Technological advance:
A fitness walking mobile app can be downloaded on the iPhone and Android platforms for free, to set users on a healthier track.
Road to fitness:
Signs along 33 walking tracks provide vital statistics such as distance, and approximate number of calories consumed.
App promotes fitness, step by step
October 06, 2013
Most people know daily exercise brings health benefits. In a fast-paced city like Hong Kong, work and life pressures often stand in their way on the road to fitness. The Leisure & Cultural Services Department has introduced a fitness walking mobile application to help overcome these hurdles.
When it ran a recent healthy exercise for all campaign, which included a physical fitness test for the community, the results were nothing to cheer about. The baseline indicator level of physical activity is to keep active at least 30 minutes a day, three times a week. More than half of Hong Kong people failed to meet this minimum standard.
The department recognised a simple remedy in fitness walking, moving along at a speed of 50 to 100 metres a minute. That is brisk enough for a healthy 30-year-old to maintain a healthy heart rate of 114 to 143 beats a minute. This form of aerobic exercise is gentle, inflicting less force on the lower limbs than, say, jogging.
Appeals to all ages
Fitness walking can be practised anywhere, any time, and is suitable for people of all ages, notes Michelle Soo, the department’s Leisure Manager. It requires minimal gear - just a comfortable pair of walking shoes and sportswear. People can choose routes they like near their homes or workplaces, and take their first steps towards a healthier lifestyle whenever it suits them.
The fitness walking app was launched in early August. It introduces the basic concepts of fitness walking, and describes the department’s 33 fitness walking tracks in the 18 districts and how to access them. It uses a smartphone’s global positioning system to identify the closest track to the user.
It can also record data about each walk, including the time, distance and speed. It has several helpful calculation tools. By inputting data including birth year, height and weight, the app can calculate body mass index, the number of calories consumed during a walk, and a target training heart rate for users’ reference.
Fitness routine promoted
After using the fitness walking app for the first time, department staffer and fitness buff Dennis Yeung said that it makes walking more fun, and may encourage more people to exercise.
“The app can record how long you walk and how many calories burned, which is very detailed. These days, many people use smartphones and won’t let them out of their sight. If the exercise data can be saved conveniently and free of charge, it will be easier for users to keep up with the exercise routine because they have identified their goals,” he said.
Each of the department’s 33 fitness walking tracks has its own characteristics, Mr Yeung added. He can use the app to find his way to all of them, making physical fitness more entertaining while helping him see more of the city.
The department notes some studies suggest walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day may significantly improve a person’s health. To start on your own path towards fitness, take the first step and download the free fitness walking mobile app for iPhone or Android platforms.
