This research aimed to examine the leisure exercise activity and leisure motivation levels of university students according to some variables and it aimed to determine the relationship between leisure exercise activity and leisure motivation during the Covid-19 pandemic period. The "Leisure Motivation Scale (LMS)", which was developed by Pelletier et al. (1991) and adapted into Turkish by Mutlu (2008), and the "Leisure Time Exercise Questionnaire (LTEQ)" developed by Godin and Shephard (1985, 1997), and adapted into Turkish by Yerlisu Lapa and Yağar (2015) were used as data collection tools. The study group of the research consisted of 716 individuals, 341 female, and 375 males who are studying in various departments of Kastamonu University, participating in leisure activities during the covid-19 pandemic period, and were selected by the convenience sampling method. In the study, descriptive statistical methods (percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation), T-test, one-way ANOVA analysis, and Pearson correlation test were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, while there was a significant difference in the variables of gender, monthly income, and type of activity of the Leisure Motivation Scale, no significant difference was found in the variable of monthly activity frequency. As a result, the external regulation factor had the strongest effect on the leisure motivation of individuals. In addition, despite the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic period, it was observed that the participants stayed active by doing regular physical activity to protect themselves from the negative effects of the epidemic and to stay healthy and fit. It has been determined that there is a low and negative relationship between the amotivation sub-dimension of LMS and leisure time exercise activity.
Leisure motivation, leisure exercise, university students