The days of kids getting out of high school PE exercise by splashing a little water on their faces and pretended to be winded may be a thing of the past thanks to a new iPad app from Polar. The heart rate monitor company yesterday released Polar GoFit, an iPad app that allows physical education instructors to track individual students’ heart rates during class and keep a complete record of their performances over the course of the school year.
Using up to 40 coded Polar H7 Bluetooth heart rate monitors and an Apple iPad PE teachers can create a customized set of heart rate goals for each student and then follow the students’ progress through the class in real time. This helps the instructor make sure students are getting the exercise they need all the while monitoring them on the outside chance that some might be over doing it. The data screen can even be projected on the wall of the gym so students can keep track of their performance themselves.
Once plans are set students can win badges to show which particular goals they have reached. After class (or at home with their parents) students can log into Polargofit.com to check their progress.
The iPad app is free and available in the Apple iTunes Store, however, schools will have to pay an annual fee for access to PolarGoFit.com.
Polar apparently isn’t new to the education fitness game. Since 1990 the company has equipped more than 10,000 schools across this United States with tools that help teachers evaluate the health and fitness of students. But now with Polar GoFit and PolarGoFit.com there’s an app for it.
