Video game exercise is both fun and easy - and may help you to get back in shape faster than joining a gym. Read more about video game fitness programs, and share stories of your own experiences with different video game exercise products.
In the first big exergaming news out of GDC 2009, Performance Designed Products ( PDP ) just released footage of their new gaming peripheral - Gametrak Freedom. It will first launch for Xbox 360 this fall then PS3 sometime after. I remember trying out Gametrak RealWorld Golf and thought it was fun but I really wanted to try Dark Wind. According to this source : In 2008, In2Games, along with Squeeballs and the Gametrak and Gametrak Freedom technologies, was acquired by US peripherals group... Read Full Story
Effective Fitness Motivation Everyone knows exercising leads to increased fitness and fitness leads to enjoying a more active life. That is why there are gyms, fitness centers and home gym equipment. The biggest problem in reaching that elusive next level in life is maintaining motivation. How many people have bought home gym equipment, only to leave it unused after a few weeks? How many people have bought gym membership at the start of the year and give up going by then end of May? Too many... Read Full Story
Video games are the cause, but where is the exergaming response? About a year ago I wrote about £235 million of taxpayers money that looked like it had very little to offer the modern day society. The misconception that led to this mistake was down to the fact the government doesn't know it's Xbox from it's Wii . Now the government is spending on an awareness campaign that uses video games as an example of how not to be healthy. The commercial does not give the obvious alternative of... Read Full Story
When Good Exergaming goes Bad. Last week I visited AAHPERD and spoke to a great many delegates, presenters, academics and exhibitors about the state of the exergaming industry in physical education. This particular post deals with just the bad news from the conference. I went to two poster sessions from students who tested exergaming (in the form of Nintendo Wii) against non-virtual sports. The results were as I expected, exergaming was no substitute for real sports in terms of physical... Read Full Story
When the weather outside is too hot, exergaming keeps children active! I have been lucky enough to visit the University of South Florida this week, which is oddly located in the north of the state - in Tampa. I used to spend an awful lot of time in FL and often flew into Tampa, but quickly waving goodbye from the Sunshine Skyway as I headed towards my little place in Charotte County. Having spent a few wonderful days in Tampa, I can see why it is a better choice of location than on reclaimed... Read Full Story
It may not be Nike+ and an iPod, but it's free! To celebrate the fifth annual Games for Health conference in Boston, MA a pedometer with built in FM radio will be bundled free with every Gamercize purchase in June! The key message for this offer is to support active lifestyles, a commitment Gamercize has made in partnership with the government awareness campaign Change4Life. Using Gamercize's patented exergaming fitness machines with video games consoles such as Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360... Read Full Story
The games that work best will be the ones that are the most fun! Stephen Yang as contacted by Kim Painter , Senior Health Columnist for USA Today, for comments on how effective exergames are for cardiovascular benefits and overall health. He had a great discussion and here is the article that was just posted online today . But games that are more demanding, more interactive or both are on the way or already available, says Stephen Yang, assistant professor of physical education at the State... Read Full Story
Gamercize tested, proved and delivering when kids need to keep active! Kids with equal opportunity for physical exercise or video games choose sedentary gaming, despite wanting to be more active. Results of a study show that 90% of fifty 11 and 12 year olds like the approach of combining these activities with Gamercize. The study, carried out by with twenty-two 11 year olds (8 boys and 14 girls) and twenty-eight 12 year olds (17 boys and 11 girls) investigated the relationship between... Read Full Story
Revealing Results from Facebook There are many confusing options in the world of active gaming, or "exergaming" as it's being referred to. Most people tend to think of Wii Fit, but what if you've already tried this and it's not got you moving and given you no more exercise than reaching for your copy of Mario Kart? There are exergames for everyone, so if you've tried something that's not worked for you or you're looking to use technology for fitness then do not despair and don't make a... Read Full Story
How to Keep Exergaming Interesting Among the exergaming fraternity there is a common problem; How can we keep exergaming fun and interesting for long enough for the activity to be effective? It's a problem for exergaming in general, but not for Gamercize. I'm still unsure of what the answer is for other exergaming equipment. May be there is no answer for them? I really don't think a game controlled by exercise will ever be as appealing as the latest console titles. I think the lack of... Read Full Story
