(CNN) — The fitness tracker on your phone or smartwatch may be doing more for you than just measuring your steps. In fact, it might get you to walk more.
Tracking the amount of exercise increased that activity among more than 16,000 participants in a study published last week.
Researchers analyzed data from 121 randomized controlled trials and 141 comparative studies to determine the impact of exercise trackers — such as those found in phone apps and Fitbits — on daily physical activity, moderate physical activity and vigorous and sedentary time, according to the study.
Using exercise apps increased daily physical activity by the equivalent of 1,235 steps a day, while moderate and vigorous physical activity increased by 48.5 minutes a week, according to the research. The impact on sedentary time was not significant, according to the research.
“People who use activity monitors are more active than those 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 do not meet current physical activity guidelines,” he said by email. Larsen is also a management consultant at IQVIA Healthcare.
The effectiveness of exercise monitors has been investigated frequently since they came on the market, but this study is the most comprehensive to date, Larsen said.
And it comes as many people want to return to exercise amid a pandemic that has created conditions that encourage more sedentary behavior.
“In a post-Covid-19 era, the need to focus on behavior change around physical activity and inactivity is more urgent than ever,” Larsen said. “Modern physical activity monitors have the potential to be used as facilitators of behavior change, by providing direct activity information to the user.”
While the study is “thoughtful and useful,” it raises other questions, said Dr. David Asch, a professor of medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and executive director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation. Asch said he would have also 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 years, Larsen recommends looking for a device that tracks physical activity, or use the tools available on your smartphone.
“The devices are cheap, simple and innovative. We can now safely say that they effectively motivate people to be more active safely,” added Larsen.
But an activity monitor alone may not be the 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 system.
“Changing behavior is always difficult,” said Patel, who was not involved in the study. “Using an activity monitor, such as those available on smartphones and other devices, can be an important part of efforts to increase physical activity,” he added.
Other research in this field suggests that they work even better when combined with programs aimed at changing behavior, such as adding game elements or taking advantage of financial or social incentives, Patel explained.
What these monitoring apps add is a level of personal responsibility, said Dana Santas, a CNN fitness contributor and mind-body coach to professional athletes.
It doesn’t even have to be electronic, he added. The use of a notebook or any physical reminder tends to awaken our consciousness.
And a little competition with yourself never hurts, Santas said.
“When my Apple Watch sends me a message saying, ‘You can still do this,’ it motivates me to actually do what my watch tells me I haven’t done yet, like reaching 10,000 steps or spending more time on my feet,” Santas said.
Experts agree that setting goals, adding incentives and taking responsibility for physical activity may be what it takes to get moving again.
https://www.myget.org/feed/aretokorenowei-i-1/package/nuget/aretokorenowei-i-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/vr-laberinto-1/package/nuget/vr-laberinto-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/squids-odyssey-1/package/nuget/squids-odyssey-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/z-fighters-revolution-1/package/nuget/z-fighters-revolution-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/elevator-joe-city-hotel-manageme-1/package/nuget/elevator-joe-city-hotel-management-tycoon-sim-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/a-plane-battle-1/package/nuget/a-plane-battle-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/8192-zhong-wen-ban-1/package/nuget/8192-zhong-wen-ban-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/beast-quest-1/package/nuget/beast-quest-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/mispelled-a-word-game-1/package/nuget/mispelled-a-word-game-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/words-for-a-bird-1/package/nuget/words-for-a-bird-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/crocro-adventure-1/package/nuget/crocro-adventure-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/city-police-station-building-sim-1/package/nuget/city-police-station-building-simulator-3d-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/classic-old-slots-1/package/nuget/classic-old-slots-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/unlock-a-piggy-1/package/nuget/unlock-a-piggy-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/anyplace-werewolf-party-app-were-2/package/nuget/anyplace-werewolf-party-app-werewolf-mafia-game-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/bingo-candy-mania-1/package/nuget/bingo-candy-mania-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/chavo-pop-1/package/nuget/chavo-pop-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/number-scrambler-1/package/nuget/number-scrambler-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/gan-zhi-kare-1/package/nuget/gan-zhi-kare-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/ninja-vs-samurai-defense-1/package/nuget/ninja-vs-samurai-defense-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/ultra-fighting-champion-1/package/nuget/ultra-fighting-champion-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/drift-x-burn-1/package/nuget/drift-x-burn-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/isola-dei-dinosauri-giungla-giur-1/package/nuget/isola-dei-dinosauri-giungla-giurassica-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/flappy-cat-1/package/nuget/flappy-cat-hack
https://www.myget.org/feed/red-crimes-hidden-murders-1/package/nuget/red-crimes-hidden-murders-hack