About The Study

According to the World Health Organization, deaths from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) make up close to 1/3 of deaths globally. Risk of CVDs can be reduced through the incorporation of behaviour and lifestyle changes such as consistently eating healthy and performing exercise. While exercise might be an obvious and easy activity for active and experience individuals to perform, beginners of physical activites may have a tougher time breaking into this space due the challenges of physicality and fear of judgement. With Articoach, a virtual coach, the agency of a personal trainer or physiotherapist is transferred to a digital medium to guide and motivate you through exercises. Articoach will walk you through bodyweight exercises from wherever you feel comfortable - this can be in your bedroom, in your living room or even outdoors.

This study explores the usage of text-visual or audio-visual in a mobile web app medium to see how if it can positively affect participants to becoming or staying more physically active.

How To Participate

For this study, I am looking for participants who would be interested in a free virtual coach to guide them through beginner-friendly bodyweight exercises. The study will happen over the course of 5 weeks. However, you are free to drop out any time with absolutely no consequences. If you meet ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA …
  1. Exercise < 150 minutes a week
  2. Are not consistent with exercising weekly
  3. Are looking to get into working out, but are not sure where to start
  4. Aged 18-50 without serious physical medical conditions
… I invite you to participate in the usage of my mobile web app for virtual coaching.

*This study will be conducted in English
sIgn Up

Key Facts and FAQs

Who Are You and Why Are You Doing This Study?

My name is Corey and I am a current MSc Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) student. The objective of this study is to explore how digital platforms can be used to create an accessible and beginner-friendly environment for individuals to break into the world of exercise. Once I have the findings, I will be very happy to share them with the rest of the community.  I wish to contribute to the body of knowledge and I guarantee you that there is no conflict of interest as we do our study.

Why A Coaching Web App?

Often times, participants go to exercise experts such as personal trainers or physiotherapists to learn about specific movements, training, or to get / look fitter. However, it may be exceptionally tough to be stay motivated without the expert always by one's side, especially if they are only just entering the exercise and fitness space. Additionally, entering a physical space dominated by experienced athletes may be very intimidating for beginners. By creating a mobile and web-friendly coaching app, participants will be able to exercise from anywhere in the world, as long as they have the space and access to internet. Furthermore, the motivation from an in-person coach may cause an individual to feel heard and educated. Articoach explores the transference of coaching agency into a different medium to motivate individuals.

Will You Publish The Results and Findings?

Since this research is part of a Master's Thesis, the results of these findings will be published as part of the requirement for the completion of my degree. However, I intend on further publishing these findings in other scientific communities.

Is My Data and Privacy Protected?

Yes! The system was not developed with a backend, and therefore does not save any data.

*Terms and Data Privacy

How Can I Reach You If I Have Questions / Comments?

My contact information can be found below. Should you have any questions, comments or general inquiries, please feel free to reach to me.

Contact Me

Hi, it's Corey! I was born in Edmonton, Canada 🇨🇦 . I am currently located in Salzburg, Austria to complete my Masters degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). As an academic, I have a background in biology and anthropology. As an avid sports and travel enthusiast, I am very knowledgeable in various winter sports, team sports and activies. On my off time, I can be found traveling around the world and taking photos with my Canon 6D Mk II (go team Canon!).

Want to reach out or have questions? Just look below.

I'm nice, I don't bite :)

Corey Tran
Universität Salzburg, Austria
FH Salzburg, Austria

corey.tran@stud.plus.ac.at
coreytran.com