Fitness Trackers May Not be as Helpful as You Think
Is your fitness tracking device actually motivating a healthier lifestyle?
FOX’s Alex Hein explains in this “Housecall for Health”:
This is Housecall for Health.
Fitness trackers were all the rage this summer, but do they actually work to motivate consumers or were they just flashy accessories?
According to a study of out Singapore, fitness trackers add little benefit to consumers overall health, as researchers found that increasing step counts may not translate to real health improvements or weight loss.
Researchers collected data on 800 employees from 13 different companies in Singapore. They mostly worked desk jobs offering little opportunity for exercise during the day.
They offered cash incentives, charity donations and new devices to compare with a group who got nothing, but about a year after the trial involving incentives ended the group had essentially went back to their activity levels recorded before the study began.
Only 10 percent of participants in all groups continued wearing the Fitbits at the one-year follow up.
For more on this story, check FOXNewsHealth.com.
Housecall for Health, I’m Alex Hein, FOX News.
