Why do people exercise? A market study.
Interpersonal interviews are the best approach for this generative research for a few reasons. People generally like to talk about their fitness and how to do more. I was also able to follow-up with certain questions and probe a little deeper into behavior trends when appropriate. This is something I wouldn’t have been able to do with impersonal quantitative surveys. Also I’m not willing to spend money on survey services at this point since the research is preliminary.
The purpose of the research was to discover the pain points for habitual exercise. Emphasis was put on understanding if group exercise helped people stay motivated. Since the goal of this app is to encourage that kind of exercise, I needed to know how people typically executed the process both individually and communally. I was also curious about people’s media sharing behaviors and if that served as any kind of conscious motivator.
Here are the questions I asked 5 participants with different exercise habits:
A) Why do you exercise or take part in physical activity? List all reasons and rank them from largest motivator to smallest motivator.
B) What are your preferred forms of exercise or physical activity? How often do you do it/them?
C) Describe in detail the most recent occasion of individual exercise including the decision, motivations, buildup, thoughts during exercise, thoughts afterwards, sharing online, etc.
D) Describe the most recent occasion of group exercise including but not limited to: idea generation, planning methodology, members, place, time, discussion topics, food planning, etc.
E) Do you have fitness goals? How do you accomplish them and with what tools? Have you developed any successful strategies? Any unsuccessful ones?
F) Highlight the most difficult stage in the exercise buildup. In other words where do you most often lose motivation? Feel free to recall a specific instance.
G) What is the least amount of intervention that would have been needed to motivate you to initiation?
H) Do you use any apps to plan or execute exercise and physical activity? Why or why not?
I) How does using an app enhance or diminish the exercise experience?
J) What are the minimum qualifications for a post on social media (For any kind of physical activity)? Which outlets and when?
I recorded the interviews by typing and in one case recording for clarity. I assembled the data into an affinity analysis which is a method identifying trends and overarching themes.
Here’s a sample of what the information looked like once it was organized.
From this information I’ve established some working fitness personas. (Gendered for brevity and ease of reading)
The Relaxer: She uses exercise as a chance to unwind. She isn’t looking to push herself as much as she’s looking for a strategic way to destress without her phone. For now 30 minutes of unplugged reflection per day will suffice until she achieves millennial-monk status. She may use Fitbit or other mobile technology for tracking and monitoring but exclusively in a passive manor to review the data in hindsight.
The Tightener: He exercises for a very specific reason, body image. Whether he’s trimming or maintaining weight inevitably varies (therefore intensity varies) but he picks up weights to tighten up certain muscles. Incentives can include a later indulgence or time off for which he needs to prepare. From him you are liable to hear the phrases “great pump sesh!,” “can I get a spot?,” and “what’s your max, bro?.” He will use fitness technology but mostly for specific exercise ideas, calorie counting, or progress monitoring.
The Mover: She understands the importance of an exercise rhythm. She is hard on herself and pushes to achieve fitness goals. She can be competitive but most often simply takes pride in maintaining a healthy routine. For fear of being a high school sports has-been she sets her goals modestly and doesn’t talk about the “good old days.” Fitness trackers are used during exercise to evaluate the session and sometimes to share on exclusive mediums where fitness peers may be interested.
The Captain Seeker: He knows how to exercise, wants to exercise, sometimes even does exercise but most often needs someone telling him what to do. He believes that like a tree falling in the woods, if no one is around to make him, it didn’t happen.
The Companion Seeker: Similar to the previous regarding frequency; she is looking for social opportunity, hiking, fishing, biking, etc. To her, exercise is a great extension of social situations. She probably wrote something generic like “Passionate about my friends and the outdoors :)” in her Tinder profile. She loves to share on social media since her fitness events are so notable and exciting.
The Gratifier: His actual motivations may trend towards competition or goal accomplishment but seem to be for attention. He uses social media as a platform to gain confidence and social gratification in execution of a fitness plan. He posts often about his progress including stats, routes, companions, conditions, etc. When asked why he shamelessly had his mother take a picture of his abs, he will remark, “I hadn’t noticed.” He uses any kind of tracking technology that may help him stay motivated or understand his progress. He’s willing to try new technologies and share them with others.
The Chiller: She has a hard time getting out overall. She doesn’t have a fitness direction and little that interests her in that realm. She doesn’t utilize gym memberships or classes because they feel like inevitable disappointments. She is most often tired after work and avoids exercise as an extra stress in her life. Running just can’t make her feel the way a new episode of Girls can. She doesn’t ever share fitness events on social media since she is not impressed and doesn’t think her followers would be either.
These are of course not comprehensive or mutually exclusive. They highlight some of the personified motivations of the target market. Someone may have all, none, or some of these feelings day-to-day.
Since a deeper understanding of consumer needs has been preliminarily assessed the information will be used to develop ideas of how to ease their pains and encourage their positive tendencies.
For more detail on this research, don’t hesitate to contact me at T.Johnson240@gmail.com
Like the article, subscribe, show some love. Check back next week for more fitness insights and another progress report.
