Are Mobile Devices Effectively Increasing Our Physical Activity ...

We know using our mobile devices can make fitness fun but can they also change our behavior by effectively increasing our physical activity?? According to an article in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, the answer is yes.

Researchers in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign conducted a study they claim is the ?first to synthesize current research focused on the use of mobile devices for increasing physical activity? (1).

The meta-analysis included studies that involved more than 1,350 subjects.? Of those studies, eight used text messages to offer fitness motivation, four relied on smartphone apps, and two used self-reports on PDAs.? According to the authors, their meta-analysis supports interventions using mobile technology to increase physical activity behavior.

One of the studies the meta-analysis included was a study conducted by King et al that studied the effect of hand-held computer technology for increasing physical activity.? Participants? (healthy, initially underactive adults aged 50 years and older) received an instructional session and a PDA programmed to monitor their physical activity levels twice per day.? The software would provide daily and weekly individualized feedback, goal setting, and support.? The control group received standard, age-appropriate written physical activity educational materials.

The study found that over eight weeks, those who monitored their physical activity and received individualized feedback through the software on their PDAs reported a mean increase in moderate to vigorous physical activity of 177.7 minutes per week, as compared with a mean decrease of 80 minutes in the group given standard written physical activity educational materials (2).

The results indicate that hand-held computers (smartphones) may be effective tools for increasing initial physical activity levels among underactive adults.? This study was conducted in 2007 and serves as just a preview of the influence these devices would be capable of in the health and fitness industry.

The release of Apple?s App Store wasn?t until July 2008, which made the word ?app? mainstream to smartphone users.? Today, there are over 13,600 health and fitness apps in Apple?s AppStore (3). ?While you should research an app before you buy it (see our previous article here), many of these apps influence behavioral changes in their users, promoting healthier lifestyles.

Behavioral changes can include healthier food choices, consistent exercise regimes, and tracking of vital health information.? Mobile devices are being used as a hub for peoples? health and fitness information: food diaries, weight trackers, training tools, exercise videos, and more. These devices provide features and apps that act as motivators.

The authors of the meta-analysis found that the inclusion of advanced sensors, such as integrated accelerometer and GPS devices, hold promise for more accurate assessment of physical activity in real time. These sensors track speed, pace, distance, location, and can spur the users of these devices to push that one more mile, beat their last timed run, or try new routes.

In fact, there are apps (such as MapMyRun) that can tell you running or hiking routes near your location.? If you?re travelling for the weekend, don?t know the area or just want to find a new route where you live, you can simply go to an app to find popular running or hiking routes.? These apps also allow you to create new routes and share them with others.

This ability to share has become extremely popular in the health and fitness industry with mobile devices making it easy to do so.? Many fitness apps include a ?share? button where users can post their completed exercises to Twitter or Facebook, showing their followers how many miles they ran, how fast they ran or a new goal they reached. This ability to set goals and share results motivates users to do more, catering to that competitive streak in all of us.

It?s clear these devices are impacting how people are managing their health and with studies like these we are able to see just how much of a positive influence they have.? The meta-analysis concluded by stating ?Our focus must be on the best possible use of these tools to measure and understand behavior (1).? While previous studies conducted have pointed to mostly positive effects, more studies should focus explicitly on the functions of active technologies, such as interactive education and self-monitoring.? ?By effectively using these devices to measure and monitor our health and fitness information, we not only have the potential to increase our physical activity but to improve our overall health.

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Articles Mentioned in this Post:

(1) Fanning, Jason, Sean Mullen, and Edward McAuley. "Increasing Physical Activity With Mobile Devices: A Meta-Analysis." Journal of Medical Internet Research. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21 2012. Web. 29 Nov 2012. <http://www.jmir.org/2012/6/e161/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed: JMedInternetRes (Journal of Medical Internet Research (atom))

(2) King, AC, DK Ahn, and et al. " Promoting physical activity through hand-held computer technology." Europe PubMed Central. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 25 2007. Web. 29 Nov 2012. <http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/18201644/reload=0;jsessionid=hNt13cL54HjprxHpJ8Wf.0>.

(3) "An Analysis of Consumer Health Apps for Apple's iPhone 2012." MobiHealthNews. Chester Street Publishing, Inc., 11 2012. Web. 29 Nov 2012. <http://mobihealthnews.com/research/an-analysis-of-consumer-health-apps-for-apples-iphone-2012/>.

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