Home   News   Article

Exercise in spotlight as collaboration between the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Institute of Health Research and Innovation and High Life Highland is launched which will assess how participants interact with and use wearable fitness technology and smartphone applications and whether people adhere to online exercise classes which they can take part in from home


By Ian Duncan

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!
High Life Highland.
High Life Highland.

Researchers are to launch a new study in a bid to assess how participants interact with and use wearable fitness technology and smartphone applications.

The collaboration between the University of the Highlands and Islands’ Institute of Health Research and Innovation and High Life Highland starts this month.

It also hopes to find out whether people adhere to online exercise classes which they can take part in from home.

As part of the study online exercise classes will be delivered for one hour, twice a week, over a six-week period using a digital platform.

The aim of the research is to understand which elements are successful in getting more individuals active and the data will inform a future project in cardiac rehabilitation settings.

The use of online exercise classes delivered at home is becoming more widely used, however integrating these with wearable technology and smartphone applications has not been extensively researched.

For the study, university researchers are seeking to recruit men and women aged 50 to 70 years old who are currently doing either low to moderate levels of physical activity and are fit and well to exercise.

People who participate in the study will take part in testing at the start and end of the study and will be provided with feedback based on resting heart rate, blood pressure, diet and fitness test scores.

As part of the study participants will receive a free six-week online class delivered by High Life Highland, with classes conducted twice a week by a highly qualified and experienced exercise specialist.

Dr Matthew Fraser, a postdoctoral researcher at UHI’s division of biomedical sciences, said: “It’s a really exciting partnership with High Life Highland, the project will provide opportunities to make a real difference to the way that exercise is delivered to those individuals who cannot leave the home.

“Data collected from the project will allow a greater understanding into the role that various forms of technology can play in attempting to increase levels of physical activity and provides directions for new projects coming in the future.”

Lynn Bauermeister, health and wellbeing manager for High Life Highland, said it was a brilliant learning and development opportunity.


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More