Fitness Technology

As technology advances we have seen many changes in different industries. Fitness has also seen a change and many improvements with the advancement of technology. We can check our heart rate, map out our runs, keep track of our fitness endeavors, find workouts with the click of a mouse and even our video game systems have found a way to help us with our fitness endeavors. These games referred to as AVG (active video games) are helping kids who normally may not be considered active become more active rather than just playing sedentary games. They help children who may not be as coordinated as their peers find the confidence to try in a safe environment, at home. I hadn't thought about that before. That children may indeed be afraid to play on the playground with their peers because they have not had the experience practicing being active. While I do not advocate these systems as a sole means of exercise and play for children I can see the benefits that they may have. 

First off, the fact is...Kids these day are going to have some amount of screen time. Why not use that screen time for something beneficial, like being active? Secondly, since children and teens are familiar and comfortable with technology why not use that familiarity to get them used to something that may not be as familiar or comfortable? If you want to get a person to develop healthy habits there needs to be some intrinsic motivation. If the child likes the active video games, he or she is much more likely to adapt a positive connection to exercise and will be more willing to venture out to other methods in the future.  Last but not least, they are interesting. Children love all the bells and whistles that technology brings. It's a great way to get the children engaged and interested in being more active.  

Remember that one of the most important thing in getting a child to create an active lifestyle is that they have a positive experience when it comes to physical activity. Fitness technology is just one way of trying to achieve that outcome.