The relationship between grit, resilience and physical activity: a systematic review

Joel Martin; Ashley Hromyak; Megan Sax van der Weyden; Ali A Weinstein; Ali Boolani

doi:10.3389/fspor.2025.1563382

The relationship between grit, resilience and physical activity: a systematic review

Front Sports Act Living. 2025 Jul 7:7:1563382. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1563382. eCollection 2025.

Authors

Joel Martin^{1

2}, Ashley Hromyak¹, Megan Sax van der Weyden¹, Ali A Weinstein^{2

3}, Ali Boolani^{4

5

6}

Affiliations

¹ Sports Medicine Assessment Research & Testing (SMART) Laboratory, School of Kinesiology, George Mason University, Manassas, VA, United States.
² Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States.
³ Department of Global and Community Health, College of Public Health, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States.
⁴ Human Performance and Nutrition Research Institute, The Innovation Foundation, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, United States.
⁵ Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University College of Medicine, Tulsa, OK, United States.
⁶ Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: At present only about half of Americans meet the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines. Theoretically personality traits, encompassed by grit and resilience, should be beneficial to overcome common barriers to PA participation. To systematically review synthesized literature regarding the relationship between grit, resilience, and PA outcomes.

Methods: The search methodology adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Study eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed studies with healthy adult participants, where a reported relationship between PA and either grit or resilience existed. Study quality was evaluated with the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) and a qualitative synthesis was performed.

Results: A total of 33 studies involving diverse participants (n = 37,370) across age, sex, culture, education, and PA outcomes met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of studies was rated as good on average. Most of the studies found positive relationships between grit, resilience, and PA outcomes, such as adherence, intensity, and performance in competitive settings.

Conclusion: Cumulatively, the findings suggest that personality traits of grit and resilience play a significant role in supporting PA engagement, with individuals exhibiting higher levels being more likely to participate in regular PA and achieve better performance outcomes. Given that most studies employed cross-sectional designs, future research is needed to elucidate whether a causal relationship exists between grit, resilience, and PA. These findings may have practical applications for designing interventions aimed at fostering these traits to enhance PA adherence and overall health.

Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022370061, identifier CRD42022370061.

Keywords: exercise adherence; grit; health; health promotion; physical activity; resilience.

Publication types

Systematic Review