January 2018


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Monthly calendar
January calendar on Page 5

Page 3 of 5

Using an Activity Tracker to Kickstart your New Year's Fitness & Wellness Resolutions

by Joshua Gaskins, Senior Fitness Trainer

Having a gym membership is not the deciding factor in the success of your health and fitness goals for 2018. If you are one of the millions who have unsuccessfully stuck to a new gym membership, or have experienced other obstacles (i.e., cost, comfortability, schedule, etc.) it’s OK! There is another effective way to kickstart your New Year fitness and wellness resolutions.

Recently, wearable technology and tracking apps that record daily physical activity (PA) levels have been the top fitness trend named by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) for 2016 and 2017. They have had a tremendous impact on both the fitness industry and the health of millions of people. Wrist worn activity trackers such as the Fitbit Charge HR, Fitbit Flex, Fitbit Blaze, Fitbit Ionic, Jawbone UP3, Apple Watch, Garmin Vivosmart, Samsung Gear and the Microsoft Band, all contain multidimensional features that can help you gain a deeper understanding of your movement patterns (i.e., number of steps, active minutes), sleep patterns, overall health and well-being. Starting your HealthTrip journey in the new year might just be that simple.

If you struggle with reaching daily healthy physical activity levels, an activity tracker can help change this behavior by improving your awareness in a convenient way. Sedentary living evidence-based research has found that there are many negative health outcomes to increased sitting time. For example, a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, being overweight or obese, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, anxiety and depression are all linked to physical inactivity. However, the reduction to one’s all-cause mortality rate can be obtained through a higher daily step count or simply getting up and walking more throughout the day. Activity trackers can serve as a reminder to move and hold you accountable to daily activity goals. In fact, individuals who begin monitoring daily physical levels and sedentary living habits with an activity tracker may be motivated to also improve exercise habits.

Another type of individual who is at risk of health hazards is the “active couch potato.” These are individuals who reach 30-minutes of exercise most days of the week, but are almost completely inactive for the remainder of the day. They may reach the daily exercise goal essential for good health, but fail to reach daily total physical activity time essential for disease risk reduction. This means that the magnitude of the sedentary habits could outweigh the benefits from the exercise session and negative health outcomes would still occur. Both the non-exercising sedentary population and the exercising sedentary population can improve daily movement patterns with an activity tracker.

Here are some programming strategies to help you succeed with your activity tracker:

  1. Set SMART Goals. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Timely.
    2. a. Establish a baseline and increase gradually. Try the 10% weekly increase rule.
  2. Set up reminders on your activity tracker. This can help reduce sitting time.
  3. Try to add more physical activity during your workday by setting moving goals every hour, taking frequent breaks, using the stairs, or parking a little further away from your building.
    4. a. About 10,000 steps per day equates to 30-minutes of moderate-intensity activity.
  4. Find a trainer, coach, friend, or relative that can help keep you accountable. You can discuss your goals and receive encouraging feedback to help you stay motivated.
  5. Review your goals and achievements often, then reward yourself for positive reinforcement.

Begin your individual HealthTrip by Starting 2018 off on the Right Foot. Participate in increasing your daily physical activity through this fitness challenge January 8th through March 2nd. It's as simple as tracking how many days you hit your step goal! Hit your daily physical activity goal enough times throughout the challenge and your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket full of fitness and wellness swag! For more information and to register for this New Year fitness challenge, contact Joey Pacelli.

There are numerous HealthTrip services available for County employees:

  • The employee portal contains all the information on getting started, fitness programming, fitness training, HealthTrip programs, and Team Henrico events under ‘My HealthTrip’.
  • You can also stay updated with the latest programs by following the Fitness and Wellness Division’s Facebook page.

    • References:

    1. Gummelt, D. (2015). Physical Activity vs. Exercise: What’s the Difference? Ace Fitness
    2. Kiessling II, B. & Kennedy-Ambruster, C. (2016). Move More, Sit Less, and Be Well. Behavioral Aspects of Activity Trackers. ACSMs Health Fit J. Nov/Dec 2016; 20(6):26-31.