Click here to sign in with or
Forget Password?
Learn more
share this!
47
4
Share
Email
July 20, 2022
by University of South Australia
New findings from Australian researchers have endorsed what millions of people around the world believe: fitness trackers, pedometers and smart watches motivate us to exercise more and lose weight.

Wearable activity trackers encourage us to walk up to 40 minutes more each day (approximately 1,800 more steps), resulting in an average 1 kg weight loss over five months.
Researchers from the University of South Australia reviewed almost 400 studies involving 164,000 people across the world using wearable activity trackers (WATs) to monitor their physical activity.
Their findings, published in The Lancet Digital Health today, underline the value of low-cost interventions to tackle a growing epidemic of health conditions partially caused by a lack of exercise, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, cancers, and mental illness.
Lead researcher UniSA Ph.D. candidate Ty Ferguson says despite the popularity of WATs, there is widespread skepticism about their effectiveness, accuracy, and whether they fuel obsessive behaviors and eating disorders, but the evidence is overwhelmingly positive.
“The overall results from the studies we reviewed shows that wearable activity trackers are effective across all age groups and for long periods of time,” 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.”
The 1 kg weight loss may not seem a lot, but researchers say from a public health perspective it is meaningful.
“Bearing in mind these were not weight loss studies, but lifestyle physical activity studies, so we wouldn’t expect dramatic weight loss,” says UniSA Professor Carol Maher, co-author of the review.
“The average person gains about 0.5 kg a year in weight creep so losing 1 kg over five months is significant, especially when you consider that two thirds of Australians are overweight or obese.”
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,” Ferguson says.
“Effectiveness of wearable activity trackers to increase physical activity and improve health: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses” is published in The Lancet Digital Health.

Explore further
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Feedback to editors
14 minutes ago
0
21 hours ago
0
22 hours ago
0
Jul 19, 2022
1
Jul 19, 2022
1
7 minutes ago
14 minutes ago
7 hours ago
15 hours ago
16 hours ago
16 hours ago
16 hours ago
Mar 17, 2021
Jul 09, 2021
Sep 20, 2016
Dec 21, 2020
Mar 14, 2022
Nov 18, 2019
19 hours ago
22 hours ago
19 hours ago
22 hours ago
Jul 19, 2022
Jul 19, 2022
Use this form if you have come across a typo, inaccuracy or would like to send an edit request for the content on this page. For general inquiries, please use our contact form. For general feedback, use the public comments section below (please adhere to guidelines).
Please select the most appropriate category to facilitate processing of your request
Thank you for taking time to provide your feedback to the editors.
Your feedback is important to us. However, we do not guarantee individual replies due to the high volume of messages.
Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient’s address will be used for any other purpose. The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Medical Xpress in any form.

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time and we’ll never share your details to third parties.
More information Privacy policy
Daily science news on research developments and the latest scientific innovations
The latest engineering, electronics and technology advances
The most comprehensive sci-tech news coverage on the web
This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, collect data for ads personalisation and provide content from third parties. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

source