Fitbit Use Tied To Increase In Activity

Postmenopausal women who are given an activity level goal for the week end up getting more activity when using a Fitbit than a traditional pedometer, according to a new study.

The Fitbit devices are small activity trackers that can be attached to clothing or worn on the wrist like a watch. They collect activity data, upload it to the Internet and produce simple graphs and charts for people to review.

“The Fitbit provides much more detailed feedback and offers more engagement than a basic step-counting pedometer,” said lead author Lisa A. Cadmus-Bertram of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The finding that consumer-based trackers were associated with small or moderate increases in physical activity supports the idea that wearable fitness trackers are enjoyable, feasible, and useful, at least for the college-educated older women in this sample, she said.

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