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Promoting Fitness Among College Students:

Managing a Healthy Lifestyle



Problem Analysis

Laura Wake-Ramos
The Pennsylvania State University

CAS 302





September 20
th
, 2012
SOCIAL CAMPAIGN PROBLEM
LAW 2
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Many issues could occur when people dont exercise. Serious
health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity can occur from
inconsistent physical activity. Current studies have shown that thirty-six
percent of U.S. adults are considered obese (CDC). A lack of exercise not
only harms physically, but also at a psychological level. Researchers
examined the exercise habits of a group of elder adults with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, which is a lung disease that kills 120,000
people every year in the U.S. The participants completed a 10-week
rehabilitation program, which consisted of a home exercise program to
follow. When the 10-weeks were completed, the participants were given
a series of tests. All of the study participants showed gains in cognitive
function, psychological function, and physical endurance by the end of
the initial session. Participants even continued the home exercise
program on a regular basis, and maintained those benefits. Those who
stopped or exercised less frequently lost what they had gained (Wagner).

PROBLEM ANALYSIS
The reasons why individuals break routines vary person to person.
From a recent trend, the problem comes down to the idea that the
average American is lazy. The responsibility and commitment for exercise
comes down to an individuals lifestyle, personal values, and attitudes on
SOCIAL CAMPAIGN PROBLEM
LAW 3
exercise. A popular reason is not enough time today or its too much of
a commitment. However, one doesnt need to be a world-champion
athlete to gain the benefits of exercise. Studies show that a lifestyle of
activity can reap the same lifetime benefits. Activities, such as sweeping
or mopping the floor, vacuuming, polishing furniture, carrying and putting
away groceries, cleaning out closets, washing woodwork, raking leaves,
pulling weeds, and walking the dog are all great and manageable ways
to exercise everyday (Rynk). Walking 15 min per day, 5 days a week in
sufficient to increase life expectancy. If we can change peoples
attitudes towards exercise, making exercise a social and desirable daily
commitment, this would be a start for a healthier lifestyle and country.

GOAL STATEMENT
The goal of the campaign is to encourage daily time commitment
for exercise among college students in order to promote a long, healthy
lifestyle.
This goal would be considered a reinforcement of a behavior. The
purpose of this campaign is to encourage students to stay committed to
daily exercise routines, and remind the long-term and short-term benefits
of maintaining a regular exercise routine. The majority of students know
the consequences of inactivity, however, for students with a busy college
lifestyle, certain factors can demote exercise to the bottom of the priority
SOCIAL CAMPAIGN PROBLEM
LAW 4
list. This campaign is to remind students to maintain good current exercise
behaviors, or start an achievable routine.

AUDIENCE ANALYSIS
The target audience is college students, ranging between 18 to 23
years old. However, to analyze explicit results within this large population,
this campaign will be targeted towards the 3
rd
-year Penn State
Architecture class, of about 60 students. This is a workable size to manage
a campaign and analyze the results.
In terms of audience analysis from interpersonal literature, targeting
an audience of 3
rd
-year Architecture students should minimize variance in
results and enhance prediction responses to messages. Architecture
students have the reputation for consistent all-nighters, and continuously
working, drawing, rendering, modeling in studio for project deadlines. For
this reason, the Stuckeman Family Building, home of the Architecture and
Landscape Architecture studios, is open 24-hours. In those 24-hours, the
lights are never off, except perhaps one hour before sunrise. A lifestyle of
demanding work, and sacrificing hours of sleep are convincing factors to
break an exercise routine for five years. Analyzing and marketing to
students of the same year, major, and course schedules will be more
effective strategy to encourage time management and creating daily
exercise commitments.
SOCIAL CAMPAIGN PROBLEM
LAW 5
Marketing concepts can help target strategies to achieve
campaign goals based on the interpersonal evaluations. This data can
help break down distinguishing characteristics of an exercise campaign
that will be desirable and successful among architecture students. Based
on the audience analysis, architecture students with approaching
deadlines could prefer to exercise in smaller, frequent increments at a
time. Also, students that have been sitting for hours at a time could enjoy
the break away from work for a few minutes to unwind, and even
socialize with friends. An activity students would enjoy best would be a
short activity, which everyone would be comfortable in participating.
The type of involvement could be considered outcome-relevant
involvement and impression-relevant involvement. The outcome-relevant
reasoning would be that a lifetime of inconsistent physical inactivity could
lead to detrimental health consequences in the future. However, the
main reasoning for this campaign could be considered impression-
relevant involvement. The goal of the event is to remind students that
exercise can be social, fun, and tailored to personal daily agendas and
interests. Students will want to be involved in the campaign, if the benefits
offered are for personal betterment and a social opportunity. After all,
human beings are social animals. Even if the opportunity is a way to
develop time management skills, revitalizing attitudes towards exercise,
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and prioritizing personal values, these are not the initial reasons someone
would be convinced of participating.
This analysis assesses that the audience would be in favor of this
campaign. In stressful weeks, architecture students look for ways to
unwind. Nothing is better than a short walk with a friend to get the blood
moving, and chatting about anything but architecture. When students
return to their desks, they find themselves with an improve mood and
better concentration. These opinions were formulated based on a small
survey of the 3
rd
-year class, and on first-hand experience as an
architecture major.
SOCIAL CAMPAIGN PROBLEM
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References:
2003. Exercise; Daily Activity May Benefit People without Regular Exercise
Habits. Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, 18.
2009. Time Management. Probate and Property, 7.
2010. Most Americans Don't Get Daily Exercise. U.S.News & World Report.
2012. Adult Obesity Facts. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
2012. Exercise and Life Expectancy. The Lancet, 379 (800-801).
Farris, D. 2002. Time Management: An Exercise in Self-Awareness. Rural
Telecommunications, 21 (48).
Rynk, P. 2003. Daily Exercise Matters. VibrantLife, 19, 4-7.
Wagner. 2004. Lack of Exercise Causes Psychological as well as Physical
Setbacks. Medical News Today.

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