It turns out that exercise advertisements targeting females may not be reaching everyone. Have you ever wondered why you are more engaged in regular physical activity after you see a promotional advertisement? In a recent study done at Indiana University, researchers wanted to see how young females from different backgrounds responded to advertisements that encouraged them to exercise more regularly. Young adult females were shown four types of advertisements. Interestingly, participants in the study had more positive beliefs after watching the "well-being" framed advertisement and had more negative beliefs after watching the "appearance" framed advertisement. Moreover, participants of color felt that more inclusive representation in the advertisement would "make exercising easier." The overall findings suggest that if you haven't been exercising the way you want to, it could be affected by the imaging exercise advertisements offer. The move to well-being and diverse imagery in movement advertisements may be an effective way to promote active lifestyles at a younger age.
