SPROUT app to encourage physical fitness amongst people with intellectual disabilities.
Globally, six out of 10 people with intellectual disabilities (ID) suffer from obesity as they lack opportunities to engage in recreational activities or to stay active due to social isolation.
This sedentary lifestyle is exacerbated when they leave school.
As a result, they often face significant health challenges coupled with a shorter lifespan.
Special Olympics Asia Pacific has launched SPROUT, an inclusive fitness application that aims to empower individuals with ID to live a healthy lifestyle through the gamification of simple exercises.
SPROUT was developed in partnership with Microsoft, PALO IT Singapore, Empire Code and Alchemy & Lore.
It incorporates features such as animated exercise videos, exercise time progress bars, auditory cues, mandatory rest and lock-out periods as well as a user interface accessible to people with ID.
The app also encourages caregivers to be more involved in the physical fitness of their dependents and bond with them in new ways by joining in or monitoring their progress.
The app encourages users to exercise regularly by completing exercise routines that allow them to convert movements into four elements that nurture a seedling into a plant; water, wind, sun and food. Each growth element is unlocked when an exercise is successfully completed by the user. After each level, the app will be locked for 24 hours as a mandatory rest period to prevent excessive use.
SPROUT is currently available for download on the Google Play Store. [APBN]