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Weekend: Got a health goal? There’s an app for that – The Courier

Posted: January 25, 2020 at 4:43 am

By SARA ARTHURS

STAFF WRITER

Years ago, when you made that New Years resolution to exercise more or quit smoking, you might have told a few friends. But today, you can tell all your Facebook friends.

Technology has changed how people can communicate their goals and hold themselves, and one another, accountable.

Alisa Agozzino, Ph.D., is associate professor of public relations at Ohio Northern University. She teaches on social media, which she said can be used for good or evil.

She said the average person has 220 friends on social media. Ten to 20 years ago, I dont think we were going out and telling 200 people about our New Years resolutions. Maybe a handful of people at a New Years Eve party would have heard about those goals, as opposed to today, when you can announce youre planning to do something and Im putting it out there for all of you to see.

Agozzino said this doesnt necessarily mean youll stick to your goal. If you dont post anything to follow up, will anyone notice? But if you do, they will most certainly notice.

It gives people something to talk about, too, she said.

That is, if you post that youre going to exercise more, people can ask how that is going or what fitness apps you used along the way.

Engagement on social media is where all the power is, Agozzino said. She said just clicking like when a friend states a goal, or leaving a comment like You got this! means the Facebook algorithm will boost the post so more people will see it in their feed.

Agozzino said if youre criticizing yourself for being overweight, Thats the pressure that you put on yourself. No one else will say, You didnt lose any weight!

No ones going to write that or say that, and most people wont even think it, she said.

When someone posts that theyre quitting smoking, usually its because they do want others to hold them accountable, Agozzino said. When you see someone in person and theyre smoking, you might say, Hey, I thought you gave that up.

Rachel Niermann, a registered dietitian with Blanchard Valley Health System, said setting a resolution for 2020 is different than it was in 2000. Nowadays, we have technology attached to us all the time and we can definitely use it to our advantage, she said. People walk around with watches and wearable technology that tells them its time to get up and move, for example.

And it can help offer some encouragement, as you see progress. If you can look back and see that you did accomplish three workouts this week, that is encouraging and may make you more likely to stick with it, Niermann said.

She said its best to make goals realistic and attainable. Apps allow you to keep track of how youre doing to hold yourself accountable, but if your goal is very far-fetched it may be hard to stick with it, even with the use of apps.

Niermann said a very general goal like I want to eat better or exercise more is harder to stick to than one that includes a specific plan.

The more specific your goal is, the more likely you will accomplish it, she said.

So instead of wanting to eat better, you might commit to eating two more servings of vegetables every three days. This has a number attached to it and is something you can track, making it easier to hold yourself accountable.

Niermann said apps allow you to keep track of how youre meeting your goals. You can measure activity, nutrition, sleep and meditation.

In the past, of course, you could keep a journal of all these things.

Theres still power in writing things down, Niermann said.

And she said some people may find it meaningful still to write by hand after all, it takes longer to write it down than to quickly enter something into your phone, which may give you time to reflect. She said you could also write down a goal on paper and put it on your desk or mirror, or in your car, so you see it often.

Niermann recommended the app MyFitnessPal, which also offers a website users can access from a computer rather than a phone. Users enter their height, weight and gender along with their goal such as to lose, maintain or gain weight.

MyFitnessPal has a validated tool that calculates an appropriate calorie range for safe weight loss. Theres nothing drastic like fad diets, Niermann said.

Social media can be a source of encouragement and allow you to keep yourself accountable, Niermann said. But at the same time, if you look at a lot of pictures online of fitness bloggers, people who are very thin, it might make you feel bad about yourself. She encouraged finding someone out there who is going through a similar experience as you, with a comparable lifestyle.

Arthurs: 419-427-8494

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Twitter: @swarthurs

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Weekend: Got a health goal? There's an app for that - The Courier


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