research participation

Several days ago there was a call for participants to answer questions about exercise for a research project. As I have feelings about exercise, and I support scientific research, I volunteered. Plus, all participants are put in a drawing for a bookstore gift certificate, and who doesn't love a chance to get free books?

It was an interesting experience. The interview used instant messaging, which was strange, because IM keeps things very anonymous and a tad impersonal, but at the same time I knew I was interacting with another human being, so it was slightly awkward.

For example:

Them: what are the main reasons you exercise?
Me: I exercise to increase strength and flexibility as well as weight loss
Them: anything else?
Me: well, when I exercise I feel better about myself and it releives stress
Them: OK, any other reasons
Me: No, that's all

How many reasons do I need to exercise? Then I started thinking about the strange reasons some of the students here at Poor Body Image U. may have given to this question.

I wonder what would have happened had I said, "I have bought into the ridiculous notion on American television that a woman can only be considered attractive, intelligent or have any value as a human being if she is a size 0, and my collarbones don't stick out like Lindsey Lohan's. Besides, if I didn't exercise I might do something silly like eat and we all know THAT's nothing but trouble"

Perhaps that is why IM is the ideal medium for that, so the examiner could scream at the computer screen when answers like that come up.

I learned that I identify myself as a "health and fitness" exerciser, since I definitely do not identify myself as a "swimmer" or a "runner", although I suppose I could have identified as a "brisk walker occasional bursts of jogger". But that would have been a stretch.

My favorite part was at the end:
Them: okay, and last question... what are some things that get in the way of maintaining your exercising?
Me: my own laziness.
Them: anything else?
Me: I could say hectic work schedule or social commitments, but that would just be an excuse. I have found that when exercise and fitness is a priority, it is easy to plan that into my life, and when it is not a priority then I find reasons not to do it. So the only REAL reason that I personally have is lack or motivation, or as I call it, laziness.
Them: Thank you, that is both honest and helpful.

How nice were they, telling me I was honest and helpful? As my goal of the entire experience was to make the interview process as enjoyable as possible to the both of us, I was touched by the thanks, at least as touched as one can be when interacting with an anonymous stranger via IM.

Unless, of course, in the case of anonymous cyber-sex, but that's a different type of being touched.

And a COMPLETELY different form of exercise.