Getting in shape involves the not-so-simple process of getting motivated and getting moving.

It often helps to have a workout buddy, someone whose encouragement and accountability gets us to exercise at the gym. A new pilot study by a team of KU School of Medicine-Wichita faculty and researchers has found promising evidence that text messaging could be that "buddy."

Regular text messages about the benefits of physical activity, or that reminded participants to exercise, more than tripled the time 11 Latino adults dedicated to physical activity each week. Before the study began, their exercise time averaged around 56 minutes a week. By the end of the six-week study, that average had grown to nearly 202 minutes.  

Lack of exercise can bring many health risks, including peripheral artery disease, a condition prevalent among Latinos. Nearly 1 in 7 Latino adults suffer from the disease, and more than half are at risk for it. The pilot study's lead author is Dr. Tracie Collins, an internist and vascular specialist who has extensively studied the disease.

"The reason that this particular study is looking at Latinos is that they're at increased risk for amputations and walking impairments," said Collins, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.  

For six weeks, researchers tracked 11 adults who were open to physical activity but who either did not exercise at all, or did not reach levels recommended by the American Academy of Sports (50 minutes three times a week or 30 minutes five or more times a week). Participants received one text message in Spanish or English five days a week. The messages were customized based on results of individual surveys.  

Depending on survey scores, messages might say, "This is what you can get from physical activity: You can increase your metabolic rate, improve your mental health, increase your self-esteem."  

The pilot study is part of research on texting among Kansas Latinos. That study determined that 78 percent of Latino adults had ready access to text messaging.  

"There's a perception that if you're older or if you're from a different culture, you may not be texting as often," Collins said. "We found that Latinos across all ages use text messaging."  

That high usage makes texting a good tool for health interventions.  

With those promising findings, Collins and the research team have applied for a National Institutes of Health grant to conduct a larger study. If approved, funding could be in hand by mid-2015.  

"These types of studies inform how we deliver care and how we can support patients when they are outside of our clinics," Collins said. "We want something that's seamless, not too costly, and effective."  

Members of the study team bring a variety of specialties to the research. Besides Collins, the team consist of Dr. Frank Dong, statistician; Dr. Elizabeth Ablah, community psychologist; Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, who has worked with Latinos and youth on physical activity and weight loss; Dr. Paula Cupertino, who does smoking cessation work among Latinos; Dr. Nicole Rogers, exercise physiologist; and Dr. Carolyn Ahlers-Schmidt, who has studied texting as a way to remind parents about child immunizations.  

Collins sees great potential in text messaging to motivate healthy behaviors. It could evolve into something more interactive, such as directing a patient to places with healthier food or helping the patient pick the healthiest meal from several options. "That would be progressive. I think that's where we need to go," she said.  

The study, "Text Messaging to Motivate Latino Adults at Risk for Vascular Disease: A Pilot Study, 2013," can be found at www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2014/14_0219.htm.