C. Background Research

Introduction

The project on hand centers around elderly people and fitness. We first needed to conduct background research to better understand (1) why elderly people are not working out; (2) what workouts are most suitable for elderly people; (3) how to motivate elderly people to workout. We also looked at existing solutions to understand what features they offer. Then, we analyzed the pros and cons of each solution in context of our design problem. At the very bottom of the page, you can find theories that we researched that justify our design choices.

Why Elderly People Struggle to Workout

The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) outlines nine factors that contribute to elderly people reluctant to exercise [19]. Of the nine listed, three relate to education: self-efficacy, fear of injury, and lack of knowledge. NASM states that “as we age, we lose that confidence for most activities, with the exception of walking”. As well, elderly people struggle to workout by themselves because “they don’t know how to exercise without instruction”. Thus, there appears to be a large barrier to exercise simply due to the fact that elderly people lack the proper information to workout safely and effectively. Other factors listed by the NASM include mental barriers such as inertia, depression, and being self-conscious.

In our case, it is clear that most of the barriers to working out are not physical. Our solution would not make sense to be new physical equipment that elderly people can use. Instead, the problem appears to be centered around getting elderly people to workout in the first place. We must focus on the mental aspect, education and motivation, in order to successfully integrate exercise in their lives.

Suitable Workouts for Elderly People

According to the CDC, aging adults must engage in three types of exercises: aerobics, muscle strengthening, and balance activities [13]. Aerobics include walking, running, and cycling. Muscle strengthening includes weight lifting and resistance bands. Balance activities include balancing on one fit and yoga.

Thus, when building workout routines and examples for our users, we must make sure to incorporate exercises that target these three major components. We can also vary the intensity of each exercise.

What Motivates Elderly People to Workout

A study conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) found four major reasons to exercise in Americans aged 50-79 [20].

1. Health benefits:

• 82% claim improved health to be the largest factor. Finding is consistent amongst genders and age groups

2. Improved appearance:

• Controlling weight was a major reason to exercise for 60% of interviewees

3. Personal satisfaction:

• 71% of respondents say “feeling good about themselves” is a major reason to exercise

• 72% of respondents gain personal pleasure from increased energy that comes with exercise

4. Opportunity for fun and socializing

• 53% report that having fun is a major reason to exercise

In relation to our own project, we must advertise and target these motivational factors when building our app. However, this does bring up some ethical concern when discussing improved appearance. We believe that we should remain body positive and refrain from advertising this topic, and instead focus on more including and appropriate motivational factors.

Existing Solutions

There are 4 major existing solutions that could motivate elderly people to workout. These solutions are: Stand Up!, Fitbit, Home Workouts, SilverSneakers GO.

Stand Up!

An app that reminds and tracks users to stand up (see Fig. 9 and Fig. 10) [21].

Features:

• Customizable work schedule

• Customizable stand up reminders

• Tracks weekly progress

• Effective alarms and notifications that go off randomly and automatically

• Compatible with Apple Watch

Pros:

• Customizable and user friendly

• Raving reviews claiming that this motivates users to stand

• Simple idea and is easy to start and get into

• Safe idea for elderly people

Cons:

• Not targeted to elderly people

• Does not offer presets for people of different ages

• Targeted towards working people, not retired people.

Fitbit

Smartwatch that tracks fitness (see Fig. 11). We looked at the Charge 5 for this comparison, as it is the flagship model [22].

Features:

• Heart monitoring (heart rate and irregular rhythms)

• Sleep tracking

• GPS tracking for outdoor activities

• Breathing rate tracking

• Exercise modes

• Steps tracking

Pros:

• Able to track and set goals for user

• Long battery life and an always on display

• Pairs with phone for ease of use

• Customizable accessories

Cons:

• No fitness routines

• Activity tracking is made for outdoors, not indoors

• Targeted towards younger population, not elderly

• Cannot input own routine reminders

• Does not offer specified workouts based on age

Home Workouts App

An app that provides home workouts without equipment (see Fig. 12) [23].

• User can choose age level

• User can choose which part of body to workout

• Weekly challenges and long term goals

• Warm up and stretching routines

• Syncs with Apple Health

• Weight tracking

• Records training progress automatically

Pros:

• Offers workouts designed for older people

• Targeted exercises for different muscle groups

• Easy to use UI

• Offers multiple workouts

• Videos and animations of workouts make it easy to follow

Cons:

• Membership needed to use app (40 USD/year)

• Not very body positive. Images show very strong and muscular avatars

• Age group is only 45+, not targeted towards elderly people aged 65+.

• Workouts can be difficult and does not offer a range of intensities

SilverSneakers GO!

Fitness app designed for elderly people (see Fig. 13 and Fig. 14) [1].

Features:

• Live online classes and workshops

• On demand workout routines

• Varying intensities of workouts

• 15,000+ fitness locations

• Seniors only classes

Pros:

• Included in Medicare

• Fitness classes designed for seniors

• Easy to access workout classes

• App is used by only seniors, so seniors will not be intimidated by younger crowds

• Access to physical locations

• Adaptable to different fitness abilities

Cons:

• Name of the app makes users feel old

• Does not offer activity tracking, only shows activity videos and ideas

• Aimed for group, in-person workouts. Offers online classes, but is geared towards in person activities

• Groups people above age 65 together, making younger users feel older than they are

• The only on demand workouts are video style, not animation or picture based.

• App does not offer apple watch synchronization

• Boring workouts and not challenging

Alternative Solution Conclusion

After an analysis of the existing solutions, we find that there is a lack of fitness trackers for elderly people. Existing fitness trackers such as the Fitbit are targeted towards younger crowds. It is not personalized nor made for elderly people. Fitness trackers offer tracking for a variety of exercises that are not realistic for seniors. While there are apps such as SilverSneakers GO that offer personalized workouts for seniors, they do not have tracking capabilities. We aim to design a solution that targets this unexplored area of fitness tracking for elderly while also providing specialized workouts.

Theories

Lock and Latham's Goal Setting Theory

In 1990, Lock and Latham published their book, “A Theory of Goal Setting and Task Performance”. Lock and Latham identified five principles for effective goal setting [17]:

• Clarity

Goals must be clear and concise. Ambiguity makes it harder for people to understand goals, and are thus less motivating.

• Challenge

Goals must be challenging to the right level. In order for individuals to feel that completing their goals are a genuine achievement, they must feel challenged. However, too challenging of goals may lead to individuals giving up before they even try.

• Commitment

Goals must be accepted by individuals. Sometimes people may simply accept a goal proposed by someone else, but it can also help if individuals define their own goals.

• Feedback

Individuals must receive feedback to understand how they are doing in relation to their goals. Feedback includes metrics, data, and feedback from others.

• Task Complexity

Goals must be broken down into bite-size comprehensible chunks to be effective. For example, building a satellite is too daunting, but building its radio antenna might be more appropriate.

Expectancy-Value Theory

Expectancy value theory is a theory of motivation that holds two central components: expectancy and value [15]. Expectancy refers to whether “we expect that we would be successful in a task if we attempted it”. Value refers to how much we value a task. Is it worth doing? Will you enjoy it?

Connected, expectancy-value theory suggests that the value you have on a task can impact your motivation to complete it. It can also affect the success you have on the task. The greater a person values the rewards of a task, the more likely they are to complete it.