Long-Term Benefits of Fitness Apps: Sedentary Users Gain 1,000-2,000 Daily Steps Over Two Years

Recent research has demonstrated that fitness applications can foster sustained physical activity among sedentary individuals. A comprehensive two-year study analyzed data from over 515,000 Canadian users of a popular fitness app, providing robust evidence that these digital tools can significantly boost daily step counts. Specifically, users who entered the study with fewer than 5,000 steps per day experienced an increase of 1,000 to 2,000 steps by the end of the period.

The study, authored by Professors Marc Mitchell and Lisa Nguyen from the University of Western Ontario, was published in the British Journal of Sports and Medicine and is the largest and longest investigation into the effectiveness of commercial fitness apps to date. Notably, their findings reveal that improvements in activity levels are not merely short-lived; users maintained increased activity at the 12- and 24-month marks.

Nguyen emphasizes that these results challenge the notion that fitness apps only provide fleeting motivation. Instead, the data suggest that, when designed with behavioral science principles such as supporting autonomy and confidence, these applications can serve as long-term support systems. Mitchell advocates for a more individualized approach in app development, highlighting that customized goal-setting and gamification can foster enduring behavioral change.

The research also explored habit formation, discovering that after about a year, users could sustain their enhanced activity levels without relying on the app or financial incentives. Interestingly, financial incentives, such as small daily rewards, appeared to have less impact after one year, and might even hinder progress in highly active individuals.

The app used for this study, Carrot Rewards, was particularly successful owing to its emphasis on motivational principles rooted in behavioral science, such as self-determination theory. Although Carrot Rewards is no longer publicly available, the study’s authors suggest similar apps incorporating personalized goals, engaging features, and behavioral strategies could yield comparable results.

This research provides hope for those aiming to initiate and maintain increased physical activity, demonstrating that effective digital tools can produce meaningful, long-lasting health behavior change.