With an increasing number of people turning to fitness tracking apps and wearables to monitor their weight loss progress, count their daily intake of calories and receive notifications when they've reached a fitness goal, it's estimated that the health tracker app and wearable market is to grow considerably by 2020.
Smartphone apps that track the number of steps you take, offer exercise routines, and allow you to share your weight loss journey with friends via social media have become the go-to method for staying fit. However, studies have shown that these apps may be doing more harm than good.
NOTE: Here, we refer to fitness apps on smartphones that're not connected to smartwatches or other physical health trackers and wearable devices. For optimal results, consider investing in a wearable device and using it in conjunction with a compatible app.
What do studies say?
In 2016, an app that claimed to improve people's mental agility was fined $2 million by the Federal Trade Commission in the US for misleading consumers and preying on the elderly. The company admitted that it had deceived users and that its claims had no scientific basis.
While it's easy to dismiss this as an isolated incident, it's common to find fitness apps that lack sufficient or any scientific evidence to support their claims. More worryingly, other studies have shown that these apps may actually be damaging their users' mental health.
One study examined the impact of fitness apps on weight loss in young people over a 2-year period. It was found that those who used the fitness apps lost less weight than those who did not use the app.
Out of 23 health apps, less than half were effective in their aims to improve people's health. An alcohol cessation app was trialled on a group of university students. The results from this trial surprisingly showed an increase in alcohol consumption from those using the app. However, another app designed to support people after alcohol rehabilitation appeared to decrease the chances of those people reaching for a drink on a bad day. Another study examining the relationship between frequently logging data into tracking apps and weight loss found that such apps can be beneficial.
In short, the jury is still out on whether a standalone app to measure your health provides enough insight into how you can effectively improve it.
Should You Use Health and Fitness Apps?
The decision on whether to use a health and fitness app depends on the kind of person you are and what you want to achieve with the app.
For some people, an app might not be enough to motivate them. If you don't think a standalone app is enough to help you, it may be more worthwhile to invest in a device such as a fitness wristband or some connected scales. These connected devices make it easier to track your exercise and weight loss efforts without requiring constant updates to the app.
The first step in determining which app to use is to identify the improvement you want to see and pinpoint what may be stopping you. Perhaps you struggle to make healthy decisions when you're out and about. If so, you may want to look for apps which show the calorie intake of various meals. If you know you could move more, a walking or running app could be more suitable.
You may need more than one app to help you with your goal. For weight loss, an app which catalogues healthy recipes with calories could be useful when combined with an app which suggests exercises.
In the same way that quitting habits is difficult, forming new habits such as healthy eating and exercising regularly takes some getting used to.
What health apps should I use?
If you love to cook and want to make more informed health decisions, you can download a recipe app which provides a catalogue of healthy recipes to try out with your friends and family. You'll be sure to find a recipe app that suits you, whether you're vegan or vegetarian.
For a deeper insight into what you eat, some apps can scan the barcode on the packaging of your food and provide a breakdown of the amount of salt, sugar, fat, and calories in that food. This can be useful if you are trying to reduce calories or if your doctor has advised you to limit your salt intake.
As previously mentioned, apps that provide exercise suggestions can also be a great help. Whether you're just starting out or a fitness aficionado, there's an app for you.
Bonus: If you enjoy exercising to music, some apps can analyse your music library and compile a playlist of songs to use during exercise. Alternatively, you can find a workout playlist on your favourite music streaming service which suits you or create your own.
Tips when using fitness apps
Let the app get to know you. In many fitness apps, they will ask for your height, weight, age, gender and other factors which could affect the output. Once you've provided the app with the necessary information to determine the most accurate results, let the app track your typical day. This will give you an indication of areas where you can improve and what you are doing right. Monitor your calorie intake over the next few days and keep a record of everything you do.
Be consistent with the data you put in. If the app allows you to input what you've eaten, be honest and consistent. After each meal, log what you ate in the app as soon as you can. This will enable the app to determine the most effective course of action.
You are not defined by numbers. Many apps use arbitrary numbers as goals. These can be 10,000 steps, 3 miles (ca. 5 kilometres) walked, 2,500 calories consumed or 8 hours of sleep. Treat these numbers as rough guides, and don't be upset if you don't reach them. The human body is a complex, organic machine, and no two bodies are alike. A person with a small stride will take more steps than a person with a wider stride within the same distance. Your thyroid can also have a significant impact on the numbers you see.
Don't become obsessed with the app. Many fitness apps treat exercise like a game, leveraging the brain's reward system to make the activity seem enjoyable. This can lead to an unhealthy obsession with the app, especially if you compete against your friends and family while using it. If you find yourself pacing up and down your living room just to reach your daily step goal, you might be doing more harm than good.
Exercise shouldn't be a chore. Fitness apps can't differentiate between running, cycling or dancing - this is simply due to the way the accelerometer (the gyro which tells the phone which way up it is) in your phone operates. Instead of seeing this as a limitation, use it to your advantage and do something you enjoy, such as a sport or dancing.
Take it at your own pace. This is especially important if you are tracking your health along with your friends and family. Don't make drastic changes to your lifestyle based on what the app says. Instead, look for smaller and more manageable changes. These can be as simple as cooking with less oil, eating smaller portions, getting off the bus a stop earlier and walking the rest of the way or going on a walk during your lunch break.
The verdict on fitness apps
Fitness apps can be inaccurate and may not work effectively for everyone. Tracking what you eat with an app can be useful in understanding behavioural patterns and making changes to your lifestyle. Binge eating and low levels of exercise can be identified and improved with the help of an appropriate app. However, you should always exercise caution when using an app that has no data on your heart rate, blood pressure, or other biological measurements.
A physical fitness tracker, such as a smartwatch or fitness band, can track your heart rate and exercise more accurately. Some can even monitor your sleep patterns and inform you of the quality of your sleep. When combined with a suitable app, a physical fitness tracker can provide more accurate data, enabling you to make informed adjustments to your lifestyle. We cannot recommend a fitness tracker because everyone's body and budget are different. Instead, we encourage you to research various fitness bands and smartwatches to find the one that suits you best.
