Video Games and Exercise
Submitted by A Sizable Apple
Gaming to replace exercise?
Trying to fight against claims that they might be to fault for child obesity, video game systems are wasting no time trying to alter games to encourage kids to get moving.
Systems like Nintendo’s Wii and the game Dance Dance Revolution have transformed the old way of gaming into virtual activity. Cranky Fitness posted a great article with a link to a Science Daily article on the replacement of activity based gaming as exercise for children.
The recent change in gaming to an interactive, athletically inspired gaming have temporarily given gaming companies like Playstation and Nintendo a break from the dog house. Their response to child obesity and new habits of idle behavior is nice to see. However, as the Science Daily article concludes, these games should not be thought of as a replacement for exercise.
In a time where obesity trends are threatening the health and well being our society, modifications for healthy living should not substitute traditional habits of healthy eating and physical exercise. Games including activity do not practice full ranges of motion. Also, most games do not meet cardio fitness characteristics. More so, these games continue to hinder social interaction with others, and promote a lifestyle of staying indoors.
The idea that gaming may replace activity is ultimately another sign of the changes in our society. One aspect of society that stays uniform however, is a child’s admiration of older children, adults and role models. Encourage your children, siblings or younger friends to engage in an active lifestyle by demonstration. Video games should remain seen as toys, not alternatives for social skills or healthy behavior.
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August 7th, 2008 at 11:19 am
your acting as if its some small thing that merely makes videogames a tiny bit better and your also acting as if its changing all of videogames. these ideas are both wrong.
most videogames remain the same such as every single one on the xbox and playstation 3. and most wii games do not take full advantage of the motion sensitivity and the benifits of having to shake your controller every so often are unnoticable.
sure dance dance revolution does not exercise the full range of motion, but in a world where people can spend 18-22 hours a day in their room playing world of warcraft and sleeping, (ive seen this myself) ddr is a lot better than nothing. ddr has lost me a lot of weight and it has encouraged social interecation going to arcades, using multiplayer mode, showing off to friends, and competing with friends.
I in fact do not consider dance dance revolution a videogame at all. it is a form of exercise, and if all the people in the united states had at least one form of exercise maybe we wouldnt be so overweight. ddr can save our country and you have not given it enough credit.
-Jamin Fine 15 years old
January 16th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
While DDR is certainly not a replacement for going outside, if you have a child who enjoys playing video games, DDR is a great option so that your child can excersize and still view it as playing Video Games. I recently got it on a PlayStation 2 for my 15 year old, who has never been interested in Video Games before, and it has been a big hit with her, her younger sister, and her friends.
February 18th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
As the founder of the Purdue University DDR club, I’m a little miffed that you pass off this fantastic game as a mere ‘child’s toy’. The Purdue DDR club has dozens of active members, most of whom are in fantastic shape, who meet every week to interact together. Implying that DDR does not encourage social interaction is an enormous fallacy, one that reeks of the common stereotype that people who play video games are social inept basement dwellers. Also, sure you won’t get fit playing DDR once or twice per week, but an hour or two a day, five times a week on heavy mode? It’s like sprinting in place. The cardiovascular benefits have been proven, not to mention the fact that it improves balance and reaction time.
You might also be interested in knowing that the median age for people who play video games is 33. Video games are not just toys for children, just like any entertainment medium is not restricted to just one age group. Sure, there are games for children, but there are also games for adults.
Remember when parents actually raised their children instead of letting others do it for them? Any parent who buys this game as a replacement for actively encouraging their children to get outside and exercise should have their parenting license revoked. That said, there’s nothing wrong with the game itself.
February 22nd, 2009 at 12:06 pm
well i think it’s really a good idea that video games help your health become better and be in good shape..
March 14th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I started playing DDR last month, and after playing it for 30 minutes a day, i lost several much hated pounds. Also when i got back into soccer i could tell that i was more fit than most of the other girls. It did help me get back in shape during the cold months that no one wants to go outside in. Yes, i know that its not a replacement for going outside, but I’ve had lots of fun playing, and I’m glad i spent the money on the home version