Today’s cell phones increase opportunities for activities traditionally defined as sedentary behaviors (e.g., surfing the internet, playing video games). People who participate in large amounts of sedentary behaviors, relative to those who do not, tend to be less physically active, less physically fit, and at greater risk for health problems. However, cell phone use does not have to be a sedentary behavior as these devices are portable. It can occur while standing or during mild-to-moderate intensity physical activity. Thus, the relationship between cell phone use, physical and sedentary activity, and physical fitness is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate these relationships among a sample of healthy college students. Participants were first interviewed about their physical activity behavior and cell phone use. Then body composition was assessed and the validated self-efficacy survey for exercise behaviors completed. This was followed by a progressive exercise test on a treadmill to exhaustion. Peak oxygen consumption (VO2 peak) during exercise was used to measure cardiorespiratory fitness. Hierarchical regression was used to assess the relationship between cell phone use and cardiorespiratory fitness after controlling for sex, self-efficacy, and percent body fat. Interview data was transcribed, coded, and Chi-square analysis was used to compare the responses of low and high frequency cell phone users. Cell phone use was significantly (p = 0.047) and negatively (β = −0.25) related to cardio respiratory fitness independent of sex, self-efficacy, and percent fat which were also significant predictors (p < 0.05). Interview data offered several possible explanations for this relationship. First, high frequency users were more likely than low frequency users to report forgoing opportunities for physical activity in order to use their cell phones for sedentary behaviors. Second, low frequency users were more likely to report being connected to active peer groups through their cell phones and to cite this as a motivation for physical activity. Third, high levels of cell phone use indicated a broader pattern of sedentary behaviors apart from cell phone use, such as watching television. Cell phone use, like traditional sedentary behaviors, may disrupt physical activity and reduce cardiorespiratory fitness.

Background. While there is emerging research outlining the physiologic cost of the physically interactive Nintendo Wii, there are no evaluations of the

Objective: To assess self-reported walking and sedentary behavior in young adults before and after downloading “Pokémon Go!”. Materials and Methods: In September 2016, a sample of 358 (19.8 ± 2.1 years old, n = 187 females) college students who had downloaded “Pokémon Go!” on their cellular telephones (i.e., cell phones) were surveyed for weekly walking and sedentary behavior via the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. A single interview was administered to participants who estimated their walking and sedentary behavior at three time points: the week immediately preceding their download of “Pokémon Go!” (Baseline), the first week after downloading the game (Time 1), and the week the survey was completed (Time 2). Differences in self-reported physical activity and sedentary behavior across the three time points and across the two genders were compared via analyses of variance. Results: There was a significant main effect of time (F ≥ 49.3, P ≤ 0.001) for walking and sedentary behavior. Participants reported greater (t ≥ 9.5, P < 0.001) daily walking during Time 1 (218.6 ± 156.3 minutes) and Time 2 (182.7 ± 172.1 minutes) versus the baseline (108.5 ± 110.8 minutes). Walking behavior was also significantly greater (t = 4.1, P < 0.001) at Time 1 versus Time 2. Participants reported greater (t ≥ 6.5, P < 0.001) daily sedentary behavior during baseline (346.6 ± 201.3 minutes) versus both Time 1 (261.7 ± 172.4 minutes) and Time 2 (284.3 ± 175.4 minutes). Sedentary behavior was also significantly greater (t = 2.6, P = 0.03) at Time 2 versus Time 1. There were no effects of gender (F ≤ 1.8, P ≥ 0.17). Conclusion: Playing “Pokémon Go!” was associated with increased self-reported walking and decreased sedentary behavior. Such games hold promise as technology that may promote physical activity and discourage sedentary behavior.