Looking past New Year’s Resolutions and Personal Fitness Goals to Tracking Physical Activity     
By: R. Scott Tomassetti, Betances Elementary school

Last year I wrote about setting realistic goals for creating a New Year’s Resolution. This year I will be talking about various ways to keep track of your efforts to achieve your goal to help motivate and moderate physical activity: Logging and Journaling. More specifically, because this is the technology section, this article will review the electronic means for tracking physical activity. Predominantly, this article will cover one school’s attempt to modernize their wellness center by using electronic physical activity tracking: The Sport and Medical Sciences Academy in Hartford, CT use of TechnoGym (www.technogym.com ) in their new school’s wellness center.

Over the years, there have been many types of physical activity tracking tools used by Physical Educators, which includes paper logs and journals. There have also been many types of electronic tracking systems, from the simple step counting “Log IT’ to the NIKE Plus online logging system and shoes. Many of these logging systems only collect small sample data from a single source, and collect aerobic information, predominantly.

The HealthTrax Wellness Center in Newington, CT utilizes a system called FitLinx (http://www.fitlinxx.com/) that allows clients to create wellness plans with a trainer on both aerobic machines and resistance training equipment. FitLinx also allows you to log your physical activity/exercise either via a kiosk at the wellness center, or online via their website. The trainer and client can visualize through graphs many physical activity variables. This system has been around for some 5+ years, and is a great motivator for many.

Last year, the Sport Medical Sciences Academy (SMSA), built a new schoo,l and within the school a new wellness facility that utilizes a similar type of program to FitLinx, TechnoGym. TechnoGym has one significant difference; they utilize a Wellness Key. When the students enter, they sign in through the Kiosk using their Wellness Key, and then proceed to their first machine, until they finish their circuit. TechnoGym has its own Fitness Assessment and from that each student, with an instructor, sets up an individual wellness plan. Students can vary this plan daily through the Kiosk or at the machines.

Each machine has its own control panel connected to the system. On each resistance machine is an iso-control panel that helps clients keep pace during each contraction through visual cues and sound, both eccentric and concentric. Although FitLinx does a similar pacing with numbers and buzzers, the lighted panel is a great visual cue advantage for TechnoGym.

Erik McKay, one of SMSA’s Physical Education Instructors is currently preparing to use this system with 60 students and is excited about the ability of TechnoGym to help students meet their Wellness goals. Mr. McKay says "My students and I are very fortunate to have the facility, equipment, and technology. From a physical education perspective I can assess, modify (specificity), and provide feedback for my students on a regular basis through the means of technology. Having TechnoGym's wellness program here at SMSA is fantastic for our student body, faculty, and community. The possibilities within this system are endless, making a physical educator's goal of lifelong fitness more possible."

TechnoGym also keeps track of all kinds of “outside of the Wellness Center Physical Activities” through the Kiosk. The Control panel offers graphs and statistics for all kinds of physical activity parameters, both aerobic and anaerobic.

TechnoGym even has a Windows Mobile Interface they call the Contact Manager. The PDA Software and the main panel on the computer can be used to stay in contact with students and their physical activity data. TechnoGym also has an online component for students and teachers to view physical activity data. This enables SMSA to view physical activity data from anywhere.

The one fallback I see to implementing this type of approach is the loss of teacher to student interaction and reflection needed. However, Mr. McKay will be having student write reflective feedback to him once a week through the TechnoGym system. Students will also be self monitoring and adjusting daily physical activity, as well as, creating physical activity plans for incoming students later on.

In addition to the wellness center, SMSA also has a new climbing wall, a beautiful new gym facility, and a regular interscholastic sports program. There are also many other new technologies at the SMSA, Mr. McKay’s insight, "Here at SMSA, the physical education department is trying to link "TechnoGym's" wellness system within all of our curriculum, starting in 9th grade and up until 12th grade. Students are provided with the essential and vital terms during their begining years at SMSA, in order to lay the foundation for our students' future. During junior and senior years, we try to have our students not only understand importance of being physically active, but why and how the body works through our exercise physiology and strength & conditioning classes, thus allowing our students to apply their knowledge with their fellow classmates and faculty."

It is nice to see that such programs are beginning to make their way into High Schools where an entire student body can learn to be healthy and fit for a lifetime.

Resources
1. Log It online step tracker: http://www.peclogit.org/logit.asp
2. Presidents Challenge Fitness File Fitness Tracker: http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/group_tracking.aspx
3. Physical Best: http://www.humankinetics.com/PhysicalBest/
4. FitLinx Fitness and Activity Tracking System: www.fitlinxx.com
5. TechnoGym: www.technogym.com
6. Fitnesss 1st Fitness Tracker, Goal Setting, Physical Activity Planning, Physical Activity Log, and Diet Log: www.fitness1st.net

(pelinks4u home)