Fitness apps may help motivate people to exercise, but how long can that effect last? A study Published online on September 23, 2025. British Journal of Sports Medicine Discovered how an app used to trace each day steps could improve the physical activity of greater than 500,000 people over a two-year period.
Participants used an app for one to 2 weeks to ascertain a baseline average variety of steps per day. The researchers classified them into 4 categories: low (fewer than 5,000 steps); medium (5,000 to 7,499); high (7,500 to 9,999); And far more (10,000 and above).
Participants then used a fitness app to record their each day steps for 2 years. They received a small incentive (points redeemable for consumer goods like movie tickets and gas) for meeting step goals, resembling 10% above their baseline or their previous month’s average.
About 40% of participants had increased their each day steps by greater than 1,000 on the one- and two-year marks. People within the low-step category increased essentially the most, averaging about 2,000 more steps per day than their baseline at one yr and maintaining that number at two years. Although the study results show that many individuals who commonly wear a fitness app increase their activity due to the app, other aspects can have contributed to the motivation to enhance.
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