|
Orlando, Fla. (February 1, 2005) --- Obesity
is a leading problem for American youngsters, most experts agree,
and GeoFitness Inc., a UCF Technology Incubator client, has one
of the hottest solutions on the market today.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, obesity
increased dramatically among U.S. adults from 1987 to 2000 and
recently reached epidemic proportions. Nearly 59 million adults
are obese, and the percentage of young people who are overweight
has more than doubled in the last 20 years.
GeoFitness, Inc. has developed a unique solution that's found
markets in 24 states and is growing nationwide.
Dr. Debby Mitchell, president and chief operating officer at
GeoFitness, Inc. and associate professor of physical education
and coordinator of sports and fitness programs at UCF, said the
growing popularity of her company's principal product, the GeoMat,
stems from increasing concerns over obesity as a national health
problem.
GeoMat was designed to provide a thorough cardiovascular workout
in a new concept called GeoMotion, Dr. Mitchell said. Additional
uses have been developed over the past two years. The product - a
workout mat that resembles a tic-tac-toe board or phone pad - simplifies
footwork, appeals to children as well as adults and helps encourage
regular healthy exercise.
Made from a soft, durable material that reduces stress on the
joints, GeoMats come in a small 45-inch by 45-inch size for children
and a larger 60-inch by 60-inch size for adults and retail individually
for $50 and $60. Each GeoMat package comes with a manual or task
cards, video, and an audio CD that demonstrate basic GeoMat exercises
(retail $105 and $115).
GeoFitness has also produced several videos to instruct and
encourage physical activity, Dr. Mitchell said, including fundamentals,
aerobic, and a children's video. The company is currently producing
a second children's video and another that teaches partner routines.
Other GeoMotion benefits include improved locomotor moves that
help coordination; number recognition; number sequencing; solving
basic math problems; using shapes and directions; balance and
muscle strength; ball handling activities; dance such as the
cha-cha, hip hop, Latin steps; kick-boxing; and workouts for
speed and agility.
The idea for GeoMat sprang from Dr. Mitchell's experience teaching
future physical education teachers, she said. "I
was working with future physical education teachers to develop
ways to teach students how to dance as an exercise routine," Dr.
Mitchell said. "We spent an inefficient amount of time learning
where to put their feet," she explained. "I wanted a mat that
would make that part of the learning curve more efficient," she
said. "I wanted to simplify instruction so that everyone
could be successful."
Orlando area schools were among the first to adopt GeoMotion,
Dr. Mitchell said. As word of their popularity spread, schools
in 24 states have now placed orders and Dr. Mitchell is a regular
speaker at physical education and fitness conferences around
the nation. Gopher, SporTime and U.S.
Games, three of the nation's most popular equipment catalogues,
also offer GeoMats.
* * *
Since its founding in 1999, the UCF Technology Incubator has
helped more than 80 emerging technology companies create over
$150 million in revenue and more than 450 new jobs with an average
salary of $59,000. As a result of this success, the UCF
Technology Incubator was recently named the 2004 Technology Incubator
of the Year by the National Business Incubation Association. Headquartered
in Research Park near the University, the Incubator is a true
collaboration in economic development between UCF, Orange County,
the City of Orlando the Florida High Tech Corridor Council and
the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission. For
more information, please visit http://www.incubator.ucf.edu
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Debby Mitchell, President or Leslee Scheuer, VP/Operations,
GeoFitness, Inc. 407.657.5917, www.geofitness.com
Tom O'Neal or Carol Ann Dykes, UCF Technology Incubator, 407.882.0202
Larry Vershel or Beth Payan, LV Communications Inc. 407.644.4142
|
