Can a ‘rewards-for-exercise app’ increase physical activity, subjective well-being and sleep quality? An open-label single-arm trial among university staff with low to moderate physical activity levels

Abstract

Background This study examined the impact of a ‘rewards-for-exercise’ mobile application on physical activity, subjective well-being and sleep quality among 148 employees in a UK university with low to moderate physical activity levels. Methods A three-month open-label single-arm trial with a one-year follow-up after the end of the trial. Participants used the Sweatcoin application which converted their outdoor steps into a virtual currency used for the purchase of products available at the university campus’ outlets, using an in-app marketplace. The primary outcome measure was self-reported physical activity. Secondary measures included device-measured physical activity, subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect), and self-reported sleep quality. Results The findings show an increase in self-reported physical activity (d = 0.34), life satisfaction (d = 0.31), positive affect (d = 0.29), and sleep quality (d = 0.22) during the three-month trial period. Conclusion The study suggests that mobile incentives-for-exercise applications might increase physical activity levels, positive affect, and sleep quality, at least in the short term. The observed changes were not sustained 12 months after the end of the trial.

Stay home and stay active? The impact of stay-at-home restrictions on physical activity routines in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…It is worth noting from our results, that the sample of users of the Sweatcoin rewards app were more positively associated with change in self-reported PA, compared to the sample from the general survey panel. This suggests that incentivising PA still had some positive effect during restrictions, in a similar way to that reported in normal circumstances (Elliott et al, 2019;Lemola et al, 2021).…”

Temporal associations between objectively measured physical activity and depressive symptoms: An experience sampling study

“…Bossmann et al ( 5 ) have suggested that physical activity prescriptions to improve mood and depressive symptoms may involve electronic reminders encouraging people to engage in frequent daily bouts of physical activity (e.g., going for a walk to interrupt sedentary time). Relatedly, studies using smartphone apps that offer rewards for a larger number of steps made in everyday life suggest that affective wellbeing is also improved ( 45 ). In future research, such interventions involving more frequent and shorter bouts of physical activity could be compared with the effectiveness of interventions that involve longer exercising such as 2–3 times a week.…”

Home-based exercise training by using a smartphone app in patients with Parkinson’s disease: a feasibility study

“…However, sub-analysis results revealed that changes in daily steps and moderate-intensity minutes were clinically meaningful in the “less” active compared to the “more” active group when the app was used. This result was attributed to some additional elements, such as rewards, and notification, which are known to promote adherence and behavioral changes in elderly and healthy adults ( 43 , 44 ). Despite fairly positive results, it should be taken into account that the accuracy of steps measurement via phone’s built-in sensors, still has limitations because they are estimated.…”