CONCLUSIONS Utilizing a consumer-based wearable activity tracker as either the primary component of an intervention or as part of a broader physical activity intervention has the potential to increase physical activity participation .
BACKGROUND The range of benefits associated with regular physical activity participation is irrefutable .
Despite the well-known benefits , physical inactivity remains one of the major contributing factors to ill-health throughout industrialized countries .
Traditional lifestyle interventions such as group education or telephone counseling are effective at increasing physical activity participation ; however , physical activity levels tend to decline over time .
Consumer-based wearable activity trackers that allow users to objective ly monitor activity levels are now widely available and may offer an alternative method for assisting individuals to remain physically active .
OBJECTIVE This review aim ed to determine the effects of interventions utilizing consumer-based wearable activity trackers on physical activity participation and sedentary behavior when compared with interventions that do not utilize activity tracker feedback .
"Go4Life" exercise counseling, accelerometer feedback, and activity levels in older people.
Older people are more sedentary than other age groups . We sought to determine if providing an accelerometer with feedback about activity and counseling older subjects using Go4Life educational material would increase activity levels . Participants were recruited from independent living areas within assisted living facilities and the general public in the Rochester , MN area . 49 persons aged 65 - 95 ( 79.5±7.0 years ) who were ambulatory but sedentary and overweight participated in this r and omized controlled crossover trial for one year . After a baseline period of 2 weeks , group 1 received an accelerometer and counseling using Go4Life educational material ( www.Go4Life.nia.nih.gov ) for 24 weeks and accelerometer alone for the next 24 weeks . Group 2 had no intervention for the first 24 weeks and then received an accelerometer and Go4Life based counseling for 24 weeks . There were no significant baseline differences between the two groups . The intervention was not associated with a significant change in activity , body weight , % body fat , or blood parameters ( p>0.05 ) . Older ( 80 - 93 ) subjects were less active than younger ( 65 - 79 ) subjects ( p=0.003 ) . Over the course of the 48 week study , an increase in activity level was associated with a decline in % body fat ( p=0.008 ) . Increasing activity levels benefits older patients . However , providing an accelerometer and a Go4Life based exercise counseling program did not result in a 15 % improvement in activity levels in this elderly population . Alternate approaches to exercise counseling may be needed in elderly people of this age range
CONCLUSIONS Utilizing a consumer-based wearable activity tracker as either the primary component of an intervention or as part of a broader physical activity intervention has the potential to increase physical activity participation .
BACKGROUND The range of benefits associated with regular physical activity participation is irrefutable .
Despite the well-known benefits , physical inactivity remains one of the major contributing factors to ill-health throughout industrialized countries .
Traditional lifestyle interventions such as group education or telephone counseling are effective at increasing physical activity participation ; however , physical activity levels tend to decline over time .
Consumer-based wearable activity trackers that allow users to objective ly monitor activity levels are now widely available and may offer an alternative method for assisting individuals to remain physically active .
OBJECTIVE This review aim ed to determine the effects of interventions utilizing consumer-based wearable activity trackers on physical activity participation and sedentary behavior when compared with interventions that do not utilize activity tracker feedback .