1

Alexis M. Lacewell
Bret Zawilski
RC 2001-410
9 September 2015
Paper 1.2
Exercise science is a broad term that describes the study of various aspects of exercise,
physical activity, and movement. These concepts serve as part of the foundation for exercise
science and are used to clinically assess various types of conditions and diseases. Overweight
and obese conditions are common concern for exercise science professionals to come in contact
with because of the numerous health and lifestyle issues that come with them. In exercise
science, overweight and obese conditions are often either being treated in patients using physical
activity and exercise or analyzed academically; texts in the field focused on patient treatment,
like Obesity and Exercise, and academic analyzation, like Predictors of increase in physical
activity during a 6-month follow-up period among overweight and physically inactive healthy
young adults, tend to differ. The differences in the texts can be attributed to their individual
rhetorical elements.
Obesity and Exercise and Predictors of increase in physical activity during a 6-month
follow-up period among overweight and physically inactive healthy young adults are founded
on similar exigencies. Obesity and Exercise is a web article that mainly discusses the various
benefits of physical activity and how to integrate it into ones lifestyle, which establishes its
exigence as the increasing prevalence of obesity correlating with a lack of exercise in the United
States. Schmidt states that obesity affects close to one third of all adults and occurs when the

amount of calories consumed exceeds the amount of calories expended over a long period of
time (para. 1). The author immediately allows the readers to consider the extent of the
preexisting conditions that surround obesity, specifically in the adult population. Given this
information, readers can also view obesity as a pressing issue that requires attention and action.
On the other hand, Predictors of increase in physical activity during a 6-month follow-up period
among overweight and physically inactive healthy young adults is an academic text from the
Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness that analyzes the psychological and physical factors that
affect whether or not a participants overall physical activity increases. While it differs from
Obesity and Exercise in most rhetorical aspects, it bears a similar exigence-the prevalence of
overweight young adults due to a lack of physical activity. The introduction states, Physical
inactivity together with increasing prevalence of being overweight6 predisposes people to
increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases. Thus, healthcare workers and other professionals
strive to increase people's participation in regular physical activity. However, this is a
challenging goal (Fhr et al, 2015). Readers of this text also see the extent of overweight and
inactive conditions, but they view them as conditions where the means for improvement need to
be analyzed. Although the texts are founded on similar exigencies, the resulting viewpoints of the
readers concerning the exigence lead to a significant difference in the audiences.
Increasing the amount of physical activity and exercise of overweight and obese patients
is a major concern in exercise science, and the method through which the information concerning
bettering their health through exercise can vary. Obesity and Exercise presents information in
an informal manner by creating a conversational space that engages the readers in the five
benefits of regular physical activity. Concerned about heart disease? and Feeling a little
edgy? are questions in the text where the author is directly speaking to the readers (Schmidt,

2012, Benefits of Regular Exercise section, para. 2). Because the author directs the questions to
the readers, it can be concluded that the readers are people in the public, specifically those that
are overweight and/or obese, who are seeking to alter their physical state by incorporating
exercise into their lifestyles. Conversely, Predictors of increase in physical activity during a 6month follow-up period among overweight and physically inactive healthy young adults
presents information in a formal and detached manner. Because this text is research and is
primarily concerned with the participants psychological and physical attributes, the text is
arranged in sections similar to those of a science project. The abstract and introduction sections
provide a general idea of the research, but further into the texts sections, like Methods and
Results, information is more difficult to decipher and requires the knowledge of a professional.
Without the knowledge of terms and concepts, such as metabolic equivalent of task (METs)
and sense of coherence, someone outside of exercise science or affiliated disciplines may not
understand how this relates to the overall message or how to assess the validity of the research.
(Fhr et al, 2015, Methods section para. 7). Therefore, the audience can be established as
professionals seeking to alter the lifestyles of overweight young adults through a concrete
understanding of psychological and physical factors that increase the potential of that alteration.
Having identified audiences, each text also has constraints that have to be considered and
addressed by the author(s).
With such a specific audience of overweight and/or obese people seeking to alter their
physical state by incorporating exercise into their lifestyles, the author of Obesity and Exercise
largest constraint to consider is the audiences preconceived beliefs about exercise and sedentary
habits. Because physical activity and exercise seem daunting and difficult, an overweight and/or
obese patients sedentary habits may seem easier to cling to. The text accommodates this

constraint with its arrangement and pathos. The arrangement consists of engaging questions,
simple sentence structures, fairly common diction, section headings, and a short length.
Engaging questions, simple sentence structures, and common diction make the text relatable for
readers. Comments like, Tired of spending your Saturday afternoons watching TV or doing
laundry? Looking for an activity that the whole family can enjoy? Get moving! Exercise doesnt
have to be grueling. Take a dancing class, push your kids on the swing, or try something new,
simplify information that could be more in-depth and complex and use real world examples to
encourage overweight and/or obese to engage in physical activity (Schmidt, 2012, Exercise can
be FUN section). Section headings and short length make the information in the text accessible
to the audience. Exercise promotes better sleep is one of multiple headings in Obesity and
Exercise that places information in an accessible view so that members of the audience are able
to target specific issues of concern that exercise can benefit (Schmidt, 2012, Exercise promotes
better sleep section). At this point, readers have accessed and reviewed the benefits of regular
exercise, and can transition into how to incorporate it into their lives.
The final sections of Obesity and Exercise discuss beginning exercise programs and
helpful tips that can assist in the process, which introduces the use of pathos to address its main
constraint. This stage in the text can be the most difficult because it urges the readers to release
their preconceived ideas about exercise and sedentary habits and to actually engage in physical
activity to help combat obesity and receive health benefits. Ease into your workout, sessions
can be broken up into three 10-minute sessions, and try to resist focusing on weight loss are
phrases that generate an expectation that the application of exercise is gradual. Many readers
may believe that integrating exercise into their routine has to be sudden and all at once, which
can lead to fear and cause discomfort. However, the authors phrases indicate that exercise is not

only gradual but should also minimize discomfort, pain, and fear. If successful, this pathos will
elicit comfort in the audience, allow them to let go of the traditions that are inhibiting their
health, and encourage them to integrate regular exercise into their lifestyle.
Dissimilar, Predictors of increase in physical activity during a 6-month follow-up period
among overweight and physically inactive healthy young adults audience has roots in an
academic community where relevance and validity are important. That being said, the authors
most crucial constraint to consider is that the data collected in the research is limited and cannot
be correlated to a larger population of people.
Because it has the ability to correspond with a variety of other disciplines, exercise
science

Fhr, T., Kainulainen, H., Karhunen, L., Kolemainen, M., Kujala, U.M., Lappalainen, R., &
Mutikainen, S. (2015, August 14). Predictors of increase in physical activity during a 6month follow-up period among overweight and physically inactive healthy young adults.
Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness. Retrieved from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1728869X15000222#
Schmidt, S. (2012, January 19). Obesity and Exercise. ACSM Fit Society. Retrieved from
http://acsm.org/public-information/articles/2012/01/19/obesity-and-exercise