Disclaimer: The information in this article is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any exercise programme or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
A fitness tracker shows data, not a verdict on your health. A 2023 trial found that step-count feedback could change how active people believed they were. Some wellbeing and health measures also changed, even though their actual steps did not.
The result is interesting, but it is preliminary. The study does not show that positive thinking matters more than physical activity. It does suggest that the way a tracker presents activity can shape a user's response to the number.
What the five-week trial tested
The final sample included 162 adults from the west coast of the United States. Walking was their main form of activity, and they had little previous exposure to step-tracking technology.
Each participant wore an Apple Watch for five weeks. During the first week, the watch recorded steps but showed no count. Researchers then assigned participants to one of four groups:
- an accurate step count;
- a count reduced by 40%;
- a count increased by 40%; or
- an accurate count plus three short lessons about activity mindsets.
The researchers called this an activity adequacy mindset. It means a person's belief about whether their current activity is enough to support their health.
Lower feedback changed how people felt
Participants shown the false low count viewed their activity as less adequate. Compared with the accurate-count group, they reported more negative feelings and lower self-esteem and mental health. Their blood pressure and resting heart rate also increased.
The false high count did not produce an equal change in the opposite direction. People who received the mindset lessons reported a more adequate activity mindset, better mood and better functional health than the accurate-count group.
Actual step counts did not change between the groups. This is the study's central point: feedback changed how some participants interpreted their activity, even when their recorded movement stayed similar.
Why the limits matter
The researchers designed the trial to explore new questions. They measured many outcomes and did not adjust the statistical threshold for the number of tests. They described the findings as preliminary and said they need replication.
The trial also lasted only five weeks. Its final sample was relatively active, averaging 7,066 steps each day at baseline. The results may differ for people who already use trackers, do little walking or rely on activities that a step count misses.
Most measured effects were small. The trial cannot tell us whether a changed activity mindset improves long-term health. It also does not support falsifying a step count outside a controlled research setting.
What broader tracker research found
A 2024 umbrella review examined 51 systematic reviews covering 302 unique studies. Across the reviews, wearable devices were linked with a median increase of 1,312 steps each day. They were also linked with about 58 more minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity each week.
There was an important caution. Almost 73% of the included reviews had critically low methodological quality. The authors rated the overall evidence as low to moderate certainty and called for more research in specific groups.
Together, these findings suggest that trackers can support movement for some people. The 2023 trial adds a narrower point: the meaning attached to the number may affect the experience of using it.
Use the number as feedback, not a grade
One daily target cannot capture every useful form of movement. A step count also ignores activity completed without the device and says little about how you feel.
Australian experts recommend using custom goals and turning off notifications when feedback becomes too much. They also suggest comparing weekly or monthly trends instead of judging one day or comparing your total with someone else's.
A tracker is most useful when it helps you notice a pattern you can act on. If the target creates guilt or ignores much of your activity, adjust the goal or notification settings and judge progress over time.
