A UBC researcher is looking at how apps and other devices can keep you moving
So really, what makes an exercise program stick? Mary Jung, assistant professor with the Faculty of Health and Social Development at UBC’s Okanagan campus, has been granted a five-year, $450,000 research scholarship from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research to research whether self-monitoring using technology such as smartphone apps or step counters can help people meet their exercise goals by increasing their physical activity.
People often launch into a fitness program with the best intentions, then quit after a while. What are some of the reasons for this?
Some of the most common reasons people fail at sticking with exercise are unrealistic goals or expectations. Trying to lose 20 pounds in four weeks or setting a goal of exercising every day when they previously didn’t exercise at all, or missing one workout and subsequently giving up can undermine someone’s confidence. Many people blame lack of time, but what separates avid exercisers from non-exercisers is the planning and commitment needed towards making exercise a valued part of their day. It’s not the number of free hours people have at their disposal.
Can technology play a role in helping people keep to their exercise regimens?
Absolutely. We are testing the utility of using biofeedback devices and mobile health technology to increase self-monitoring skills and exercise adherence in adults. Technology creates an opportunity to instantaneously interact with health experts, and can greatly assist in self-regulation by providing personalized data to track. For example, continuous glucose monitors have helped us teach individuals with a prediabetes condition how exercise impacts blood glucose levels, which in turn acts as a great motivator for engaging in more exercise.
How is your research encouraging people to stick with an exercise program?
My lab teaches inactive individuals the self-regulatory skills necessary to adhere to an exercise regimen. Primarily, we develop counselling interventions and interactive materials that educate, and encourage people to practice. We teach them how to properly monitor behaviour and adapt goals and action steps accordingly, how to plan exercise amongst other important life goals, and how to bolster self-confidence so they can overcome any obstacle. We place emphasis on teaching individuals how to be independently active and accountable to themselves, rather than making them dependent through excessive, supervised exercise training.
What motivates you to exercise?
Apart from the obvious number 1 motivator – being a role model for my daughter – I must admit I am a tad competitive. I enjoy running races – not because I’m a natural at it, but because I get to try and beat my old times. It is also not unusual for my husband and I to get into friendly push-up or sit-up challenges, and there is always a bet going on in my lab as to who can improve their aerobic fitness score the most, in the shortest amount of time.