Effects of geocaching on heart rates of elementary students

Abstract

The increasing popularity of geocaching has led to questions regarding its impact on physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine physical activity levels based on heart rate in elementary aged students when walking, (trial 1) and geocaching (trial 2). Subjects in grades 3 through 6, ages 8-12 were selected as a convenience sample. Subjects were taught to use a Polar heart rate monitor and Gamin eTrex Legend H Global positioning System (GPS). Heart rates were recorded continuously during each trial. Each trial was 40 minutes. The average heart rate for trial 1 was 150.56 + 6.05 bpm and 149.75 + 8.30 bpm for trial 2. Results show there were no significant differences between walking and geocaching. This study shows self paced walking and geocaching activities have similar exercise demands. There were slight differences between classes but they were not statistically significant.