USB Pedometer - Gadgets Engage School Children

Posted 16 February 2009

A USB pedometer is a great way to encourage gadget-loving kids to aim for a healthier life.

A USB pedometer is a great way to track your exercise and fitness levels. A USB pedometer lets you automatically download data from the pedometer onto your computer. It's long been established by health experts that the ideal amount of walking we do equates to 10,000 steps a day. But research shows that many of us overestimate the amount of walking we do. In fact, most of us are nearer to just 4,500 steps thanks to our increasingly sedentary lifestyle. And yet research shows walking 10k a day reduces the risk of chronic illnesses including heart disease and cancer. Walking the recommended number of steps is also a great way to lose weight and build fitness levels. A USB pedometer helps walkers wake up to the number of steps they do. And by knowing the numbers, more are motivated to increase their walking activity or build more walking opportunities into their day to day lives.

USB Pedometer - Doing if for the Kids

And it isn't just adults who can benefit from the USB pedometer. More children are becoming obese and exercising less. Walking is an exercise most children can do, regardless of their fitness levels, and walking doesn't require expensive equipment. A USB pedometer is an affordable gadget that works by engaging computer-loving children, incorporating exercise with technology. Initiatives in the past have seen primary school children handed USB pedometers in an effort to encourage them to be more active. By using USB pedometers in a school setting, pupils can work and compete together, measuring their progress and using dedicated websites to reach their targets. The USB pedometer has been proven to work in pilot schemes with school children, significantly increasing their activity levels; in 2007, 45,000 pedometers were distributed across 250 schools. Using gadgets such as a USB pedometer is one way to engage and increase interest in walking, with 63% of children said to have shown increased interest in physical activity as a result of using pedometers in trial schemes. In the scheme, the pedometers recorded an increase of steps from 8,355 to 13,939 in just six months.

Get Active with a USB Pedometer

Using a USB pedometer in schools is crucial when obesity levels are rising - it is recommended children have at least an hour's exercise a day. But it's thought around a third of children are not reaching the recommended activity levels. Walking is easy and accessible, and using a USB pedometer is one way of making it more exciting, fun and engaging for children, as well as adults. Pedometers help us take responsibility for our activity levels. And unless such steps are taken, an entire generation of children face the real risk of premature death from obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

Looking for a USB Pedometer? Get the Fitbug

Fitbug’s "Bug" is a little gadget that allows you to track your calories and steps. Fitbug, an online personal health and well-being coach is a unique system designed to help you achieve your weight, fitness and health goals within your everyday routine. Why not check out the walking programmes on our website? Find out more, call: 0870 228 4949.