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Bertelsonnatalie-Actionresearch Educ526 4-28
Bertelsonnatalie-Actionresearch Educ526 4-28
Bertelsonnatalie-Actionresearch Educ526 4-28
Natalie Bertelson
Azusa Pacific University: Main Campus
EDUC 526 Capstone Experience in Digital Teaching and Learning
Dr. Joanne Gilbreath
Action Research: Working Out Increases Productivity, Mood, and Energy?
June 5, 2015
ACTION RESEARCH
2
Abstract
This paper analyzes the action research question will working out each day
for twenty minutes positively affect productivity, mood, and energy?
Requirements for the implementation plan included keeping track of workout
type, duration, and time of day the workout occurred. In addition, a scale was
created to rate productivity, mood, and energy at the end of each day. The
results of the action research were compiled and presented in graphs, then
analyzed. At the end of the 26 day experiment, the results were mixed.
Productivity, mood, and energy were affected both positively and negatively.
This was not a sole result of working out, but a combination of life events
that occurred during the experiment. In conclusion, exercise is a vital
component to living a healthy lifestyle, but it did not affect productivity,
mood, or energy in a way that was anticipated.
ACTION RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH
done? and when will I find time to socialize with family and friends. Not to
mention a pang of guilt that I had the potential to ignore those important
things in my life to take care of myself. Somehow, part of that sounded
selfish. Regardless, I hoped that making the change to exercise daily would
ultimately affect all areas of my life in a positive way.
Despite my concerns with time management, I wanted to discover if
working out every day for at least 20 minutes would affect my quality of life
in a positive way. The question I wanted to answer will working out each day
affect my productivity, mood, and energy in a positive way?
Section 2: Implementation
To implement my action research, here are the guidelines I followed:
Work out for at least twenty minutes each day and keep a record of the
type of work out done, time of day it was done, and how long of a
workout it was.
Complete a daily report on productivity, mood, and energy based on a
and energy.
The action research will last for 26 days.
Section 3: Results
In order to keep track of the results, I charted all information about
each workout (see below). This helped me keep track of what I did and on
what day I did it. Here is the set of calendars for April and May outlining the
type of workout, duration, and hour of day.
ACTION RESEARCH
Sunday
Monday
19
20
5:30 am
20 mins
Circuit
Training
26
12:00 pm
20 mins
Walk
27
3:30 pm
20 mins
Kickboxing
Tuesday
21
5:30 am
20 mins
Cardio Level
1
28
4:00 pm
20 mins
Circuit
Training
April 2015
Wednesday
22
5:30 am
20 mins
Circuit
Training
29
4:00 pm
20 mins
Circuit
Training
Thursday
23
5:30 am
20 mins
Circuit
Training
Friday
24
4:00 pm
30 mins
Jog
Saturday
25
12:00 pm
30 mins
Kickboxing
30
3:00 pm
20 mins
Kickboxing
May 2015
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
10:00 am
1 hour
Hike
Saturday
2
NoneGraduation/en
gaged
3
None
4
3:30 pm
20 mins
Insanity
5
3:30 pm
20 mins
Cardio
6
3:30 pm
20 mins
Insanity
7
4:00 pm
20 mins
Cardio
8
5:00 pm
20 mins
Insanity
9
12:00 pm
20 mins
Walk
10
12:00 pm
20 mins
Cardio
17
11
3:30 pm
20 mins
Insanity
18
12
3:30 pm
20 mins
Cardio
19
13
3:30
20 mins
Insanity
20
14
3:30
20 mins
Cardio
21
15
4:00
20 mins
Cardio
22
16
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
23
31
ACTION RESEARCH
Productivity-P
1
Nothing
2
Below Average
3
Average
4
Above Average
5
Excellent
Worked on some
HW assignments,
stayed somewhat
on top of
household tasks,
worked our for 20
mins
Worked on HW
assignments,
stayed on top of
household tasks,
worked our for 20
mins.
Worked on HW
assignments,
stayed on top
of household
tasks, worked
out for more
than 20 mins..
Mood- M
1
Bad
2
Fair
3
Good
4
Great
5
Excellent
2
Below Average
3
Average
4
Above Average
5
Excellent
Energy- E
1
Exhausted
Results
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
May 2015
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
P- 2
M- 5
E- 4
Saturday
2
P- 1
M- 5
E- 4
3
P- 1
M- 5
E- 3
4
P- 3
M- 5
E- 1
5
P- 3
M- 5
E- 1
6
P- 3
M- 5
E- 3
7
P- 3
M- 5
E- 3
8
P- 4
M- 5
E- 4
9
P- 5
M- 5
E- 5
10
P- 4
M- 3
11
P- 4
M- 3
E- 4
12
P- 4
M- 3
E- 4
13
P- 4
M- 3
E- 4
14
P- 4
M- 3
E- 4
15
P- 4
M- 4
E- 4
16
E- 4
April 2015
Sunday
19
26
P- 3
M- 4
E- 4
Monday
20
P- 4
M- 4
E- 4
27
P- 5
M- 2
E- 3
Tuesday
21
P- 4
M- 4
E- 4
28
P- 5
M- 2
E- 3
Wednesday
22
P- 4
M- 4
E- 4
29
P- 5
M- 2
E- 2
Thursday
23
P- 3
M- 3
E- 4
30
P- 5
M- 3
E- 1
Friday
24
P- 5
M- 4
E- 4
Saturday
25
P- 5
M- 4
E- 4
ACTION RESEARCH
At the end of each day I rated myself using the scale I created (see
above). My productivity fluctuated during the 26-day experiment, which
surprised me greatly. I anticipated that exercising daily for at least 20
minutes would boost my drive to stay on task with homework, and household
chores. I discovered this was not altogether true. In the beginning of the
experiment, I was very productive. Working out motivated me in other areas
of my life. However, midway through the experiment I experienced a major
setback: time and motivation.
On May 1, my parents came in from out of town for my graduation.
Leading up to their arrival I was very productive because I had to be in order
to spend time with them. On the day of my graduation, I not only earned my
masters degree, I became engaged. Needless to say, my productivity took a
major hit. I did not workout, stay up with household tasks, or work on
homework during this time.
ACTION RESEARCH
ACTION RESEARCH
discovered that working out is a facet of determining my mood but not the
only factor. Lastly, I will analyze the results of my energy.
ACTION RESEARCH
10
Section 4: Conclusions
After conducting this action research project, I learned that working out
20 minutes each day had mixed results. I anticipated that it would affect my
mood, productivity, and energy in a positive way each day, but that was not
always the case. In reality, my mood, productivity, and energy were also
affected by the events that were going on in my life. This made it difficult to
determine if working out was truly the cause of my productivity, mood, and
energy, or if it was a combination of everything going on in my life at the
time.
In order to see more consistent results, I plan on making adjustments
to my action research plan. First, I am going to work out at the same time
each day. I believe this will help increase my energy if my body is on a
regular workout schedule. Also, I am going to track my food intake. I am
interested to see if making healthier choices, in addition to working out, will
affect my productivity, mood, and energy in a positive way.
Lastly, I would like to do this action research project again during the
summer when my schedule is less busy. Like mentioned before, life was the
busiest it had ever been during this action research project. I want to see if
my results will be different if I try again during a different time of the year.
Section Five: General Comments
When I started the project, I was adamant about making my health a
priority. After completing it, I realize that my expectations were too high for
the lifestyle I lead. Yes, I need to take care of myself, but working out added
ACTION RESEARCH
11
to my stress because I didnt have time for it. I learned that taking on a new
lifestyle choice during a busy and stressful time does not work for me. I plan
on redoing my action research over the summer in order to instill a routine
so that when school starts, I will have a consistent workout schedule already
in play.
Overall I am glad I participated in this action research project. Working
out is something I need to do in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Exercising did positively affect my health, but it did not produce the results I
had anticipated in my productivity, mood, and energy.