Daily phone reminders did not make a walking habit feel more automatic
Who it’s about: Adults
- No difference
Days with a phone reminder before the daily cue left the walking habit no stronger than days without one.
Very small randomised trial of 24 adults in Switzerland who wanted more activity · vs days without a phone reminder · they rated themselves · ⚠ not yet checked by other scientists
The study
Who took part
24 adults in Switzerland who wanted to be more active were counted, out of 40 who started the main part. 22 of the 24 were women, and half were younger than 41.
What they did
Everyone chose a daily cue for a 15-minute brisk walk and logged their walks on a Garmin tracker for 15 weeks. Each day the app randomly chose whether to send a reminder shortly before the cue. Separately, it randomly chose whether to set a morning task of writing down a promise to walk.
What happened
On reminder days, walking felt no more automatic than on days without one, and the morning promise task made no difference either. Neither changed how often people walked or how many steps they took. Days when people walked after their cue went with a stronger habit, but walking wasn't assigned, so this doesn't show cause.
Source
HabitWalk: A Micro-Randomized Trial to Understand and Promote Habit Formation in Physical Activity (2024)
DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/5pbtf (opens in a new tab)
