Do your customers need some extra motivation to exercise? Wearing activity trackers could be the answer.
Researchers from the University of South Australia (UniSA) have found that wearable activity trackers (WATs) like pedometers and smart watches motivate us to exercise more.
After reviewing almost 400 studies involving 164,000 people across the world using WATs to monitor their physical activity, they found that WATs encourage us to walk up to 40 minutes more each day, which equates to approximately 1800 extra steps.
As a side benefit, they found that this resulted in an average 1kg weight loss over 5 months.
Published in Lancet Digital health, their findings underline the value of low-cost interventions to tackle the health conditions associated with poor exercise habits, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and mental health concerns.
While WATs have been previously associated with negative outcomes, such as potentially fuelling obsessive behaviours and eating disorders, lead researcher and UniSA PhD candidate, Ty Ferguson says the evidence is overwhelmingly positive and shows wearing trackers is an effective motivational tool.
“The overall results from the studies we reviewed show that wearable activity trackers are effective across all age groups and for long periods of time,” Mr Ferguson says.
“They encourage people to exercise on a regular basis, to make it part of their routine and to set goals to lose weight.”
Between 2014 and 2020, the number of wearable activity trackers shipped worldwide increased by almost 1500%, translating to a global spend of $2.8 billion in 2020.
Apart from the extra physical activity and weight loss attributed to WATs, there is some evidence that fitness trackers also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol in people with type 2 diabetes and other health conditions.
“The other reported benefit is that WATs improved depression and anxiety through an increase in physical activity,” Mr Ferguson says.
