Fitbit and AHA get people moving and make a difference

This post was originally published on the Fitbit press site. It has been adapted from its original format.

Fitbit, the leader in the fast-growing Connected Health and Fitness category, today unveils a new red Fitbit Flex activity and sleep tracking wristband in support of the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Go Red For Women movement. Throughout the month of May 2014, Fitbit will donate $10 for every red Flex tracker and $2 for every red Flex band sale to the AHA to help raise awareness and support building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

“This is not only an exciting opportunity to kick off our relationship with Fitbit, but also to underscore the importance of physical activity in beating this largely preventable disease.”

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in America, causing one in three women’s deaths each year – more than all forms of cancer combined. The AHA recommends taking 10,000 steps a day as a guideline to follow for improving health and decreasing risk of heart disease. Research has shown that walking as little as 30 minutes a day can help reduce risks of many health concerns, including risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, osteoporosis, breast and colon cancer and non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes.

“When heart disease threatened to take me from my children, it didn't count on me fighting back like this mom can,” said Liz Tatham, heart disease survivor and Go Red For Women national volunteer. “I have to take care of myself and make time for physical activity in my daily routine. After all, moms are a big deal…just ask my kids!”

A heartfelt gift for moms who step up every day, in every way – consumers can now pre-order the new red Fitbit Flex. All pre-orders come with a Mother’s Day card to let mom know her special gift will be coming soon.

“The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement is grateful to Fitbit for supporting us in our fight against heart disease in women,” said Bernie Dennis, Chairman, American Heart Association National Board of Directors. “This is not only an exciting opportunity to kick off our relationship with Fitbit, but also to underscore the importance of physical activity in beating this largely preventable disease.”

Fitbit designs products and experiences that help people become more active, tracking everyday health and fitness, and providing the tools, information and motivation to reach daily and long-term goals. In fact, Fitbit users take 43 percent more steps with Fitbit products. As the latest in Fitbit’s stylish line-up of devices and accessories, the new red Flex helps keep you moving for a good cause as a portion of each red Flex sale will go to the fight against heart disease.

Fitbit Flex is a stylish activity and sleep-tracking wristband that offers a slim, minimalistic design for people who are goal-oriented and want more flexibility in accessorizing. Fitbit Flex features and benefits include:

• Tracks all the most important stats, including steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, active minutes and sleep
• Stylish design helps make fitness part of everyday lifestyle; plus it’s water resistant – wear it 24/7 in the shower and during the sweatiest of workouts
• Nine interchangeable accessory bands to choose from: Black, Lime, Navy, Pink, Red (new), Slate, Tangerine, Teal and Violet
• Syncs wirelessly via Bluetooth 4.0 to 44 leading iOS and Android devices, so progress is always up to date without having to plug in, making it easy-to-use
• Stay motivated with Fitbit’s mobile and online tools with features like notifications, badges and leaderboards; cheer, taunt and direct message friends throughout the day to reach goals faster with a little friendly competition (users with one or more friends are 27 percent more active)

The new Red Flex ($99.95) is exclusively available at Fitbit.com and Verizon. It is a complete Fitbit Flex wristband product that includes a tracker, a red band, a charger and a wireless sync dongle. For those who already have a Flex, you can also show your support and buy just the red band for $14.95 on Fitbit.com, of which $2 will be contributed to AHA’s Go Red For Women (with a minimum and maximum of $50,000).