The U.S. is in the midst of a health crisis brought on primarily by unhealthy eating and sedentary lifestyles. Over one-third (34.9% or 78.6 million) of adults within the country are obese and diseases brought on by unhealthy weights raked in $147 billion in medical costs. Many preventable deaths stem from obesity. In fact, of the top ten leading causes of death, three – heart disease (1st), Stroke (5th), and Diabetes (7th) – are largely preventable simply by maintaining a healthy weight.
They key to reversing this trend is a methodical and concerted effort to encourage individuals, especially youth, to consume food with more nutrition and to get the recommended amount of physical activity each week. Children must cut down on the amount of hours in front of the TV and go out and play.
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As we enter into a more technological era, our forms of exercise should adapt as well. Instead of reprimanding the youth for possessing advanced technology at such a young age that most millennials did not, we should utilize those innovations more usefully. Fortunately, there are some already available, one of which is in the form of a jump rope.
The Sophia smart jump rope provides a fun and efficient way to maintain one’s health. By employing Bluetooth connectivity, the device measures jumps, speed and calories via an activity tracker. This data is then synced to an iPhone or Android application, where progress is actually tracked. One unique feature of the jump rope lies in its setup. The tech component is located in the handles, which hold three fitness sensors including a triaxial accelerometer, infrared module and an optical module that counts the person’s jump cycles. Jump count and the battery indicator are shown by an integrated OLED display on the handles themselves.
Creators of Sophia took several factors into consideration when developing the device. One of the most frequent complaints with innovations similar to this comes with an inconveniently short battery life. To combat this, the company asserts the battery will last up to a month – which, if accurate, makes the product more competitive in comparison to the other apps. Companies have found that a shorter battery life makes one more inclined to abandon their wearable after the honeymoon effect wears off. Another factor – also pertaining to convenience – involves the ease in storage.
When placed together, the ends of the rope act as magnets and attach, ensuring it takes up as little space possible in the individual’s gym bag. When the rope is pulled back apart, the handles have a rubberized cashing and ergonomic grip to decrease the difficulty in jumping. The third and probably most interesting feature included is a “gamified” approach to fitness. The app allows users to choose between games such as the “time challenge” or “jump countdown” to promote competition amongst friends and other remote Sophia users. Challenge invites arrive as push notifications and gives the user the option to accept or decline right from the phone.
Although leagues on the professional and collegiate levels could benefit immensely from an innovation like this, the biggest advantage of using this device would lie with the youth. Employing the Sophia jump rope to younger demographics could promote more positive and fun competition, allowing for their sound social development and even more importantly, physiological health. The Sophia jump rope could not only improve the physical health of any individual using it but with more awareness and the subsequent momentum, it could have a more massive effect and change the culture as a whole.