According to a new study, published in the journal Preventative Medicine Reports found that competition might be a key to getting people to workout more. A large part of the American population fails to meet the government's recommendations for physical activity. Lack of physical activity increases the risk of chronic illness.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a large number of the Americans 18-24 years of age failed to meet the federal guidelines for physical activity in 2014.
To find a solution for the situation, researchers have tried to uncover key motivators for people to maintain a schedule of physical activity.
Competition motivated participants to exercise overwhelmingly more than social support. In fact, attendance rates were 90% higher in the competition-motivated group and the combined group, compared with the other two groups that had no competition.The social support group had no significant impact on improving the exercise rate. In fact, it might have caused participants to exercise less.
"Most people think that when it comes to social media more is better. This study shows that isn't true: When social media is used the wrong way, adding social support to an online health program can backfire and make people less likely to choose healthy behaviors. However, when done right, we found that social media can increase people's fitness dramatically." Prof. Damon Centola, senior author
Prof. Damon Centola adds that "supportive groups can backfire because they draw attention to members who are less active, which can create a downward spiral of participation."
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