The researchers analyzed data from 121 randomized control trials and 141 study comparisons to find what impact exercise trackers, such as those found in phone apps and Fitbits, had on daily physical activity, moderate physical activity, and vigorous and sedentary time, according to the study.
Using fitness apps increased daily physical activity by the equivalent of 1,235 steps a day, and moderate and vigorous physical activity by 48.5 minutes a week, the research showed. The impact on sedentary time was negligible, according to the study.
“People who use activity monitors and wearable devices are more active than people who don’t,” said Rasmus Tolstrup Larsen, a researcher at the department of public health at the University of Copenhagen.
“These effects are highly relevant in terms of health and disease risk, especially among people who are only moderately active or who do not meet current physical activity guidelines,” he said by email. Larsen is also a management consultant at IQVIA Healthcare.
The effectiveness of fitness trackers has been a commonly researched question since they came on the market, but this study is the most comprehensive to date, Larsen said.
And it comes as many people seek to move again during a pandemic that has created conditions. encouraging more sedentary behavior.
“In a post-Covid era, the need to focus on behavior change around physical activity and inactivity is more urgent than ever,” Larsen said by email. “Modern fitness monitors — wearable devices, smart watches, or fitness trackers — have the potential to be used as facilitators of behavior change, providing direct activity feedback to the user.”
While the study is “thoughtful and useful,” it raises more questions, said Dr. David Asch, a professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the Center for Innovation in Health care . He said he would also have liked to see an analysis of how the different trials the study examined used rewards and incentives.
How to use them better
If you expect 2022 to be a busier year than previous ones, Larsen recommended looking for a monitoring device, or using the ones available on your smartphone.
“The devices are cheap, simple and innovative. We can now safely say that they are effectively motivating people to do more activities safely,” added Larsen.
But an activity monitor alone may not be your best bet for success, said Dr. Mitesh Patel, associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and vice president of clinical transformation at Ascension, a private health care system.
“Changing behavior is always difficult,” said Patel, who was not involved in the study. “Using an activity monitor, like those available on smartphones and other devices, can be an important part of efforts to increase physical activity.”
Other research in the field suggests they work even better when combined with programs aimed at changing behavior, such as adding elements that make the behavior more game-like or taking advantage of financial or social incentives, Patel said.
What these tracking apps add is a level of personal responsibility, said Dana Santas, a CNN fitness contributor and mind-body coach for professional athletes.
It doesn’t even have to be electronic, he added. The use of a notebook or any physical reminder tends to embody our awareness.
And a little competition with yourself never hurts, Santas said.
“When my Apple Watch sends me a message that says, ‘You can still do this,’ it motivates me to do what my watch tells me I haven’t done yet, like reach 10,000 steps or spend more time on my feet. – Santa said.
Setting goals, adding incentives and throwing in some accountability with a fitness tracker may be what it takes to get you moving again, experts agreed.
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