Can smartphones actually make you more active?

MOBILE WONDER: Researchers expect the smartphone device will break down many of the barriers that exist in cancer diagnosis, particularly in remote or impoverished areas.

New research suggests that using a smartphone can be an effective way of motivating people to get moving and can even decrease unhealthy sedentary behaviour. 

The US-based pilot study brought together researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Centre, the American Cancer Society, and the technical expertise of the e-Health Technology Programme at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre in Texas, to measure the movement of 215 participants using accelerometers for seven consecutive days. The researchers also asked all participants to carry smartphones for the full seven days.