from exercising.
Perceived environmental or access barriers.
I often feel too tired or unmotivated to exercise.
Perceived fatigue and motivation-related barriers.
Concerns about injury, pain, or medical issues prevent me from exercising.
Perceived health and safety barriers to physical activity.
The cost of gym memberships or classes makes it hard for me to exercise.
Perceived financial barriers to maintaining an exercise routine.
Lack of support from family or friends makes it difficult to exercise.
Perceived social support as a barrier to exercise participation.
Frequently asked questions
The EBBS is a self-report Likert-scale questionnaire that measures individuals' perceived benefits of and barriers to exercise. It helps identify motivational factors and obstacles that influence exercise participation and adherence.
This abbreviated EBBS takes about 3–5 minutes to complete. The full research versions can be longer, but this version is designed to give a quick, actionable snapshot of perceived benefits and barriers.
Each benefit question uses positive values and each barrier question uses negative values; the quiz sums the selected option values to produce a total score. Higher positive totals indicate stronger perceived benefits and greater likelihood of exercising; negative totals indicate barriers outweigh perceived benefits.
If your score shows high perceived barriers, start by identifying 1–2 top obstacles (time, cost, access, motivation). Use small, specific strategies—like scheduling brief workouts, choosing home-based or low-cost options, seeking social support, and consulting healthcare providers for injury concerns—to reduce those barriers and gradually increase activity.
Yes. It's recommended to retake the quiz every 4–8 weeks or after you implement specific interventions to remove barriers or enhance benefits. Regular reassessment helps track progress and refine strategies for long-term adherence.
Yes. Clinicians, trainers, and health coaches can use the EBBS to screen clients for perceived obstacles and motivators, tailor interventions, and monitor changes in attitudes toward exercise as part of behavior-change or rehabilitation programs.
Related quizzes
Sedentary Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) — Fitness and Exercise Sitting Habits Test
Multiple-choice time bands across sedentary activities to profile sitting behavior.
Exercise Stages of Change Questionnaire (Physical Activity SOC) — Fitness & Exercise Self-Classification
Categorical self-classification into precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action or maintenance.
Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (Categorized Version) — Fitness and Exercise Assessment
Multiple-choice frequency bands for light, moderate and vigorous sessions to classify activity level.
Self-Efficacy for Exercise (SEE) Quiz — Measure Your Confidence to Maintain Fitness
Likert options measuring confidence in maintaining exercise under challenging conditions.
Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire (BREQ-2/3) — Exercise Motivation Quiz
Likert-scale assessment of exercise motivation across amotivation to intrinsic regulation.
Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) — Functional Capacity Quiz
Yes/no items about ability to perform daily and recreational activities to estimate functional capacity.