FitBit Fan!

I have fairly recently bought a FitBit - and I love it so much that I bought one for my Mum and one for my Partner! There are other brands available such as the Garmin VivoFit, the Jawbone UP, Nike Fuel Band, Polar Loop etc. but I chose to invest in the FitBit. 

FitBits are activity trackers that monitor various things throughout the day. There have been adverts on the TV recently that you may have seen. Now, when I heard that this technology was going to be commercially available, the Sport Scientist in me couldn't wait to get my hands on one! They can track your steps, heart rate, sleep, floors climbed, exercise and more! Our family are now in competition with each other to be top of the leader board at the end of the week for most number of steps taken. You can input what you eat and drink and it can aid with weight loss/stability/gain and is a great motivation tool whether you appreciate the science behind it or not! (Note: I know they are not 100% accurate or reliable, this isn't a blog arguing for or against them - it's just my experiences).

I like the fact that I can set it up to record my stats (and map my activity) when I'm training. I play a lot of badminton, cycle and have recently started running again and it's been fascinating to analyse the stats once the workout is done, and over time. Being on a sports course means that I am often pulled into the labs to do some sort of exercise training test, which is great fun, but being able to access that sort of information outside of a lab really excites me! (I know...)



It excites me so much that my dissertation is looking into the potential for the use of activity tracking technology in PE. I thought I would write a blog on here in the hope that people could share their experiences and thoughts on using this type of technology in the classroom. Please leave feedback in the comments section below - I'd love to read your thoughts! The thought of bringing Sports Science into Schools with such a simple device could really enhance the pedagogies employed by teachers and could bring PE into the 21st Century!

Lab Sessions!

On Sport and PE (and other Sports courses) we study subjects that require time in the laboratories to conduct testing and help develop our knowledge and understanding of concepts.

This was my last Lab session as a Second Year student - I've put together a short video for you to get an insight into what we get up to in Labs.

This particular lab was looking at nutrition and the use of fats and carbohydrates in different types of exercise. I have done sessions in the enviornmental chamber, which is really good fun!  

The lab sessions are a part of my course that I really enjoy! UoB has even been awarded funds by FIFA to conduct research for them, with regards to the upcoming World Cups! See more here: UoB FIFA. The facilities here are incredible and really help with learning the theory.