Smartphone: Could It Help You Get Moving?

New findings published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research reveal that smartphones may help push us toward a healthier lifestyle--increasing physical activity and decreasing our time as a couch potato.

Previous findings link sedentary time to an increased risk of breast, colorectal, endometrial, ovarian and prostate cancers, along with weight gain and obesity. And unfortunately, many U.S. adults spend up to 8 waking hours a day just sitting around.

In this recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and the American Cancer Society, they examined whether certain smartphone interventions could potentially influence sedentary behavior. Close to two in three U.S. adults owned smartphones in 2015, according to researchers.

Participants wore accelerometers to measure movements over seven consecutive days; they also carried smartphones during this time that instructed them if they were sitting too long--letting them know that it's bad for their health.

Findings revealed that participants with smartphones sat for significantly fewer minutes during the day when compared to controls who did not have smarthphones. Accelerometers recorded three percent less sedentary time than control participants, equaling about 25 minutes of time spent engaged in activity rather than in sedentary behavior on any given day.

"Overall, simple smartphone prompts appear to be a promising strategy for reducing sedentary behavior and increasing activity, though adequately-powered and well-designed studies will be needed to confirm these preliminary findings," the study authors said, in a news release. 

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