Previous research shows that the need for relatedness is important to be able to motivate to physically activity. However, there are few studies that focuses on that particular part of self-determination theory. The purpose of this study was to see if there is any connection between social relations and motivation of people involved in Ryggrehabiliteringen i Värmland (RIV) eight-week rehabilitation program. This study aimed to examine if the social relationships between participants in the rehabilitation helped the individual during as well as after the rehabilitation. The study is qualitative with interviews and observations as data collection method. The results indicate that social relations were important during the eight weeks rehabilitation but that they were also an important factor as to why some chose to continue train within RIV afterwards.

Keywords: self-determination theory, relatedness, motivation, social relations.