Participants
A total of 86 middle-aged adults were enrolled in the study between October 2020 and April 2021. Participants were recruited from across the US, with a majority in the Northeast, by posting advertisements on public boards and online. Advertisements specified: “Do you want to be more active, but find yourself making excuses to avoid exercise?” Participants received a Fitbit Charge 4 step counter and a $25 gift card for completing all aspects of the study.Interested participants were asked to complete a screening questionnaire. Participants were included if they indicated they wanted to become more physically active, were between 35 and 65 years, fluent in English, fit enough to walk for at least 20 minutes at a time, and own a smartphone with a data plan. Participants were excluded if they experienced a fall or heart problem/condition in the last 6 months before the start of the study, were already participating in an exercise program or using a Smartwatch (e.g. Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch etc.), already exercised (all types of exercise as defined by the person) at least 3 times per week for more than 30 minutes at a time, and/or if a doctor had advised them to not walk due to health conditions.As shown in 