Daily feedback on physical activity and sleep habits measured by activity and sleep tracker increased daily step count, time spent jogging, reduced sleep latency, and improved body composition.

(Browne et al., 2021)

A significant portion of the adult population fails to meet guidelines for recommended exercise despite the widespread awareness of the benefits of regular exercise and physical activity. Inadequate sleep quality and duration are also common and contribute to an increased risk of noncommunicable diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease).

A growing body of evidence suggests that wearable digital health technology (i.e., wearable activity trackers and sleep monitors) help people improve their sleep quality and manage their physical activity levels. It can motivate users and help them make informed decisions.

Browne et al., 2021, a 12-month randomized controlled trial, 56 participants who performed little to no exercise in the past three months wore a biometric tracking ring. They were assigned to either a behavioral modification intervention with daily guided text-message feedback (INT group) or the same behavioral modification intervention without the daily guided text-message feedback (control group). All participants were instructed to walk or jog at least 150–300 minutes per week and increase their walking speeds to a comfortable jog over time.

After three months, the participants from the behavioral modification intervention with daily guided text-message feedback group were further randomized to continue receiving daily text-message feedback or no feedback. Guided daily text feedback was individualized based on physical activity and sleep data from the past 24 hours.

Examples of daily Guided Text Feedback:

• “You took 8,235 steps yesterday with 10% of your time spent jogging.”

• “Wonderful job! This week your average step count increased by 800 compared to last week.”

• “Your sleep and heart rate variability trends this week indicate good sleep and adequate recovery. Let’s strive for a larger portion of steps from jogging this week.”

In the first three months, behavioral modification intervention with daily guided text-message feedback group improved sleep latency and body fat percentage compared control group. The daily step count increased from 7446 to 9626.  In the following nine months, the group continued to receive daily text feedback continued to make improvements while no text group remained stagnant or slightly regressed.

Reference:

Browne JD, Boland DM, Baum JT, Ikemiya K, Harris Q, Phillips M, Neufeld EV, Gomez D, Goldman P, Dolezal BA. Lifestyle Modification Using a Wearable Biometric Ring and Guided Feedback Improve Sleep and Exercise Behaviors: A 12-Month Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Front Physiol. 2021 Nov 25;12:777874. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.777874.