Social connection boosts fitness app appeal

Date:
August 18, 2020
Source:
Flinders University
Summary:
Apps alone don't motivate most people to exercise but interacting
with an online exercise community as well provides the impetus
for exercisers to do more -- and enjoy what they are doing.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
New research led by Flinders University PhD candidate Jasmine Petersen examining commercial physical activity apps has found that the social components of these apps hold great potential to increase physical
activity engagement.


========================================================================== Sharing physical activity outcomes and progress to app communities and
social networking platforms provides the necessary encouragement for
people to engage more enthusiastically with their apps.

"Sharing posts and receiving encouragement provides the social support
many people need to stay motivated with exercise programs -- and this
doesn't change across different age groups," says study co-author Dr
Ivanka Prichard, from Flinders University's Caring Futures Institute.

The study -- "Psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between commercial physical activity app use and physical activity engagement,"
by Jasmine Petersen, Lucy Lewis, Eva Kemps and Ivanka Prichard -- is
published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise.

The study examined close to 1300 adults (88% female, aged between 18
and 83 years), over half of whom used a commercial physical activity
app (e.g. Fitbit, Garmin, Strava). Results found that more competitive individuals responded best to the apps, engaging in significantly higher
levels of physical activity due to the game-like incentives and rewards
built into the apps.

Dr Prichard says this suggests that people with a general disposition
toward competition may benefit most from using activity apps.

"App users are motivated by both the enjoyment derived from physical
activity (intrinsic motivation) and the personal value placed on the
outcomes of physical activity (identified regulation), and these combined motivations result in greater engagement in physical activity," says
Ms Petersen.

This study shows that the social components of physical activity apps are particularly beneficial in promoting engagement in physical activity due
to their capacity to facilitate social support, and positively influence motivation and beliefs in one's ability to perform physical activity.

However, it was also found that online interactions can have a negative
effect on exercisers if social networking is used to make direct
comparisons.

"Engagement in comparisons was associated with lower self-efficacy and
higher external regulation, and in turn, lower physical activity," says
Dr Prichard, emphasising the importance of exercising for enjoyment and
the benefits that exercise can provide to general health.

The team are now following up participants to see how commercial physical activity apps might support physical activity behaviour in light of
COVID-19 restrictions.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Flinders_University. Original written
by Megan Andrews.

Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jasmine M. Petersen, Eva Kemps, Lucy K. Lewis, Ivanka Prichard.

Psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between
commercial physical activity app use and physical activity
engagement. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 2020; 51: 101719 DOI:
10.1016/ j.psychsport.2020.101719 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200818094050.htm

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