Adherence
Using a mobile app to self-monitor physical activity increases the frequency of exercise recording and total intentional energy expenditure, leading to greater weight loss and lower BMI compared to not using a PA app.
If you are trying to lose weight, use a mobile app to track your exercise. This study suggests that using an app helps you exercise more often and burn more calories intentionally compared to not using an app or using other methods. The key is the ease of tracking, which likely improves adherence.
PA app users self-monitored exercise more frequently over the 6-month study (2.6±0.5 days/week) and reported greater intentional PA (196.4±45.9 kcal/day) than non-app users (1.2±0.5 days/week PA self-monitoring, p<0.01; 100.9±45.1 kcal/day intentional PA, p=0.02). PA app users also had a significantly lower BMI at 6 months (31.5±0.5 kg/m2) than non-users (32.5±0.5 kg/m2; p=0.02).
Why this rating
Post-hoc analysis of a randomized trial; participants self-selected monitoring methods, introducing selection bias, though adjusted for demographics.
Source
Comparison of traditional versus mobile app self-monitoring of physical activity and dietary intake among overweight adults participating in an mHealth weight loss program
Gabrielle Turner‐McGrievy et al. · Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association · 2013
DOI 10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001510
Related findings · Adherence
- Regular physical activity (at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity) reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality by 20-30% and lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes by 25-35%.Strong
- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →