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Fitness watches for kids: How to win the motivation game


fitness watches for kids
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Many years ago being active was a part of our lifestyle. I remember when I used to run, climb trees, play tag, and even hike. However, there was not much technology like now. No wonder we were moving around so much. Nowadays, it seems that the newer generations are not as active as they should be. …And that cell phones, tablets, or video games are their new toys. Monitoring their physical activity may be an effective solution to keep them moving. You can find good fitness watches for kids to help encourage activity and keep them motivated. They are tools that can tell how much exercise they are getting as well.

Recommended reading: Best Motivational Fitness Tracker: Love Your Fitness Journey

You want your kid to be active from an early age. It will be easier for you to motivate and support them in sports or physical activities. Also, encouraging them to help you do your home chores can be another way to stay active.

If you tried to keep your kids busy or engaged in sports but nothing worked you are in the right place. We will explain how important is for your child to stay active and how can fitness trackers help. We will also share useful tips on how to get the most out of these tools. Concerned about your child’s privacy? We got your covered.

If you are looking for the best fitness tracker or smartwatch for kids, we have a great selection to help you make a smart decision.

Why your child should be physically active right now

Kids should lead a healthy lifestyle from an early age to prevent any illness in the future. According to the Mayo Clinic, there are more than 3 million cases of children’s obesity in the US. Very common cases have been found in children aged between 3 and 18 years old. It has been tripled since the 1970s.

There are more children with obesity suffering from diabetes, heart problems, and other health conditions once considered adults problems. Unfortunately, in many cases, obese kids may become adults with weight problems. One of the reasons for gaining weight is the lack of exercise.

That’s why companies such as Garmin have launched fitness watches suitable for kids to help them inspire and keep moving.

An active child will become a healthy, sociable, and happier adult. Not only health issues will be prevented but also they will have a healthy social life. This is better than sitting on the couch every day. Also, they will always adopt good habits and explore different ways to stay active.

Most of the kids who love to engage in physical activities or sports will adopt the same good habits once they become adults. An example of this is my own father. He was always playing sports from an early age until two days prior to his death. I never saw him obese and rarely felt ill with a cold.

The best way for a child to stay active is to encourage them to keep moving. It is easy because they are naturally active and love to move around. Although every child is different, most of them can be competitive, playful, and may love challenges. However, keep in mind that they imitate their parents’ habits. If you lead a healthy lifestyle they will follow that path.

How can fitness trackers motivate your kid to stay active?

Fitness watches for kids are a great tool to help motivate the little ones to get involved in physical activities and can tell how much exercise they are getting. But you may be asking yourself how can fitness watches help motivate your child.

They can monitor not only steps but also activity time, calories burned, and other metrics. Knowing how much exercise your kid is getting will help you keep inspiring them. In addition, many of these smartwatches for children can instruct your child on how to exercise and encourage them to complete daily physical activities to keep them engaged.

A great and effective way to track your child’s physical activity and progress are to connect the fitness band to your phone or tablet. Indeed, this is a great way to continue encouraging them to keep moving. What I like about these wrist companions is that many of them allow you to create challenges, competitions, or goals to help them stay engaged. Your children will like that because they are competitive and driven by nature.

In addition, explaining to your child the importance of staying active before you invest in a fitness tracker will also help. Besides, if you lead an active and healthy lifestyle it will encourage them even more. That will motivate them to follow that path. Keep in mind that kids will always follow their parents’ examples. They will eat what you eat and will do what you do. You are their first role model.

Also, praise their achievements when they reach their daily goals is another way to help them stay motivated. They will learn to take care of themselves from an early age and will get used to adopting a healthy way of life.

Are fitness trackers for kids really a good idea?

Depending on your kid’s needs a fitness watch can be a great tool to keep them moving. However, as we stated earlier these devices are just a tool. They are used as a guide to help increase motivation and monitor physical activity.

In addition, they, not only can help them do better but also understand the importance of staying active. Also, it is a great way for parents to be more involved in their children’s wellness. That said, it is important to monitor your children’s progress and talk about it with them.

Do not use the health data to judge them but only to encourage them to do better. Metrics can be used as a motivator and reference to adjust your child’s activity plan. It will be great to teach them how the body reacts to physical exercise and the benefits they can enjoy.

However, keep in mind that fitness trackers alone will not work. Your support and encouragement are very important to keep them inspired. It is crucial to keep motivating them to reach their daily goals and challenges. Talk to them about the different ways to stay active so they can create a habit.

Familiarize yourself with the tracker so you can explain to them each metrics and how important is to reach the goals and complete the challenges.

Wondering when a child should start using a tracker? We will explain the best time they can use one and what to do before you invest in a fitness watch.

When a kid should start using one?

So, if you are planning on getting a fitness watch for kids to keep the motivation going that’s great. A child can start using a fitness wearable from around the age of 8. If they are not ready or simply do not want to use one that’s alright. The importance is that they stay active to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Also, a great time to have a tracker is if they practice a specific sport do they improve and learn to protect themselves from injuries. However, enjoying any physical activities they perform can also keep them inspired. Do not let them rely only on a tracker to get motivated.

Before considering buying a fitness wearable, it is very important to encourage and inspire your child to be active. From sports to any physical activity, they have a lot of options to chose from. Therefore, it is great to continue inspiring them to keep moving.

Most babies are very active and move around a lot! Do not stop them! Allow them to enjoy the outdoors so that they can create a habit and stay inspired to lead an active lifestyle.

Also, it is very important that your child knows that a fitness tracker is not a toy but a tool to help him monitor his daily activity.

Therefore, staying active should be a lifestyle and not just a mere activity. Once a habit has been created a tracker can be used to make sure they are getting enough exercise.

How to get your child started with a fitness tracker

You were looking for a fitness watch for your kid and finally, you found it. Now what? First of all, it is very important to be familiar with it. Go through the user manual to know its features and how to use them.

Explain to your child how to use it, charge it, and put it away where he can find it. This is a great way to teach your child to take responsibility which will help them not only stay healthy but also build personal accountability.

As I mentioned earlier, it is very important to use a tracker as a tool. Metrics will help you and your kids to improve the performance, exercise safely, and stay motivated.

Once again, sit down with them and explain the importance of staying active and how it can improve the quality of life. Besides, you and your children can wear a fitness tracker to help them stay motivated and follow your example.

An effective way to keep your kids active is to work out or do physical activities together as a family. Not only it will become closer but also we help you stay healthy. Working out together strengthens family bonds and will make the whole experience so much more fun.

Also, compete with each other to encourage him to reach your goals and to accept challenges. In addition, as your kid becomes familiar with the tracker show him how to use health data to improve.

How can you keep your children’s privacy safe?

Fitness trackers can help anyone to reach workout goals and create a habit to keep moving. Unfortunately, like many electronics, some of them may not be safe from hackers and misuse of personal information. However, you can still follow these helpful tips to protect your kid’s privacy.

Every time you or your children use a fitness watch the data is exposed. Many companies may sell your information to third parties and others use it to improve your user’s experience. The following tips will definitely help you protect your and your kid’s data:

  • Research fitness wearables companies to make sure they do not sell personal information to third parties. Fitbit, Garmin, Apple, Huawei, and Samsung have focused on protecting the user’s personal information.
  • Find out the tracker’s app first and review the privacy policy to find out how they use your data.
  • If you are extremely concerned you can buy a non-Bluetooth tracker. They do not need to be paired to any device such as a smartphone or tablet. However, the health data is cleared out by midnight.
  • Verify settings such as location (GPS) are off.
  • Also, do not enter the date of birth, real name nor location on the profile.
  • Many fitness tracker apps allow you to find friends to connect and compete with others. Keep in mind they can see the information you entered in your profile. You can make your profile and any activities private.
  • Monitor activities and their profiles to make sure settings are correct.

Are fitness trackers for kids safer from EMF?

A fitness tracker can definitely help your children stay motivated to be active. However, any electronics that use WIFI and Bluetooth emits electromagnetic (EMF) radiation. Although levels are really low it is not a bad idea the minimize the exposure.

Because children are not developed yet, they are more vulnerable to non-ionizing radiation or EMF which is emitted from smartphones, tablets, and WIFI.

The safest way to protect your kid from EMF is by buying a non-Bluetooth fitness tracker. They do not use WIFI or need to be connected to a device. Plus are more affordable and easy to use.

If you already bought a fitness tracker with Bluetooth you can just turn it off in your smartphone’s settings. You can just pair it to the phone only when you want to see the progress.

Keep in mind that the fitness watch does not emit any EMF until is connected to wireless internet or any device such as a smartphone.

How to help your child to engage in physical activity

The best way to help your child to adopt an active lifestyle is by motivating them. So how you motivate them to keep moving? Just do what you want them to do! Children learn by example. If you are active and love fitness they will follow your steps!

One of the most effective ways to keep them active is to exercise in front of them or to practice sports or any physical activities with them. The more they see you working out and leading an active life the more they will embrace it and will get used to it.

If you wish your kids to be more motivated to stay active we have the solution. These tips will help you inspire your little ones to keep moving and engage in physical activity:

  • Do not let them use electronic devices such as tablets, smartphones, video games for more than one hour. Invite them to run or play in the backyard instead. Limiting electronic usage will help them to be interested in moving around
  • Go to the park with them so they can practice any physical activity and socialize.
  • Encourage them to play sports or participate in any activity to create a habit.
  • Motivate them to do the chores around the house so they can keep moving.
  • Explain to them the importance of staying active and how it can improve their overall health.
  • In addition, talking to them about obesity it’s a great way to make them aware of health and fitness.
  • Cook healthy meals so that they can learn good eating habits.
  • Keep in mind that not all the days are the same and one day he may not reach the goals or feel energetic enough to engage in any physical activities.

Which fitness watches for kids should you get?

Fitness trackers or smartwatches are not only fun and stylish but also track metrics such as steps, calories, activity time, heart rate, and others.

The more features they have the better but also will come with a price. However, you want to start them with a simple and easy to use a fitness tracker. In order to help you make a decision, we will share some of the most important features that you should consider.

Here are the features a fitness tracker for kids should have to help them stay busy, inspired, and keep moving:

  • First, measure your kid’s wrists to make sure the watch band can fit without any issues.
  • Try to find a fitness tracker that can be used by the family so then together can participate in physical activities, sports, and exercises.
  • Many fitness watches for kids are lightweight and colorful to motivate them even more and make their activities more fun.
  • In addition, a multiple sports tracker will help your kid to engage them in a variety of physical activities and sports which will help them to stay inspired.
  • Even a connected GPS tracking will help you to track the routes whether they like to run or walk
  • Another helpful feature is the sedentary alert to move more
  • Also, fitness watches with a sleep tracker will help you find out how much sleep they are getting
  • A waterproof fitness tracker we also help them practice their favorite water sports
  • You may want to buy a Bluetooth capable tracker to monitor your kid’s activity.

The best fitness trackers for kids you can buy now

There are so many types of fitness wearables on the market that it is hard to choose. We will share some of the top fitness wearables for kids to help them stay engaged.

Some of them are water-resistant and the application can be controlled by the parents. Also, some of the fitness trackers are suitable for teenagers as well.

Sit down with them and help them how to use the fitness watches. Reading the user’s manual will help you discover other features and care instructions. Getting involved will help them have a good mental and physical health.

  • Garmin vívofit jr 2

A swim-friendly fitness watch, the Garmin vivofit jr battery life is 1 year. Your children can engage in physical activities without any recharging.

Not only the application is interactive but parents can access chore management and reward tools. In addition, Vivofit Jr. 2 motivates kids to attain mounted goals that unlock adventure games. Also. it features friendly challenges to help them keep improving.

It monitors sleep quality, steps, and 1 hour of recommended physical activity. You can even connect your Garmin fitness watch with theirs with the Connect app. You can link your account with family and friends.

Also, it features alerts to remind kids when it is time to practice, brush their teeth, or do their homework. You can find Disney, Frozen II, or Stra Wars-themed fitness watches to add even more fun to their activities.

Interested in Garmin Vivofit jr. 2? Check out this cool kids’ fitness tracker we found on Amazon.

  • Fitbit Ace 2 Activity Tracker

Battery life is just 5 days, this fitness watch is swim-proof and water-resistant to 50 meters. Recommended for children aged 6 and up, it tracks steps and active minutes to encourage activity. Your children can earn virtual badges and on-screen celebrations when they achieve a goal.

The app allows them to connect with their friends to compete and motivated each other. This fitness tracker monitors sleep quality. It also includes bedtime alerts and silent alarms

Parents can create a family and child accounts. They can also view their kids’ activity and select who they can connect with.

Wanna know more about Fitbit Ace 2? Find out about this popular Fitbit fitness tracker for kids on Amazon.

  • LETSCOM fitness tracker

Looking for the best fitness tracker for teenagers or children without breaking your bank? LETSCOM fitness tracker is a great example. Not only can it be worn by adults but it’s also for children. It comes in different colors such as blue, red, purple, pink, and green, black.

This versatile tracker is the best seller on Amazon. What I really like about it is that it has a long battery; it tracks 14 sport modes; and tracks your active minutes. Not only it is waterproof and sweat-proof but also it tracks your sleep quality, count steps, and more. It uses the Veryfitpro app. Also, it requires iOS 7.1; Android 4.4 above. For smartphones only.

Besides, the LETSCOM will also remind you when to move and tracks your heart rate continuously. Check out this Amazon bestseller for more details.

  • TRENDY PRO Kids

This cool fitness tracker monitors daily activities such as steps, distance, calories, and physical activities. It can be used by either adults and children. Besides, it is very easy to use.

The Trendy Pro kids also can track your sleep quality and will remind you to stay active. In addition, it comes in different colors such as dark blue, turquoise/aqua, purple or blush pink.

The adjustable band is one-size-fits-all. However, it might not fit very small or very large wrists. Also, it uses the Veryfitpro app to see your kid’s progress and achievements. However, you can use it without the app although it was show steps, miles, date, time, active minerals, and calories.

What I like about this tracker is that it features an anti-lost alert if you move more than five meters away from your smartphone or tablet. Check the Trendy Pro Kids fitness tracker on Amazon.

  • LeapFrog LeapBand

If you are looking for a smart band or fitness watch for kids aged 4-7 years old the LeapFrog LeapBand is the way to go. It focuses on encouraging kids to stay active every day. You can choose up to 50 challenges to have your child marching like an elephant and more.

It rewards the moves by unlocking new pet toys to play with. What I like about the LeapBand is that your kid can personalize a pet and even has parental control.

It has an accelerometer to monitor your kid’s movements. You can download Petathlon games to play games and win rewards.

Find out about the LeapFrog LeapBand for more details.

Conclusion

Encouraging your kids to stay active is an effective way to help them lead a healthy lifestyle. Engaging in physical activities and sports with them will ensure a long-term commitment.

Whether you decided to buy a fitness watch for your kids or not that’s fine. The bottom line is keeping motivating them to stay active and adopt healthy habits.

Go for a walk or play with them. Not only you will develop that special bond with them but they grow healthy, active, and healthy.

We hope you liked our post “Fitness watches for kids: How to win the motivation game” and that it can be of great help.