Why Structured Training Keeps Adults in Sport
Here is a pattern I have watched play out hundreds of times. An adult gets motivated. They sign up for a gym, buy new shoes, download an app. For three weeks, maybe six, they show up. Then life gets in the way. A work deadline. A sore knee. A holiday. They miss a week, then two, and then they quietly cancel their membership. Sound familiar?
Now compare that to martial arts. People who start Brazilian jiu-jitsu or karate tend to stay for years. The dropout rate is markedly lower than for general gym memberships. The difference is not the type of exercise. It is the structure.
What the Research Tells Us
The science on exercise adherence is clear and consistent. Adults stick with physical activity when three conditions are met: professional guidance, social connection, and a sense of progression.
Hawley-Hague and colleagues (2016), in a study published in BMJ Open, identified that instructor-led exercise programs with personalized feedback produce significantly higher adherence rates than self-directed programs. The presence of a coach who knows your name, understands your abilities, and adjusts the training accordingly transforms exercise from a chore into a practice.
Rivera-Torres and colleagues (2019), reviewing exercise adherence research in Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, found the same pattern across multiple studies. Group-based, supervised programs consistently outperformed individual, unsupervised exercise for long-term participation. The authors noted that social support and accountability were key mechanisms driving this difference.
Eather and colleagues (2023), in a systematic review published in Systematic Reviews, added another dimension. They found that sports participation, as opposed to general exercise, had a particularly strong positive impact on mental health and social outcomes. The structured, skill-based nature of sport provides psychological benefits that running on a treadmill simply cannot match.
Why Unstructured Activity Falls Apart
When I think about the activities adults tend to quit, they share a common feature: lack of external structure. Going to the gym. Running. Home workout videos. These all depend entirely on your own motivation, your own programming, and your own ability to push yourself on days when you would rather stay on the couch.
That is an enormous amount to ask of anyone, especially someone juggling a career, a family, and the general fatigue of adult life.
Contrast this with activities that are always guided. In martial arts, you do not walk in and decide what to practice. Your instructor has a plan. You follow it. You are surrounded by training partners at various levels who motivate you to improve. There is a belt system that gives you clear milestones. You know exactly where you are and what comes next.
This is not a coincidence. Structured progression works because it removes the two biggest barriers to consistency: decision fatigue and uncertainty. You do not have to figure out what to do. You just have to show up.
How We Apply This at RunTheWall
At RunTheWall, every session is coached. We do not hand you a trampoline and wish you luck. Our training follows a 7-level progression system that takes you from foundational body control through to advanced wall-running and acrobatic skills. Each level has clear criteria. You know what you are working toward and you know when you have achieved it.
This structure exists because of what I learned from my own experience and from coaching adults over several years. If the activity is guided, it works in the long term. If it is not, people drift away.
Aragao and colleagues (2011), publishing in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, found that structured mini-trampoline exercise improved dynamic stability and balance. Posch and colleagues (2019), in Clinical Interventions in Aging, demonstrated that regular, structured trampoline training improved both balance and functional mobility. In both studies, the key word is structured. The participants followed a program. They were guided. And they improved.
The Coaching Difference
There is another benefit to structured coaching that does not show up in the research summaries: safety. Trampolining and wall running involve real physical risk if performed incorrectly. A coach who understands biomechanics, progression, and the specific risks of each skill level can prevent injuries before they happen.
For adults returning to physical activity after years away, this matters enormously. Your body is not the same as it was at 18. Joints are stiffer. Recovery takes longer. The margin for error is smaller. Professional coaching accounts for all of this and adjusts accordingly.
When adults tell me they quit a sport because of an injury, the next question I ask is always the same: were you coached? The answer is almost always no.
What to Look For
If you are searching for a physical activity that you will actually stick with, look for these features:
- Professional coaching in every session. Not just a staff member supervising, but an instructor actively teaching and providing feedback.
- A clear progression system. You should know what level you are at and what you need to achieve to advance.
- Small group sizes. Your coach should know your name and your current abilities.
- A consistent community. Seeing the same faces each week creates accountability and belonging.
- Skill-based learning. Activities that teach you something new keep your brain engaged in a way that repetitive exercise cannot.
RunTheWall offers all of the above. Every session is coached, structured, and designed for adults who want to progress. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced athlete looking for a new challenge, our 7-level system meets you where you are. Book your first session here.
References
- Hawley-Hague, H. et al. (2016). "Review of How We Should Define (and Measure) Adherence in Studies Examining Older Adults' Participation in Exercise Classes." BMJ Open. View study
- Rivera-Torres, S. et al. (2019). "Adherence to Exercise Programs in Older Adults." Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. View study
- Eather, N. et al. (2023). "The Impact of Sports Participation on Mental Health and Social Outcomes in Adults: A Systematic Review." Systematic Reviews. View study
- Aragao, F.A. et al. (2011). "Mini-Trampoline Exercise Related to Mechanisms of Dynamic Stability." Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology. View study
- Posch, M. et al. (2019). "Effectiveness of a Mini-Trampoline Training Program on Balance and Functional Mobility." Clinical Interventions in Aging. View study