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Exploring Fitness Motivations among American University Students

U of Washington ｜ 2023 (5 Weeks)
Project Overview
Team & Responsibilities
  • This study aimed to gain insights into the factors that influenced university students’ motivation to engage in fitness activities and identify barriers that prevented them from doing so. The ultimate goal was to develop evidence-based recommendations for increasing university students’ motivation to engage in physical activity, leading to improved health outcomes and overall well-being.
  • As a user researcher, I led 3 teammates with engineering background in conducting secondary research, developing protocols, and performing interviews, contextual inquiries, and surveys. Additionally, I led the analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data for the project to bring insights and design recommendations.
Timeline
01 background

The research problem came from the previous market research I conducted on the entrepreneur class. Through that previous research, I found the fitness market had great potential to leap in the next decade. However, as a university student, unique challenges hindered my engagement in fitness activities. My 3 other teammates also felt the similar problem.

Therefore, what are the factors that influence university students’ motivation to engage in fitness activities and potential barriers that may prevent them from doing so? With the opportunity of the TECHIN523 User Research and Evaluation class at the University of Washington, we spent 5 weeks on this research to find answers.

02 QUESTIONS

Design Question

How might we help university students maintain their motivation to engage in fitness activities over the long-term so that they can promote their health?

Research Questions

What are the motivating and demotivating factors for university students to engage in long-term fitness practices?
How does the availability of fitness resources influence university students’ motivation to engage in regular exercise?
What are the technologies that university students would find beneficial to promote their motivation in fitness activities?
03 methodology

Combination of Qual and Quant Methods

I led the team in better understanding the problem through secondary research, exploring personal experiences via interviews and contextual inquiries, and validating findings through surveys. By employing a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods, we integrated attitudinal and behavioral, formative and summative, empirical and analytical data, triangulating our findings.

Secondary Research

We spent the first week reviewing peer-reviewed articles, exploring insights from both popular media and subject matter experts to gain a broad understanding of university fitness trends and motivations, and identify gaps in knowledge where more research is needed.

Interview

Based on the insights gained from secondary research, I led the team in conducting 5 interviews with university students (I personally conducted 2) to explore their personal experiences, feelings, and needs concerning fitness activities and to comprehend the root causes and emotions driving their behaviors.

Contextual Inquiry

Synchronously with the interviews, we conducted 4 contextual inquiries with university students (I personally conducted 1) to gain a more accurate and detailed understanding of their practices, habits, and decision-making processes, as well as to identify any obstacles they encounter.

Survey

After analyzing the data we collected from qualitative research, I led the team in designing and distributing a survey and collected 24 valid responses from university students to quantify their motivations for long-term fitness activities, and validate and challenge the qualitative findings.

04 Recruitment

Identifying Ideal Participants

Our ideal participants were university students who were willing to maintain a consistent workout routine (at least 1 day a week) but strived to adhere to it. Taking advantage of being university students, we recruited participants from the University of Washington and teammates’ social networks, and provided a $10 gift card for each interview (45-min) and contextual inquiry (45-min) session. To identify qualified participants, here are the inclusion and exclusion criteria we set for people to participate in this study:

Inclusion Criteria

  • University students in the US
  • Individuals who are willing to maintain a consistent workout routine (at least 1 day a week)
  • Individuals who are open to use technologies (mobile apps, wearables, etc.) to improve their fitness activities

Exclusion Criteria

  • Individuals who have physical limitations that prevent them from exercising
  • Individuals who are not interested in improving their fitness
  • Individuals who are uncomfortable using technologies (mobile apps, wearables, etc.)
05 Data analysis

Synthesizing Qual Data

Considering the very diverse personal experiences of participants, we used affinity diagram to organize and synthesize the interview data from the 5 university students. By focusing on their motivation and demotivation, we gained valuable insights into factors influencing their behaviors and attitudes.

Affinity diagram: interview

Similarly, we also applied affinity diagrams to analyze data from contextual inquiries, which provided a deeper understanding of users’ behaviors and needs within their natural environment. Combining key insights from interviews and contextual inquiries, we identified patterns and user pain points. This approach set the cornerstone for us to design a survey to validate the findings quantitatively, making it easier to identify commonalities.

Affinity diagram: contextual inquiry

Synthesizing Quant Data

After screening the responses based on our exclusion criteria, we ended up with 24 valid responses. Data visualizations show commonalities intuitively — what motivates and demotivates university students, the most popular activities among them, how fitness resources influence them, and their perspectives on technologies improving fitness. With the data from secondary research, qual and quant primary research, I led the integration to make all data work together for the final report.

Survey data visualization
06 key Findings

Finding 1: University students prioritize physical and mental well-being as their motivation for exercise

The motivations for fitness engagement could include mental & physical health benefits and social factors. — Secondary research
Importance of physical and mental health goals. — Contextual inquiry
“When I start feeling a slight illness, I become aware of the significance of exercising.” — Interview
92% of university students are motivated by physical health, which is the most common motivation for them to exercise, weight management (56%) and stress relief (48%) being other key motivations. — Survey

Recommendations

Universities or fitness products can develop workout programs that prioritize physical health goals for university students and can also cater to mental health goals.

Finding 2: Time constraints and busy schedules challenge university students to maintain their long-term exercise habit

Limited time, high stress, and mental fatigue are common challenges. — Secondary research
“I have a busy schedule, and there are numerous social events that will interfere with my time to exercise.” — Interview
Lack of time is a barrier for 80% of university students, which is the most common barrier for them to exercise, lack of motivation (36%) being the second barrier. — Survey

Recommendations

Encourage students to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines, which can include simple changes like scheduling regular breaks for stretching or short workouts during study sessions.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts can be recommended to busy university students, which provide significant benefits in a shorter amount of time.

Finding 3: University students find motivation and support through social connections

Group fitness activities and team sports can enhance their motivation and commitment. — Secondary research
Having regular partners increases intention to exercise. — Contextual inquiry
87.5% of respondents are more motivated when they see their friends or peers exercise. — Survey
75% of respondents feel more enjoyable while working out with friends or peers. — Survey
75% of respondents feel more motivated to work towards their goals while seeing their friends or peers achieve fitness goals. — Survey

Recommendations

More competitive and gamified experiences can be provided in fitness products for university student users, especially among the users and their peers/friends.
Encourage universities to schedule more group classes for university students to exercise together, especially gym workouts, jogging, and dancing.

Finding 4: Workout routines and personalized recommendations are the most needed technology features

Fitness apps, wearable devices, and online platforms are preferred for information and guidance. — Secondary research
Use of fitness apps, journals, and fitness tracking tools. — Contextual inquiry
Workout routines (80% of participants) and personalized recommendations (64% of participants) will be the most beneficial features. — Survey
Fitness apps’ integration with wearable devices (16% of participants) is barely desired. — Survey

Recommendations

Develop or recommend products that track university students’ daily body conditions, as they are easy to staying up late or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol at parties. These products should remind students to take breaks, suggest appropriate exercises, and track their progress over time.
07 Reflections

Strategically Distributing Survey for University Students

Distributing the survey through the LinkedIn post proved ineffective initially; despite 10+ likes, there was 0 response. I promptly shifted to distributing surveys at the college gym to students coming in and out of the gym. Acknowledging participants’ busy schedules, I helped them save time by simply providing a QR code so that they could scan it and fill the survey whenever they got time — like while waiting for or on a bus. That proved the most effective way for participants to say “yes” to me.

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