Games that get kids up and moving are being discussed at the 2008 McGill Health Challenge Think Tank in Montreal this week.
As reported by the Montreal Gazette, conference organizer Laurette Dubé said:
When we talk about obesity, we often talk about the fast-food industry. But that's only one side of the equation - the energy-in side. We also have to look at the energy-out side, and that's why it's very important to look at ways in which we can reduce kids' inactive time and increase their share of time that gets them moving.
West Virginia University professor Linda Carson admitted that not everyone is comfortable with the exergaming concept:
There are some folks who feel that by promoting physical activity through the use of video games, children are being socially isolated or not be encouraged to go outside and play. There are some opponents who say that it takes away from traditional physical-education exercise.
[But] I think exergaming needs to be recognized as an exciting alternative to traditional physical education. There is a lot of value to children having physical activity options in their home and even at school.
Via: Edge Online
Comments
Re: Exergaming Promoted at International Health Conference
This health conference is going to be very effective in medicine.
Medical papers
Re: Exergaming Promoted at International Health Conference
My arm muscles get a good workout playing Gears Of War 2, damn you get some good controller vibration when sawing people in half
Re: Exergaming Promoted at International Health Conference
As long as exercise based games are only considered to be "inspirational". Calling Wii Fit a workout is just as confusing to me as people who thing a walk around the block is a workout...
Re: Exergaming Promoted at International Health Conference
Now if only we had PC peripherals for this, I don't play console games much but would love to see exercise-games on the PC.
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Re: Exergaming Promoted at International Health Conference
They do rinkuhero. You can get a USB dance pad or a converter to use a PS2 or Xbox dance pad on your PC. There is a free DDR-like game for the PC called Stepmania. I've got a PS2 Red Ignition pad that I use through a Smartjoy Plus converter. If you're gonig to get a converter check Stepmania's site first, they've got a list of PS2 adapters that work with dancepads. Not all do because of various reasons. Doing a jump is like hitting left and right at the same time on the D pad of a standard controller (which is impossible).