Google has worked with the American Heart Association (AHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to understand the science behind physical activity and help people get the amount and intensity needed to improve their health.
The new Google Fit is centered around two activity goals based on AHA and WHO’s activity recommendations shown to impact health: Move Minutes and Heart Points.
The Google Fit helps you count your Move Minutes for all of your activity and it claims to keep you motivated to make small, healthy changes throughout your day, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or catching up with a friend over a walk instead of a coffee.
Heart Points give you credit for these activities. You’ll score one point for each minute of moderate activity, like picking up the pace while walking your dog, and double points for more intense activities like running or kickboxing. It takes 30 minutes of brisk walking 5 days a week to reach the AHA and WHO’s recommended amount of physical activity, which is shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve sleep, and increase overall mental well-being.
When you’re walking, running or biking throughout the day, Google Fit will automatically detect these activities using your phone or watch sensors — like the accelerometer and GPS—to estimate the number of Heart Points you earn. If you’re into a different type of exercise, you can choose other activities like gardening, pilates, rowing or spinning, and Google Fit will calculate the Heart Points and Move Minutes achieved during your workout.
Google Fit also integrates with other fitness apps like Strava, Runkeeper, Endomondo and MyFitnessPal, so you get credit for every Move Minute and Heart Point you earn. You’ll get tips and help to adjust your goals over time based on your activity. Your journal will show your activities, achievements and goal progress across all of your apps.
If you already use Google Fit on Android phone or Wear OS by Google watch, you’ll see these changes on your phone or smartwatch beginning this week.
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