Pennsylvania school introduces wearable technology to gym class

Gym class in one particular school in Pennsylvania is going to look a lot different than the ones that parents remember from their time as kids thanks to wearable technology.

For the most part, gym class in schools around the country has looked pretty much the same. However, one school in Pennsylvania is trying to find a new way to encourage kids to get more engaged in a healthier lifestyle in the digital age.

At Parker Middle School in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, kids are taking part in gym class with wearable technology to track their exercises. The Daytona Beach News-Journal took some time to learn more about the attempt by the middle school to embrace the technology.

Students are given wrist bands with monitors that track heart rate and calories burned, adding extra incentive for the students to get a good workout in during gym class. As the student’s heart rate increases, the wrist bands go from green to yellow to red.

“The goal is to get every student’s heart rate in the red zone for at least 20 minutes of every gym class,” a Parker Middle School physical education teacher told The Daytona Beach News-Journal.

The monitors and laptops help the students track and log their own personal data, and the kids are responding well to the wearable technology.

With widespread concerns across the country about children being physically active, this idea of wearable technology in gym class seems to be the best way to help kids learn more about the importance of physical fitness. In time, this could wind up being the norm in gym classes everywhere.