Disney working on immersive fitness app to get kids active

Disney and Creative England have named Liverpool-based tech firm Citrus Suite as the winner of an £80,000 development fund to create an app that inspires families to lead healthier lifestyles.

Citrus saw off competition from two other challengers to seal the prize with its immersive fitness app prototype. The company will now work with Disney on an app that will promote positive behavioural changes and moderate physical activity targets (based on Public Health England guidelines) in a fun and engaging way.

“We saw this competition as a great opportunity to work with Disney, which has a long-standing global commitment to healthy living,” said Chris Morland, CEO of Citrus Suite.

“Partnering with Disney will give us the chance to let our creativity shine, while accessing the best movie brand IP.”

Child inactivity is a growing problem, with modern lifestyles centred around screens and technology meaning the majority of youngsters are inactive. Last week, research found that 91 per cent of all 2-4 year olds are not hitting recommended exercise levels, prompting ukactive chief Steven Ward to suggest that prevalent devices such as iPhones and tablets should be harnessed to create active lifestyles for children.

The creation of a new app to encourage active lifestyles marks the latest step in Disney’s ongoing efforts to support public health. The company has partnered the government’s Change4Life public health programme for the past two years, working on the ‘10 minute shake up’ campaign. The initiative aims to encourage children to do 10-minute bursts of moderate to vigorous activity, inspired by Disney characters, throughout the day, in order to meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity children need.