Joanna Fortune: Will a fitness tracker make my child anxious if they don't reach their step target?

"Not all schools have adequate physical space to enable children to engage in physical activity during school hours, so we tend to rely on extra-curricular activities to ensure children are getting enough movement."

Dr Joanna Fortune: We should also be modelling and creating opportunities for our children to move with joy, move spontaneously and move in play as opposed to moving when a device they wear tells them to do so. We want our children to tune into their bodies and experience pleasure in physical activity rather than feel it is something they have to do to reach their statistical quota as directed by a fitness tracker

My seven-year-old child was given a fitness tracker watch in school. The school says it is part of encouraging fitness, but my child could become anxious if they don’t reach enough steps or if their heart rate speeds up. Surely, there are other ways of encouraging fitness in young children without relying on a device, or am I overreacting to this?

It is important we strike a balance between encouraging activity in young children and pushing statistical analysis via devices on them.