Activity Trackers Influencing Motivation and Awareness: Study Among Fitness Centre Members

Abstract

Consumer fitness technology products are becoming increasingly popular. This leads to interesting questions about the influence of activity trackers on a person’s motivation to exercise. This study explored the role of activity trackers in motivating fitness centre members towards exercising and in increasing their awareness regarding their own health and physical activity. The study included 100 fitness centre members divided into a test group and a control group and three sub-groups: OLD, NEW, and personal trainer (PT) members. The focus was on gym visit frequency during a 10-week test period and on tracking the consistency of activity levels. Participants also completed a pre and post study questionnaire assessing changes in their health and physical activity awareness. The results suggest that an activity tracker does not significantly influence fitness centre members’ gym attendance or overall physical activity levels. Group comparisons reveal no statistically significant differences between groups, but observations of the descriptive statistics indicated that an activity tracker can bring some inspiration and other benefits, especially for PT clients and people who are just starting their new more physically active lifestyle. Using an activity tracker increased participants’ perceived awareness of their own wellbeing, daily sitting time, and amount of sleep.