Abstract
This research paper is all about the promotion of a healthier lifestyle. This research paper promotes a healthier lifestyle using getting people interested in starting to exercise especially daily. This paper will list why some people feel that they cannot exercise. It will also go into detail about the benefits of exercising. We learned about a lot of different terms, concepts, and theories in Social Psychology this semester many of which are beneficial in getting people interested in exercising.
Keywords: Exercise, Social Psychology, Group Influence, Conformity, Attractiveness, Self, Self-Esteem, Self-Worth, Case Study
Exercise, as defined by the Cambridge Online Dictionary, is “(a) physical action performed to make or keep your body healthy” (Cambridge University Press, 2018). Exercising is a very important aspect of everyday life.
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Intervention Program
The intervention program designed to help promote a healthier lifestyle that this research paper is over is exercising. Or to help promote people to start exercising regularly. To make exercise a part of their everyday lifestyle choice. The reason to promote people to start exercising is to help them have a more in depth understanding that exercise allows for a healthier lifestyle. As defined above, exercise is, “(a) physical action performed to make or keep your body healthy” (Cambridge University Press, 2018). Exercise is very important aspect to everyday life and as such should be treated as an essential part of everyday life. Lots of research has been completed on this very topic listing both the benefits and the costs of exercising or non-exercising. Listed are a several reasons why some people do not exercise according to Lifestyle Online Magazine article that was published in 2017.
First people do not exercise is because of, “no time” (Jaines, 2017). They believe that they have no time to get a great exercise in; when in reality thirty minutes a day for at least five days a week is beneficial.
Secondly, they do not exercise is because of, “no energy” (Jaines, 2017). Exercising, especially in the beginning, causes a person to feel as though they have no energy or are constantly tired. However, after a few weeks of continuous exercise your body starts to compensate and will be more energized with the exercise.
Thirdly, they do not exercise is because of, “competing interest” (Jaines, 2017). People feel as though they must constantly choice between two or more activities and exercise is often pushed away because they feel like they can do it later. Exercise should be one of the first activities chosen versus a different activity; or there is the possibility that you could chose an activity that is both fun and allows you to workout.
Another reason they do not exercise is because they, “haven’t developed the habit” (Jaines, 2017). Like stated before (above) in this research paper people tend to feel no energy of exhausted when it comes to exercise. It is difficult for some people to want to continue exercising even with all the benefits that come with it.
Another reason they do not exercise is because they, “have no motivation” (Jaines, 2017). This is just like the above reason why people do not exercise. You must have a certain degree of ‘wanting to get into shape and having a healthier lifestyle’ in order to be completely motivated to continue exercising. Once you get through the first few weeks of constant (habitual exercise) than people will feel the motivation to continue onwards.
A sixth reason that they do not exercise is because it is, “too overwhelming” (Jaines, 2017). As stated before, exercising can be exhausting in the beginning which might lead to people feeling overwhelmed. You need to compensate for this feeling by better preparing yourself and having a basic understanding that it takes some time to get past these feelings of being overwhelmed.
A seventh reason that people do not exercise is because they have a, “poor diet” (Jaines, 2017). Poor diet is defiantly a factor that plays a huge role in exercise. Having a poor diet will not help a person who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle through exercising see any results because it is countering the exercise results. You must change your poor diet into a healthy one along with exercising regularly to see the results that you are wanting to see.
An eighth reason that people do not exercise is because of their, “current physical condition” (Jaines, 2017). There are times when a person is physically unable to be active or exercise. When you are in this type of situation there are still ways to help promote or better yourself through different types of exercise or physical activities. A doctor would be able to better tell you what options are available to you if you are physically unable to exercise in the traditional sense.
A ninth reason that people do not exercise is because they, “have no access” Jaines, 2017). Having no access usually means that a person feels as though the only way to exercise is to go to or obtain a gym membership. This is incorrect. There are all types of exercises that a person can participate in at their very own home. Also going to the park and playing different sports is a physical activity that is considered a form of exercise.
Lastly, people do not exercise because of a, “lack of results” (Jaines, 2017). Like stated above with the dieting results do not occur overnight. You must change your entire lifestyle (such as poor eating habits) in order to see the exercising results otherwise you are just having two different obstacles compete against each other which counterbalances any results (poor eating versus healthy exercise still cancels results out). Also, many people, even if they are living a healthy lifestyle, along with exercising, expect to see results right away. Results take time and people need to remember this. To counter these ten top reasons (according to Lifestyle Online Magazine) on why people do not exercise people need to have a better understanding on the benefits of promoting people to start regularly exercising.
There are numerous studies completed on this topic and the benefits of exercising. To name just a few benefits of promoting people to start exercising would include the following:
- Exercising allows for the person completing the exercises to be healthier, get into shape, lose weight, and gain confidence.
- According to a peer reviewed journal by Gallaway and Hongu, found in The Journal of Extension, “All-cause mortality rates are reduced for those who are physically active, meaning that those who are achieving certain levels of PA in their lives are less likely to die when all causes of death are included” (Gallaway & Hongu, 2015). PA stands for physical activity in this peer reviewed journal article.
- Also, according to the peer reviewed journal by Gallaway and Hongu, “PA is one of the protective behaviors Extension educators are incorporating to lower heart disease risk” (Gallaway & Hongu, 2015).
- Another benefit is that, “PA increases motility of the digestive system (Wang, Kondo, Suzukamo, Oouchida, & Izumi, 2010); waste spends less time in the large intestine, which helps prevent colon cancer” (Gallaway & Hongu, 2015).
- Another benefit is that, “PA increases cell sensitivity to insulin, which can help people—diabetic and non-diabetic alike—regulate their blood glucose” (Gallaway & Hongu, 2015).
- • Another benefit of exercise is that, “Regular PA reduces inflammation and keeps an overactive immune system in check” (Gallaway & Hongu, 2015).
- Yet another benefit of exercising is that, “High-impact exercises, such as jumping and weight training, produce the greatest benefits for bone health, significantly increasing bone mass, while moderate-impact exercises, such as jogging or walking, have more limited benefits” (Gallaway & Hongu, 2015).
Therefore, regular exercise should be promoted, and people should immediandly start the process of getting healthy and living a healthier lifestyle; through promotion of starting exercising. Social Psychology Techniques Social Psychology terms, concepts, and theories are used throughout everyday life and everyday activities. It may also be used in trying to promote better and healthier lifestyles. In this case, social psychology could be used to help promote people to want to start exercising regularly to maintain or gain a heathier outlook on life. Some such techniques, concepts, and or terms from social psychology that could be effective in getting people to become more conscientious about their health behavior will be discussed in this section.
Firstly, one technique that would be beneficial in getting people to want to start exercising right away and is a social psychology concept would be ‘self.’ As we learned from reading Chapter 2 in the Social Psychology textbook this semester a person’s self is quite important to them and their self-esteem and worth. We also know that a person’s self can be influenced by advertisements, the environment around them, and the people around them. In this instance, I would promote people to start exercising by stating that exercise may increase their own self-esteem and worth. There are many case studies and research that has been done on this topic. To prove to others that exercise or physical activities can improve ‘self’ here is one peer reviewed article that listed their results of kids that exercise. The article states that, “A recent meta-analysis of 65 studies concluded that physical education programs positively influence self-esteem in elementary children” (Sonstroem & Morgan, 1989, p.331).
Another way to promote people to start exercising and goes hand in hand with social psychology is attractiveness. As we learned from our readings how people perceive others around them and how they are perceived by the others around them all play a role in social psychology. People are more likely to listen to, respond to, and want to be around people who are physically attractive to that person. Exercising is not only beneficial for one’s health, but it can allow a person’s body figure to be more attractive towards others. Group influence, group conformity, and persuasion (which are all parts of social psychology) can all play a role with attractiveness.
Another way to promote people to start exercising and goes hand in hand with social psychology is group influence, group conformity, support, or participation. Exercising like most activities can be potentially boring or exhausting to accomplish on your own. However, groups can come together to exercise which would make it more enjoyable and increase the results. One peer reviewed journal article states, “Some families tried not to make plans on their exercise days; others helped them to find out about this program and encouraged them to join” (Belza & Chiang & Seman & Tsai, 2008, p.4). This support system allows and encourages people to start exercising more regularly especially if the group participates in the activity together.
One last way to promote people to start exercising and goes hand in hand with social psychology deals with behavior and attitudes. People tend to be more motivated, happy, optimistic, and just more generally in a good mood if they are consistent with exercising. One peer reviewed journal found in the American Psychological Journal states that, ““There’s good epidemiological data to suggest that active people are less depressed than inactive people. And people who were active and stopped tend to be more depressed than those who maintain or initiate an exercise program,’ says James Blumenthal, PhD, a clinical psychologist at Duke University” (Weir, 2011).
So, as you may see many forms, theories, concepts, and or terms of social psychology may be beneficial in helping to promote people to start exercising. Background Information I wish to promote people to start exercising. I wish to promote people to start exercising so that they may live a healthier and longer lifestyle. As you learned from reading the above sections people have many different reasons on why they feel that they can never exercise. However, to promote people to exercise many benefits were discussed in early sections of this research paper. As stated in the above section there are many different types of social psychological aspects that may play a role in helping people to want to start exercising. I believe that these social psychological aspects come into play for several reasons. Some such reasons include the want of belonging to a group, to feel attractive and look attractive to others, and to increase one’s view on ‘self.’
Effectiveness of the Program
I believe that to get people interested in starting to exercise that all the above mentioned social psychosocial concepts and theories would have a great impact on receiving positive results. I believe that talking to people who are interested in making a healthier lifestyle change for themselves can see from reading this research paper that there are great benefits to started exercising regularly. Not only does this paper lists different benefits of beginning to exercise it also states some social psychological aspects behind why people might be interested in making a change and how this change can have positive outcomes. So, overall, I believe that this research paper is quite effective in getting people interested in starting to exercise especially at a more consistent or daily intervals.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion this research paper is based on promoting a healthier lifestyle by encouraging people to start exercising and to due so daily. As you learned from above, Exercise, as defined by the Cambridge Online Dictionary, is “(a) physical action performed to make or keep your body healthy” (Cambridge University Press, 2018). Exercising is a very important aspect of everyday life. This research paper goes into detail and depth about how one could go about using different social psychology terms, theories, and concepts that we learned about during this semester in order to best promote someone to start exercising.
This paper also went into detail on why some people do not exercise (but counters their reasonings behind it) and lists several benefits of exercising. There are several peer reviewed articles that were included in this research paper to help back up the promotion of getting people to start being healthier using physical activity or exercise. Overall, I believe that this research paper will allow others the opportunity to learn more in depth about why they should start really considering starting the healthier lifestyle by starting to exercise. This paper will be an effective tool in teaching others why this promotion of starting to exercise is needed through a social psychology standpoint.
References
- Belza, B., Chiang, K.-C., Seman, L., & Hsin-Chun Tsai, J. (2008). “It Is Our Exercise Family”: Experiences of Ethnic Older Adults in a Group-Based Exercise Program. Preventing Chronic Disease, 5(1), A05. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2248786/
- Cambridge University Press. (2018). Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved May 29, 2018, from https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/exercise
- Gallaway, P. J., & Hongu, N. (2015). Physical Activity: A Tool for Improving Health (Part 1—Biological Health Benefits). Journal of Extension, 53. Retrieved May 29, 2018, from https://www-joe-org.ezproxy.chadronstatelibrary.com/joe/2015december/tt9.php
- Jaines, K. (2017, July 18). Ten Reasons People Do Not Exercise. Retrieved May 29, 2018, from https://www.livestrong.com/article/370670-ten-reasons-people-do-not-exercise/
- Sonstroem, R. J., & Morgan, W. P. (1989). Exercise and Self-Esteem: Rational and Model. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 21, 329-337. Retrieved May 29, 2018, from file:///C:/Users/wicka/AppData/Local/Packages/Microsoft.MicrosoftEdge_8wekyb3d8bbwe/TempState/Downloads/Exercise_and_self_esteem__rationale_and_model.18 (1).pdf.
- Weir, K. (2011). The Exercise Effect. American Psychological Association Monitor on Psychology, 42. Retrieved May 29, 2018, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx
