Helping Teens Move + Thrive: Adolescents’ Preferences for Online Exercise Videos

Abstract

Online exercise videos can reach adolescents who lack access to in-person physical activity (PA). Yet, health professionals are wary of recommending online exercise resources because most free videos fail to represent diverse teens and perpetuate harmful norms. Our study had two purposes. First, we examined adolescents’ perceptions of standard online exercise videos. Second, we sought their responses to Move + Thrive, a novel, free, online exercise video library designed to meet developmental needs of adolescents, be inclusive, and promote exercise behavior. We created Move + Thrive videos guided by self-determination and self-efficacy theories. In this qualitative study, we held focus groups with 28 adolescents (mean age = 16.4 ± 2.1 years) after they used two Move + Thrive videos. We asked participants what they enjoyed and what they would change about fitness videos in general and Move + Thrive videos. We had focus groups professionally transcribed, then used general content analysis to consolidate qualitative data into five themes: (a) online exercise videos should foster connection and motivation, (b) teen-specific considerations, (c) diversity, equity, and inclusion, (d) polarized views on yoga, and (e) desire for professional video elements. Adolescents appreciated Move + Thrive’s emphases on supporting competence, autonomy, relatedness, and building self-efficacy and our focus on featuring instructors diverse in race and ethnicity, gender, and body shape and size. Based on adolescents’ feedback, Move + Thrive is meeting adolescents’ needs and addressing shortcomings of online exercise videos. Online exercise content and related research should incorporate adolescents’ insights, perspectives, and developmental stages.

Keywords

health equity online fitness social media fitspiration exercise youth

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