According to a study funded by the World Health Organization (WHO), childhood inactivity has become a global epidemic.
Findings suggest that four in five 11- to 17-year-olds around the world don’t get the minimum recommended amount of daily physical exercise to benefit their health.
Evidence-based recommendations state that children need 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise a day from the age of 5 for good health and optimal physical and mental development.
Yet, 84,7% of girls and 77.8% of boys around the world got too little physical exercise during the period under review in the research.
A technology solution
One way to motivate kids to get active and move more is with technology. The new Fitbit Ace 3™ activity tracker, which is suitable for ages 6+, makes fitness fun for the whole family with motivating challenges and activity tracking.
The device tracks all-day steps and Active Minutes to show how every move, skip and jump adds up to a healthier, more active lifestyle.
Full of features
The Ace 3 lets you know if kids are getting the rest they need with its sleep tracking feature. Bedtime reminders and alarms also help to establish and maintain beneficial sleep routines.
Wireless sync connects the Ace 3 to over 200 Android and iOS devices so parents can get a full picture of their kids’ health and wellness.
Kids who own a smartphone can also get call notifications on their wrists when synced with compatible devices.
The timer and stopwatch features, available from a kid’s wrist, can guide homework time, any “race you to the end of the block” invitations and more.
Fun incentives
With virtual badges, animated clock faces and personalised avatars, kids have added motivation engage with the device and platform to get moving with the family and find ways to compete against their friends.
Kids can see their key activity stats for the day from the device on their wrist – no need for tablets or smartphones. This instant feedback can help them stay informed while they’re on the go.
And with a sleek, streamlined design and backlit display, it’s easy for kids to navigate and see these informative stats.
Parental control
Parents can use the app to set on-wrist reminders for kids to move and stretch their legs if they’ve been sitting still or inactive for too long.
Parents can also set up a family account and create child accounts with Parent View to easily review their child’s activity and approve their connections.
Parents have the option to set up accounts for their kids and enable Kid View, where kids 6+ can see their stats, badges and clock faces.
The Ace 3 is water-resistant to 50m and offers a long-lasting battery life of up to 8 days.
The Fitbit Ace 3 is available from selected Dis-Chem Pharmacies and online in Cosmic Blue / Astro Green and Black / Sport Red colourways.
Author: Pedro van Gaalen
When he’s not writing about sport or health and fitness, Pedro is probably out training for his next marathon or ultra-marathon. He’s worked as a fitness professional and as a marketing and comms expert. He now combines his passions in his role as managing editor at Fitness magazine.
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