The motivation to close the rings on your Apple Watch or set a new high score on your pedometer has positive long-term health benefits, according to a new study.
Researchers at the University of South Australia, Adelaide, found that people who used some type of portable fitness device walked an average of 1,800 more steps per day than their peers who didn’t.
This extra walking can have significant health benefits for a person over time, as using the device increases a person’s overall weight loss by about two pounds every five months.
There are many skeptics about the explosion in the wearable tech industry, but this study shows that those who are serious about increasing their daily physical activity and losing weight can benefit from using the technology consistently.
People with a wearable device that tracks their fitness progress, like a Fitbit or Apple Watch, take about 2,000 extra steps a day and lose two extra pounds every five months (archive photo)
“The overall results of the studies we reviewed suggest that wearable activity trackers are effective across all age groups and over extended periods of time,” Ty Ferguson, the school’s doctoral student principal investigator, said in a statement. Said.
“They encourage people to exercise regularly, make it part of their routine, and set weight loss goals.”
Publishing their results in The Lancet, the researchers conducted a meta-analysis of over 400 studies worldwide.
In total, data from more than 150,000 individuals were included in the dataset used by the research team.
Each individual study had its own population size, methodology, and measures of how device insertion might affect their health.
To find the overall effect of the devices, the researchers tailored the data to normalize populations across groups.
They found that those who wore the device took about 2,000 steps more each day than people with similar lifestyles.
Over time, a small amount of extra daily work can help a person shed a few pounds and slightly improve their health.
Market leaders estimate that around 320 devices will be left alone this year, and that number will exceed 400 million by 2024. Pictured: An Apple watch with “rings” that track a person’s activity during the day
“Remember that these are lifestyle physical activity studies, not weight loss studies, so we wouldn’t expect dramatic weight loss,” Professor Carol Maher said in a statement. she said.
He also notes that people who wear these devices generally have better mental health, a factor often linked to more exercise and more time outdoors.
These devices have gained popularity in recent years. Industry project leaders will sell approximately 320 million wearable health and wellness devices by 2022.
This figure is expected to increase by about 30% by 2024.
Despite this increase in use, many doctors and healthcare professionals remain skeptical of its value, believing it to be an inaccurate and potentially dangerous wearable toy if they provide false information to a person.
Previous research on the devices has also shown that wearing them has little health benefit.
“Wearable devices play a facilitating role in motivating and accelerating physical activity, but current data do not suggest other consistent health conditions,” wrote a team from the University of Florida in a 2019 study.
Some also noted that people who own the devices are less likely to exercise if they do not wear them, for fear of not receiving a ‘credit’ for their efforts.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
