Methodology

Melody Osborn

Methodology

Purpose is to determine; the main stresses of working out.  Why students work out.  What are the effects they feel once they work out (emotionally, physically), what are the effects they feel when they don’t work out (emotionally, physically). What makes them look forward to exercise?  What discourage uses them to exercise. Would they be more inclined to exercise if they were partaking in an exercise that was an interest to them?  If they play a sport does this have an effect on the reason they work out.  Does body image play less of a role when working out if the activity of exercise is an interest instead of just focusing on body image?

I examined a segment of young adults.  I chose to collect my data by using a hand out of a survey to a variety of college students both male and female.  My participants were to measure their psychological and physical benefits from exercise.  They were also asked questions to so I could examine factors that help to encourage or discourage them from working out.  The point of collecting this data was to evaluate and analyze this information in a way that proves that there are psychological benefits to exercise, not just physical.  Also evaluating how finding an exercise that is an interest takes the pressure of body image away.

One source during my research evaluated different stresses for college students.  Body image was in the top eight.  This added feedback that I put in my survey.  This information provided that body image was not only a stress for college students but also a motive for working out.  People often work out because of body image but there are other reasons to work out besides this aspect.  Another source provided information about one of the questions I asked in my survey as wll.  This source gave an example of female athletes being interviewed.  The study showed female athletes that were involved in sports that were not focused on weighted related reasons had much higher self esteems than those female athletes that were involved in sports related to body image.  This research was very important to my research because it is the main point I am examining.  I want my readers to see that when body image is not the main aspect of fitness there are a lot of positive aspects associated with exercise.

Questions answered in my survey that dealt with motivational feeling toward fitness were also researched in another article I found interesting.  This article also suggested that athletes were more motivated to participate in physical fitness due to enjoyment and intrinsic motives, where as those that worked out for appearance were more motivated on extrinsic aspects.  I found this to prove the point again that fitness is more enjoyable and beneficial psychologically once the exercise is looked at something more than just a way to improve body image.  Once fitness is linked with a passion, the rest will fall into place. The important thing is to find what exact physical activity does that.  Then my reader will see how to enjoy and do it, and then body image and self- esteem, and the relief of stress will come naturally.  Many people work out and look at it as if it is a negative thing because it has to be done.  This is why I stress that fitness is positive and that there are ways to make it positive.  No one has to necessarily be an athlete but it is a prime example at how physical activity is looked at in a positive way, that is encouraging and stress relieving, instead of a cause of stress.  My survey asked young adults to analyze their views of fitness not only to gain perspective but also to show how difference in attitude of the activity is a main factor in the enjoyment of physical activity.

My paper reviewed the purpose of my methodology not only proving it with my research but also with back up from other reliable resources.  I gave exact examples from those sources that directly answered questions that my participants will be answering in my survey as well.