The increasing popularity of wearable fitness technology presents an interesting paradox. The growing interest in devices that track exercise levels indicates more people are now keen on maintaining regular fitness routines. Take for example the success of Fitbit, the company behind fitness tracking bracelets, which has been valued at US$4.1 billion (£2.6 billion) following its debut on the stock market. Yet, this trend coincides with a period where physical inactivity has reached a global crisis level. This highlights the importance of public understanding and adherence to science-based health and behavioral advice. Wearable fitness technology’s key benefit is its capacity to offer personalized data that helps individuals determine how much additional physical activity they need to engage in and when to do it.
The widely-publicized advice to aim for “10,000 steps a day” serves as an excellent illustration. This target originally came from Japanese walking clubs and a pedometer marketing slogan over four decades ago. However, research has shown that step counts are a dependable indicator of daily activity in healthy adults. They give people a meaningful and easy metric to monitor their physical activity and walking. Self-monitoring (observing and assessing one’s actions) and goal setting, facilitated by devices like Fitbit, are among the most effective ways to motivate changes in physical activity behavior.
By pairing activity trackers, which provide real-time step data and offer leisurely review, with challenges like taking 10,000 steps, individuals often feel more motivated to increase or maintain their activity levels. Yet, it’s essential to understand that 10,000 steps are not a definitive goal. Increasing walking time, regardless of how much we start with, is advantageous. At a public health level, significant improvements often stem from advancements at the lower end of the activity scale. For instance, boosting steps from 2,000 to 4,000 yields more significant health benefits than increasing from 4,000 to 6,000.
However, being more active (or taking more steps) daily is still beneficial for health. So, 6,000 steps a day is healthier than 4,000 steps. With the advancement of numerous activity trackers, a challenge arises in promoting 10,000 steps as these devices may differ in how they count steps. The original data was based on hip-worn pedometers, while today’s devices are mostly designed for wrists due to their comfort and convenience.
Wrist-worn devices tend to record additional movements, like sweeping or dishwashing, as steps, potentially leading to overestimation of step count. Thus, it’s crucial for users to be mindful that wrist-worn devices might inflate daily step counts. Generally, the adage, “some activity is good, but more is better,” holds true. Step counters can also help address prolonged sedentary behavior (sitting). Many of us experience specific times during the day, whether at work or in the evening, when we sit for most of the time. By accumulating steps during these intervals, we can effectively reduce our sitting time. By keeping track of sitting habits alongside achieving the goal of 10,000 steps, we can interrupt these extended periods of inactivity with short bursts of activity. This would not only increase our step count but also reduce extended sitting.
Certain fitness trackers have embraced this concept by alerting the user when inactivity persists for “too long.” A challenge in promoting physical activity is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Individuals with health conditions affecting their capacity to engage in extensive physical activity, like rheumatoid arthritis or severe respiratory issues, might need initially lower step-count targets. Those whose jobs require lengthy sitting, such as taxi drivers, may need higher step goals to offset the drawbacks of prolonged sitting. This approach contributes to the idea of “lifestyle medicine” – preventing and managing health conditions through lifestyle choices.