With two-week competition for the most steps,
Fitbit advances Surgeon General’s Call to Action for Americans to
increase activity toward a healthier lifestyle
Leading athletes, fitness professionals and
Fitbit Ambassadors committed to join Challenge
Fitbit (NYSE:FIT), the global leader in the connected health and
fitness market, today announced the launch of the Step It Up!
Challenge with special guest U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy – a
two-week step challenge that encourages people of all ages,
abilities and physical fitness levels to take steps toward a
healthier lifestyle. The Challenge is designed to get communities
across America moving more, using the power of friendly competition
as motivation. People can sign up starting October 5, 2016 at
www.StepItUpUSA.org using their Fitbit tracker or the Fitbit app to
have their steps automatically count toward the challenge, or can
sign in with a Google or Facebook account and manually input their
steps or distance travelled throughout the challenge. Participants
can compete in teams with friends, family, or co-workers, as well
as with some of the country’s leading athletes, fitness
professionals and Fitbit Ambassadors. The challenge will run from
October 13-26.
By issuing the Step It Up! Challenge, Fitbit is taking action to
encourage physical activity, which has been linked to helping
combat high rates of chronic conditions, such as obesity, diabetes
and cancer.1 According to the World Health Organization, more than
one in three adults worldwide is overweight2, and cardiovascular
disease is the leading global cause of death3. Robust scientific
evidence shows that physical activity is critical for both
preventing and treating many of the chronic conditions we face
today, and walking is one simple, yet impactful way people can
improve their fitness level.4,5
“We know that an average of 22 minutes a day of physical
activity – such as brisk walking – can significantly reduce the
risk of heart disease and diabetes,” said Dr. Murthy. “The key is
to get started because even a small first effort can make a big
difference in improving the personal health of an individual and
the public health of the nation. The Step It Up! Challenge is a
great way to kick start this effort, increase activity and motivate
friends and family to do the same with friendly competition.”
As the pioneer and leader of the connected health and fitness
category, Fitbit combines the power of technology with
insights to help people see how small changes can add up to big
results, motivating millions of users to achieve their health and
fitness goals, both individually and within the community of Fitbit
users. The Step It Up! Challenge taps into the power of the Fitbit
brand and its millions of users to create a movement and inspire
people across the country to take a more proactive role in their
health.
“At Fitbit, we’ve seen firsthand how friendly competition can
help motivate people to reach their fitness goals,” said Woody
Scal, Chief Business Officer at Fitbit. “We share Surgeon General
Murthy’s mission to get America moving and, with the Step It Up!
Challenge, aim to fuel his Call to Action by helping people take
small steps to combat inactivity linked with the rise of chronic
diseases and to live a healthy, active lifestyle.”
In 2015, Surgeon General Murthy introduced his Call to Action to
Promote Walking and Walkable Communities to make walking and
walkable communities a priority and create a culture that
encourages physical activity for all ages and abilities. Surgeon
General Murthy stressed that walking is a small step that can make
a big impact in preventing against chronic disease. By creating
additional awareness and inspiring people to increase their
activity, the Step It Up! Challenge creates a fun and easy way to
get moving and track your progress while showing that small steps
can have a big impact.
Some of the country’s leading athletes, fitness professionals
and Fitbit Ambassadors have already committed to joining the
Challenge, including dancer, actress and singer Julianne Hough,
ultra-marathon legend Dean Karnazes, former pro volleyball player
and XPT co-creator Gabby Reece, celebrity trainer and nutritionist
Harley Pasternak, former professional road cyclist Jens Voigt, and
premier distance runners husband and wife duo Sara and Ryan Hall.
Upon signing up, participants can search for the names of these
individuals to join their teams and track their progress along the
way. Even if participants don’t sign up for an individual team,
they can still follow along with their favorite teams throughout
the Challenge.
Anyone in the U.S. with a Fitbit tracker or Fitbit’s free app
can go to www.StepItUpUSA.org to sign-up and opt-in to the two-week
Challenge and their stats will automatically be logged. Those who
do not have a Fitbit device can sign up with their Google or
Facebook account and manually enter their stats. The challenge will
include both steps and distance, allowing those in wheelchairs to
participate in the challenge. Once signed up, individuals can
participate on their own and see how their steps stack up against
the Surgeon General’s, or join or create a team of their own and
compete against friends and family.
For more information about the Step It Up! Challenge, visit
www.StepItUpUSA.org.
About Fitbit, Inc. (NYSE:FIT)
Fitbit helps people lead healthier, more active lives by
empowering them with data, inspiration and guidance to reach their
goals. As the leader in the connected health and fitness
category, Fitbit designs products and experiences that
track everyday health and fitness. Fitbit’s diverse line of
award-winning products
includes Fitbit Surge®, Fitbit Blaze™, Fitbit
Charge 2™, Fitbit Charge HR™, Alta™, Fitbit
Charge™, Fitbit Flex 2™, Fitbit Flex®, Fitbit One® and
Fitbit Zip® activity trackers, as well as
the Aria® Wi-Fi Smart Scale. Fitbit products
are carried in 54,000 retail stores and in 64 countries around the
globe. Fitbit Group Health uses the power of
the Fitbit activity trackers, software, and services to
deliver innovative solutions for corporate wellness, weight
management, insurance and clinical research.
Fitbit and the Fitbit logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the US and other countries.
Additional Fitbit trademarks can be found at
www.fitbit.com/legal/trademark-list. Third-party trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
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1 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of
Health and Human Services; 2008.
2 Obesity and Overweight Factsheet. WHO. Accessed via:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs311/en/ on 20 June
2016. Last updated January 2015.
3 Cardiovascular Disease Factsheet. WHO. Accessed via:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs317/en/ on 20 June
2016. Last updated June 2016.
4 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2008 Physical
Activity Guidelines for Americans. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of
Health and Human Services; 2008.
5 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. Physical
Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008. Washington,
DC: U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2008.
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Fitbit, Inc.Jen Ralls, 415-941-0037PR@fitbit.com
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