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It's a topic we've addressed frequently: How can fitness trackers be most useful as part of a well-run workplace wellness program? (For example here, here and here.)

Now a new study addresses the question: “Are wearable ATs [activity trackers] reaching a population that has not been reached by the fitness industry?” The study, published in the American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Journal, is titled MOVE MORE, SIT LESS, AND BE WELL: Behavioral Aspects of Activity Trackers.

The authors looked at a wellness program and the investigated: “Could wearable ATs combined with training or coaching help to change personal movement patterns? ATs may serve as a reminder of the need for behavior change by increasing awareness.”

The answer: Combining health coaching with activity trackers matters.

The authors write that the “results revealed that a combination of coaching and AT usage increased the importance of regular PA [physical activity] for employees as well as their confidence to sustain PA and movement. Ninety-three percent of employees agreed working with a student coach helped them develop effective health and fitness goals. Ninety percent agreed that the combination of coaching and AT usage helped employees sustain their health goals after their coaching ended. When asked about their social connection with students, 92% of employees agreed that engaging with students connected them better with the university.”

For some participants “it was initially hard to focus on PA and sedentary living rather than the exercise portion of human movement patterns, but they eventually appreciated the difference a small amount of movement throughout the day can make in participants’ lives. Breaking the traditional focus on what counted as movement was enlightening for both students and employees. Could ATs better meet the needs of those who have not joined a gym? Could this concept help account for the mass popularity of these devices? ATs might be reaching a market that is untapped by the fitness industry but also could appeal to a much larger portion of the population. The fitness profession’s perception of human movement patterns has traditionally been focused on the exercise portion of human movement patterns. ATs could help the fitness professional transition to include the PA and sedentary living portions of human movement patterns.”