Sounds crazy right? A device that many of us associate with sedentary behaviors can help increase physical activity? The reality is mobile devices are extremely popular amongst the teenage population. According to a national survey from CTIA (The Wireless Association®) and Harris Interactive, four out of five teens (17 million) carry a wireless device¹. The study titled “Teenagers: A Generation Unplugged” also found that a majority of teens (57%) view their cell phone as the key to their social life and that most admitted to spending nearly an equal amount of time talking as they do texting each month. 

So knowing this trend, researchers in England decided to use this technology to send daily text messages about exercise to 128 students aged 16-19 at four schools in West Yorkshire to see if it affected their physical activity levels². The teens received messages for two weeks; however some teens received messages that made physical activity sound enjoyable while some received messages noting the health benefits. A third group received both types of messages. At the end of the two weeks, the teens were performing an average of 31.5 minutes more of moderate physical activity per week. What was even more remarkable was that those teens who received the messages about exercise being enjoyable increased their amount of activity by 2 hours per week. The authors feel that that for inactive teens, focusing on the emotional benefits of exercise may be a more effective way to encourage physical activity than highlighting the traditional health benefits. If they think it is fun, the just might be more likely to exercise.

And this is important because according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, teens spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day using media (such as watching TV, listening to music, surfing online, and playing video games) which are sedentary activities³. This is more than 53 hours per week. With all of this media time, it is hard for teens to find time to perform an hour or more of moderate or vigorous aerobic physical activity as is recommended for their age according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Focusing on the fun of activity may go a long way to helping them increase their activity and hopefully meet this guideline. While we here at The Cooper Institute are known for our research linking activity to health outcomes we have also been strong proponents of the notion that activity should be fun and enjoyable for all. Our goal is to help people become more active for a lifetime and a major key to that is making it fun.

So the take home message is this. Meet teens where they are at. Find creative ways to use the media that they are using to encourage physical activity. For instance, a few weeks ago we posted a blog highlighting some of the many apps related to healthy living. Or like the researchers in England, have a friend or family member send text messages related to physical activity. And most importantly, focus on the fun.

1Teenagers: A Generation Unplugged. A National Survey by CTIA—The Wireless Association® and Harris Interactive. September 12, 2008. http://files.ctia.org/pdf/HI_TeenMobileStudy_ResearchReport.pdf. Accessed: May 7, 2010.

2Sirriyeh R, Lawton R, Ward J. Physical activity and adolescents: an exploratory randomized controlled trial investigating the influence of affective and instrumental text messages. Br J Health Psychol [online]. 12 Feb 2010. Available from: http://masetto.ingentaselect.co.uk/fstemp/f29445d551abc8c7b8920080e795b097.pdf.
 
3Generation M²: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. A Kaiser Family Foundation Study. January 2010. http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf. Accessed: May 7, 2010.