We are always looking for new ways to utilize technology and motivate kids to use exercise to improve their overall wellbeing!
What is MOTAFIT?
We are a team of researchers looking to motivate adolescents to exercise and improve their fitness and wellbeing. This study provided the participants with a specialised exercise program of activities for them to enjoy getting active, and get the maximal fitness and health benefits from the activities they did.
The project used mobile technologies to guide the participants through the program and provided them with feedback throughout to make sure they reached their goals.
Why did we do this study?
Being physically active and exercising is really important — it helps keep the blood vessels healthy and improves our fitness.
Lots of kids find it hard to be physically active and stick with an exercise routine. We did this study to find new ways to motivate young people to exercise regularly.
Do smart watches help improve activity in youth?
We wanted to know if wearing a smart watch and receiving help from an exercise expert made it easier for youth to begin and maintain regular exercise. Everyone who joined the study receive regular exercise help from our exercise expert, but half of all participants also received a fitness watch and mobile app with an individualized exercise program.
What was it like to be a part of this study?
We wantED to motivate kids to exercise & improve their fitness and wellbeing
- Co-designed a 3-month plan with an exercise specialist.
- Half of the participants borrowed a fitness watch and mobile app with an individual exercise program.
- Attended three health assessments at the UBCO Laboratory throughout the study.
- Participants were paid for their time in the lab once the study was completed.
- Each visit was approximately 2 hours and included:
- Indoor Bike Assessment: 8-12 minutes.
- Ultrasound of Blood Vessels.
Ali McManus
Professor
Prof Ali McManus developed her interest and excitement in pediatric exercise physiology while completing her doctorate at the Children’s Health and Exercise Research Centre, University of Exeter U.K. She held a faculty position at the University of Hong Kong for 18 years, before joining the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC Okanagan. Prof McManus and her team use various experimental conditions such as prolonged sitting and hypoxia to alter the cardiopulmonary and cerebrovascular responses to exercise and use this information to decipher the mechanisms that underlie child-adult differences. She has secured significant funding (NSERC, CIHR, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Stober Foundation) to support and encourage these research endeavors.
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