- [Woman] iQ: smartparent is made possible in part by the McCune Foundation and The Grable Foundation.

- Today we're talking about fitness with a digital twist.

Experts and educators reveal ways kids can use technology to enhance exercise and build healthier habits.

Learn about the latest trend called exergaming.

And find out how technology is changing your child's phys ed class at school.

That's all coming up on iQ: smartparent and it starts right now.

(exciting rhythmic music) Welcome to iQ: smartparent.

I'm your host, Darieth Chisolm.

Now, most of you probably know the frustration of seeing your kid lounging on the couch, playing with some digital device, and you probably wonder what is it going to take to get my kid to put that device down and to get some exercise?

Well, today we're going to help you solve that problem by exploring technology that actually encourages your kids to get active.

Our first guest is Dr. Ellen Beckjord, a behavioral scientist who studies the way we use technology to change unhealthy behaviors.

Thank you so much for being on the show today.

- It's my pleasure.

- So, we certainly see more people wearing these nice devices, right, Fitbits and all of the things that really monitor our activity.

But in this world of technology and moving less these days, is that really helpful?

- It can be.

I think they're very healthy in getting people to become motivated and stay motivated to be active.

But they certainly aren't enough, but they definitely get people off in the right direction.

- And with this generation, all of us, kids and adults, we really wanna see immediate results.

- Correct, correct.

- Wanna lose weight tomorrow and that.

- [Dr. Beckjord] Right.

- But we know that's not possible but then when we talk about with kids in technology and monitoring, using these devices to monitor, does that really support them?

- I think it does because of what you just said.

So, we know that with any health behavior change, you know, it's very incremental with respect to seeing results.

And one of the ways that fitness trackers can help is that you are really quantifying or measuring those incremental results over time.

So, everyday when I see my step count as increased, or if I'm tracking my weight and I can see on an associated mobile application with the Fitbit or with an Apple Watch, that my weight is going down overtime as I weigh myself weekly, it can really make a big difference in helping people stay motivated because the long term result of being very physically fit or losing a significant amount of weight takes a long time.

So, quantifying that incremental progress, I think, is helpful for keeping people motivated.

- Yeah, it's as if you can see and then that keeps you motivated along the way, as opposed to waiting to get the whole 20 pounds off.

- Right.

- So, do you see this really being a great way to spur children on being much more healthy?

- In a couple of ways.

So, I think for children who are, what we would call, digital natives, they're used to using technology in their everyday lives in ways that those of us who grew up without this kind of technology aren't.

So, most fitness trackers, and I brought a couple here, I wear an Apple Watch.

There are a number of different trackers you can use.

There's a Fitbit on the table, a Garmin smartwatch as well.

They all come with mobile applications on a smartphone where you can see the progress that you're making, that the tracker is quantifying.

And so, I think that because so many kids are using devices or have access to devices, that seeing that progress on a device that they're using all ready is helpful.

But the other way that I think it can be very powerful is most of these trackers come with a mobile application that allows you to do some amount of social comparison.

So, where do I rank in relationship with people who maybe my friends within that mobile application community, or other people like me.

And I think that usually matters quite a lot to kids as well, they're used to being able to relate to others via technology.

And so, being able to compare their progress to others, engage in friendly competition, even within a family, can be helpful.

- Is that, though, good?

I mean, when you think about competition and you're really desperate to get healthy, or lose weight, or really see some moderate results, if you're comparing to someone else, is there a possibility that that actually cannot be good?

- I think that, like most things, everything in moderation is a good rule of thumb here.

So, certainly while some friendly competition and social comparison can be motivating, even, I think again, particularly within a family, to get a whole family motivated to be more active, then I think it can work very well.

But parents should certainly, as with any sort of social interaction that's mediated through technology, keep an eye on what their children are up to to make sure that it doesn't become something that decreases motivation rather than increases it.

- So, how do we pick a good app?

- So, that's a great question.

There are many, many, many fitness apps on the market.

Most wearable devices will come with an affiliated app, but usually there are other apps that you can choose that will link to any mobile device.

I think that there's no clear head, you know, one that's out ahead of the pack.

But looking at reviews on the app store can help.

Talking to your primary care provider, or with a child's pediatrician, more and more providers are understanding which apps might be best for their patient population and they're being given information that helps them recommend apps.

So, that can be a good way to get information as well.

And simply just trying a number of them for some period of time to see what works best for you.

Most of them have a core set of functionality that is the same, each have their own differentiators.

It's also the case that there are ways to pay, usually on a monthly or annually basis, for some features within these apps, but most of them are free and most of the core functionality that I think is key for motivating physical activity and health and wellness are free as well.

- Now, you point out that there's a difference between data and information, how so?

- So, one of the things that these wearable devices do is they allow you to generate a lot of data.

But the distinction between data and information has to do with its usefulness.

Most of us don't just want a bunch of data.

We want information about how our activity or our nutrition is improving or changing over time.

And so, while these devices generate and collect a lot of data, it's usually through the interface and their associated mobile application that that data gets translated into information that lets you understand patterns in your activity or nutrition overtime, how outcomes are either improving or plateauing, or going in the direction that you're not trying to go in.

And that ends up being where technology can really drive good insights into our behavior because as human beings, we're not particularly good at remembering, well, how active was I today, or what did I eat for breakfast two days ago.

These are hard things for us to remember.

When you're tracking it, you have a record and when that data gets translated into information, you can take action against it to change your behavior in ways that are consistent with your goals.

- How can parents help their children set healthy goals and even boundaries as it relates to this?

- Yeah, and I think that's very important for children as well because, as you said, we wanna make sure that everything is done in moderation and that goals are kept within a healthy range.

So, again, I think consulting with pediatricians around what is the target healthy weight for your child, given their age and their height, what is the target calorie count for them during the day, what's the target physical activity for them.

There are good guidelines at the national level around MyPlate.gov, which sort of tells us what kind of nutritional intake we should have, physical activity guidelines related to 30 minutes a day, at least five days a week.

And then I think tracking those overtime, starting at a baseline that works for you that isn't radically different from what you're doing everyday because usually change is sustained when we make it incrementally and small overtime.

And so, keeping goals within reason and then setting ambitious goals over a longer time horizon.

- Is there a particular age that you would recommend, or wouldn't recommend, in terms of using some of these fitness trackers?

- I think that ends up very much being related to the age at which parents feel comfortable giving their children access to either a smartphone, or a tablet, or a PC.

You know, some of these, my Apple Watch, for example, will give me my step count without having to access my phone.

So, you could say that a child who was too young, say, to have access to a smartphone, given whatever the family's decision is, could wear one of these and still benefit from the data that can be, and the information that is shared via the device.

But I think that really the sort of full comprehensive effect is gained by having access to the mobile application affiliated with your wearable device.

So, I think it becomes a question as to when parents feel comfortable giving their children regular access to smartphones, or tablets, or PC's.

- Yeah, this has been great, useful information.

I'm sure the parents that are watching know now how best to consider this when choosing.

So, any final advice?

- Just that I think it's so wonderful when parents instill values around physical activity and good nutrition in their children from a very young age.

The more that families can engage in those kinds of behaviors as a family, the better.

And it really does set your children off on a health trajectory that will be valuable to them through the balance of their lives.

- Wonderful.

- [Dr. Beckjord] Thank you very much.

- Learn how technology is shaping the way kids shape up in phys ed class.

But first, here's what you need to know before you buy a fitness tracker for your child.

(soft exciting music) Obesity effects 12.7 million children in the United States.

And experts agree, exercise could help.

But are high tech fitness gadgets the right choice for kids?

Experts say apps and activity trackers can help families set fitness goals.

But parents should follow these tips to make sure kids get the most out of their tech assisted workouts.

If your child's fitness tracker syncs up with an online program to track exercise, be sure the site respects your child's privacy.

If the online program allows your child to create a social network of friends, monitor their interactions to make sure users aren't taunting or bullying others.

Choose wearable fitness devices made especially for children.

The complex readouts and data on adult activity trackers maybe too much data for a young child to interpret correctly.

Little kids can't always keep up with older siblings, so set separate fitness goals for each child based on age and ability.

Make time at the end of each day to talk to your kids about their fitness tracker data.

Ask for their ideas about how to set new goals, and how to up the activity level.

Experts say kids are more inclined to stick to those goals if they have input in setting them.

And finally, if you want your kids to move more, you need to get moving too.

Plan time everyday to engage in physical activity as a family.

That will teach kids that moving is a fun part of everyday life.

(fun exciting music) According to a national survey, the average gamer in the US, aged 13 or older, spends 6.3 hours a week playing video games.

But our next guest has tips to get kids up and moving with something called Exergaming.

Welcome Amanda Budzowski.

Welcome to the show.

- Thank you.

- So, you have to define what this Exergaming is.

- Yes, so Exergaming, or active gaming, is using technology to get people up and moving and being physically active.

So, imagine video games combined with physical activity, technology driven physical activity, which gets the users out of that sedentary movement that they might typically be used to and up and moving and interacting with the game.

- Which is really important because, as we know, kids are spending a lot of time.

And so, if they're not moving their bodies and doing something fun, then clearly we see the results of that.

- Yeah, so it takes that hand and finger motion that's typical in video games and requires the user to apply that total body motion and interact with the game in a different way.

- [Darieth] So, what type of equipment would you need?

- Well, there are a lot of different types of equipment, especially depending what type of active gaming or exergaming the person is participating with.

For example, you can dance with these games, you can golf, you can bowl.

So, some of the games have sensored pads that connect with the console, so to say.

Others have motion detection or sensors that allow it to detect the users motion.

And then some of the games, like golf and boxing, have a handheld console that can be motion detected back with the main console.

So, it depends on what types of games you're playing.

- But are you really, I mean, with golf and pretty much standing in place and maybe swinging, how many calories are you actually burning?

I mean, is that really considered exercise?

- Well, that's a really great question and so, when you're using the active gaming, or the exergaming, and you're trying to meet physical activity requirements, it is really important to make sure that you're thinking about the intensity and the duration of the activity.

So, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes of activity for adults, but again, that's moderate intensity.

So, moderate intensity activity is something that gets your heart rate up and really gets that breathing increased, and so some of the activities aren't necessarily has high intense as others.

We do know that.

- But is there a rating system, so that if parents are helping their children to decide which ones they want, is there someway to say that this one has a lot more physical activity than maybe this other game?

And they might want to steer their child to using that one?

- I'm not aware of any rating system, perse, however, some of the research has shown that games that do incorporate that total body movement, like dancing, there are cycling games, even kickboxing, for example, the boxing games, anything that really gets them up and moving with big body movements and motions, those are the ones that are gonna tend to burn more calories and get them up and moving in a different way.

- So, there's some conflicting research, though, about exergaming and kids.

Can you sum that up?

- Yeah, so exergaming and active gaming has been widely researched, both in the United States and globally, so that's a good thing.

However, I do need to mention that a lot of that research has been done on adults, a lot of that research isn't necessarily done on kids.

However, they are showing that in the short term, exergaming may contribute to behavioral changes, and especially motivate kids to maybe get up and move in a different way.

However, there's definitely a need for more longterm research, and again, like you mentioned, it's going to be dependent upon the intensity of the activity, as well as the duration, if you're going to see those health benefits.

So, we typically say that if you were going to choose between, say, an exergame and being physically active, say outdoors, or with friends and family, of course you should always try for the real thing.

- Of course, and I can remember the days when we'd be inside and our parents would say go outside and play.

And nowadays, obviously, kids are spending so much more time inside.

So, what do you think are some of the biggest positives around exergaming?

- Well, I think there are a lot of positives, especially because we live in a society now where we are, unfortunately, more sedentary.

Obesity rates are rising and we know that we're spending a large amount of time in front of technology.

So, if there is a technology that can get kids up and moving, if they're all ready interacting with the game, I think that's a great thing.

But there are also a few additional benefits like exposure to different types of activities.

So, a child or even an adult, may not have the opportunity to, say, go bowling, or learn how to golf, or take a kickboxing class.

And so, these are activities that you can be exposed to and maybe you're not typically exposed to those types of activities in your everyday environment.

So, I think that's great.

It's an opportunity to participate in a wide variety of different activities.

The other big benefit that I see is spending time with your family.

So, a lot of these games have the opportunity to have competitions between people, or to pull other individuals into the game.

And so, it's something that you could do as a family unit together versus maybe a bunch of individuals on a bunch of different screens in the house, not talking to each other or interacting.

You can pull everyone together and if you're gonna spend time in front of a screen, why not do it with the family in a big way that's burning activity, or burning calories and increasing your activity (mumbles)?

- Are you exergaming with your family?

- Well, I don't have any children, but we do exergame on the holidays as a big family.

So, our favorite are the dance games.

But I've done bowling, and yoga, and kickboxing.

So, a lot of different things with the children and the adults in my family.

And we love to do it on holidays because it's a time where everyone's together and you can really pull everyone in and take a break, and get everyone moving at a time where maybe you're a little bit more sedentary.

- And burn off some of those holiday-- - [Amanda] Yes, burn off some of those holiday calories.

- Absolutely.

What about age, in terms of age appropriateness, for this?

I mean, obviously we want to get all kids moving, but is it too young?

Is there an age that's too young?

- Yes, so you wanna think about the guidelines set forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics for digital media and screen time.

That's gonna be very important.

And what we know is that children, zero to about 24 months, should have very limited screen time and really only video chat is most appropriate for that age range.

Once you get into that two years to about five years, the Academy does recommend one hour per day on a screen is fine, but again, high quality programming.

And then six and above, two hours per day or less, and using the family's discretion in terms of what types of media or screen time are being used.

So, you wanna think about those guidelines as you're starting to introduce your children to exergaming because you most certainly don't want to then extend that screen time.

However, a lot of the games do have that age recommendation.

So, that's where you're really gonna wanna pay attention to if the minimum age is five, for example, that you're really trying to stick to those age minimums and making sure that it's an age appropriate game for your children.

- Great, this has been really, really good.

So, we want you to stay with us and we want to hear more from you in a moment.

But for parents, discover ways that you can help your kids build healthy habits that will last a lifetime.

(soft fun music) We know physical activity prevents obesity and other health problems.

But now a growing body of research shows physical activity also has a positive impact on a child's academic performance.

Physical activity enhances concentration and attention, and helps to improve classroom behavior.

In some studies, increased activity was connected to improved grades and higher standardized test scores.

Other research connects physical activity to lower rates of absenteeism and lower school drop out rates.

Take a look at these composite brain scans for a clearer picture of how physical activity lights up regions of the brain.

The brighter colors reflect increased oxygen flow and shows how activity stimulates the parts of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and higher order thinking skills.

The National Association for Sport and Physical Education, referred to as SHAPE America, recommends 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day for children and adolescence.

Encourage healthy habits in your child that will last a lifetime by following this advice from SHAPE America's middle school physical education teacher of the year, Doug Hallberg.

He says kids have come to think of exercise as a chore, so drop the word exercise and instead encourage kids to find an activity they love.

Hallberg suggests families take advantage of the natural resources in their community and urges parents to explore parks, playgrounds, and nature trails with their kids.

Hallberg's final advice, he says the key to a healthy lifestyle is to start early so kids grow up learning to love movement.

The payoff is a healthier body and a healthier brain.

(playful music) No doubt about it, technology is changing the way kids think about health and fitness.

Amanda is still with us and we have Dr. Ellen Beckjord back to tell us more about how we can manage our expectations while we manage our health.

So, let's talk about that, expectations.

- I think it is important to manage expectations because in so many cases, technology really has made hard things easy.

Paying bills is easier through the app on your phone for your bank, scheduling travel, you don't even need a travel agent many times now because we can do it all online.

But when it comes to health behavior, physical activity, nutrition, eating well, technology can make it easier but those things are still really hard and if we manage our expectations appropriately, I think it helps us get the most out of the use of technology to reach our health related goals.

- Amanda, you're a health coach.

- Yes.

- What do you think that people expect when they're working with you?

- Well, I think that when individuals are working with a health coach, sometimes they do have an expectation that change is easy.

So, what we do with our health coaching is we give them the support that they need, we provide information, and then help them to stay motivated along the way while they're making these changes.

Because behavior change is not easy, and like Ellen mentioned, we sometimes have these great expectations that we're going to talk to a health coach and then we're going to lose 25 pounds.

But it really does take a lot of work along the way and hopefully that's what health coaching can provide.

- And I think that there often small ways throughout the day and ways that fitness trackers can be helpful so maybe you'll take the stairs instead of the elevator, and even those small changes that I think can be instilled in children, in particular, as part of how families move together and how families approach physical activity can really set them on a trajectory that makes a big difference over the course of their lives.

- So, we've been talking a lot about tracking fitness, obviously using these fitness apps.

But there's certainly apps out there that allow you to track your food, your food intake, and even how much sodium, carbohydrates, so that you're also looking at developing a healthy picture for yourself, in terms of what you're eating.

And you would recommend people use that along with these fitness trackers?

- Yes, I think there are a lot of really great apps out there, especially if you're working on weight management.

For example, it's both nutrition and physical activity, and a lot of apps will allow you to track the physical activity, but what's really great about some of the fitness devices is that they actually can be pushed, the information can be pushed right into your tracker.

So, for example, if you're wearing a watch and it's tracking your steps, and you open your app that's tracking for weight and you're looking at nutrition and physical activity, all of that information is in there.

So, you can make better choices and maybe say, well, I didn't get as many steps as I would've liked to today, so I'm going to try and really be cautious of the things that I'm eating.

- So, by working together, it can really get to the concept of energy balance.

How many calories I'm taking in and how many calories I'm burning through physical activity, which is key to weight loss efforts.

I do think that tracking food and nutrition, and as you said, if you're tracking your food and there are many apps now that make it pretty easy to select, even when you're eating out, many of these apps now have the calorie information for food served at restaurants, makes it pretty easy.

They'll break down the nutrient and micronutrient content in the food, which is great, but compared to tracking physical activity, which can be done completely passively.

All I have to do is where this watch and it's gonna figure out how active I am today.

Nutrition tracking is a little bit more active, you still do have to input the food that you're eating.

Again, the apps have made it pretty easy to do that, but it requires a bit of a higher level of commitment.

- I used one when I was preparing for the first marathon that I ran and it was very helpful.

- It can also be great then used to provide support, so one thing that can be very motivating for an individual, so perhaps after you ran that marathon, if you would return to that online community and now be someone who's giving support and advice to others.

That helps you maintain your motivation to retain your status as someone who's made a big achievement.

And while those online communities, I think, can be very helpful and powerful in helping people maintain their motivation, it's also important to try to seek out, I think, support that isn't technology mediated.

So, who do you have in your circle, in your family, that can support you as well?

Both are important.

- Yeah, and that really leads me to our final question.

We're running out of time.

But that is just final advice to parents who are really seriously looking at promoting healthy habits for their kids.

- I think making physical activity and good nutrition apart of everyday life and weaving it into your family's values is a great thing to do for your children.

- [Darieth] Whether you have a fitness app or not.

- Correct, yup.

- Absolutely, well thank you ladies.

Thank you so much for being here on the show.

And we hope that our guests have inspired you to build healthier media habits that support healthier fitness habits for your entire family.

Get moving, have fun and join us again for the next edition of iQ: smartparent.

(soft rhythmic music) Want to learn more about iQ: smartparent, visit us online at iQsmartparent.org for more episodes and additional tools and resources.

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest to share your thoughts on being a 21st century parent.

(exciting rhythmic music) iQ: smartparent is made possible in part by the McCune Foundation, and The Grable Foundation.