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Madison Horne

A Challenge To Change: Building Healthy Habits for Lasting Success

Biography

My name is Madison Horne, I am a fourth-year Professional Communications student with a deep passion for health, fitness, and personal transformation. Sparked by my own experience of losing 85 pounds, I am heavily inspired by the beautiful journey of building sustainable habits that lead to lasting lifestyle changes. I believe in the power of creating long-term health practices that not only transform the body but also the mind and spirit, by prioritizing health over aesthetics. 

I am excited to pursue a future in personal training. My ultimate goal is to be at the forefront of the conversation around what the pursuit of health truly looks like, promoting a holistic approach that empowers individuals to take control of their well-being. I am dedicated to helping people make meaningful, lifelong changes that positively impact their lives. I believe that the right mindset is key. With a foundation in Professional Communications, I look forward to blending my passion with purpose, and inspiring others to lead healthier and happier lives. One day, or day one. 

Details of Project

“A Challenge to Change: Building Healthy Habits for Lasting Success,” investigates how the pursuit of health versus aesthetics influences motivation, habit formation, and success in both structured and self-paced fitness challenges. 

To explore this, I conducted primary data analysis through discourse and content analysis of my journal entries while participating in two fitness challenges: the 75 Hard challenge and a 6-week self-paced challenge that I created for my workplace. I also performed a thematic content analysis of Tik Toks shared by participants of the 75 Hard challenge to identify broader trends and insights. 

The findings revealed that the 75 Hard challenge led to burnout and unsustained habits. The emphasis on aesthetics created short-term motivation but ultimately failed to promote long-term health and habit retention. In contrast, the self-paced workplace challenge fostered more sustainable habits and intrinsic motivation. 

Overall, the research highlights that a health-oriented approach to fitness challenges, as opposed to those focused solely on aesthetics, promoted better habit retention. The results suggest that fostering a holistic focus on well-being rather than physical appearance is key to building lasting, healthy habits. The key takeaway for one desiring an impactful lifestyle change, is to chase health and the aesthetics will follow. 

Lightning talk

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