Exergame Experts wish you "healthy holidays" with Video Games

The holiday season is always a health rollercoaster. We eat too much, watch too much TV and exercise too little and then make New Years resolutions that we can't keep. This year, make a change with Exergaming. The Exergame Network (TEN) reveals five ways of getting fit with video games, perfect for school kids to silver gamers with fun as the focus!


The good news for these holidays is you can over-indulge in fitness and fun by Exergaming. Exergaming is the combination of video games and exercise, ideal for a fun, social way to keep fit during the festive period. The Exergame Network brings you five Exergaming methods to suit everyone regardless of their age, ability or fitness level.

Most health and fitness resolutions revolve around dieting and joining a gym, but this doesn't work for everyone. So what about the rest of us, those that dislike gyms, dieting, boot camps or just find conventional fitness boring?

Exergaming succeeds because it makes exercise fun and involving. The exercise seems less difficult and second to the enjoyment of playing. Choosing the right style of Exergaming is vital in making it fun for you! The following CREWS list is a 'something for everyone' selection from five Exergaming catagories (for an interactive tour visit CREWS ):

1. Camera Exergaming – Your whole body becomes the controller as your movements are motion captured into the game (Eyetoy:Kinetic/Groove/Antigrav, Your Shape, Project Natal & Trazer 2)

2. Rhythm Exergaming – Become the musician or dancer and be guided by the music while the exergame records your dance steps or your musical timing. (Rock Band, Guitar Hero, We Cheer, DDR & iDANCE)

3. Exergaming Machines – Using real fitness equipment, the fun of the games takes your mind of the exercise. (Gamercize, Gamebike, Fitclub, GameCycle, BrainBike & Expresso Bikes)

4. Workout Exergaming – Follow your virtual personal trainer as they guide you through your workout giving feedback on your form and storing your progress. (EA Sports Active, The Biggest Loser, Your Shape and Wii Fit Plus)

5. Sensory Exergaming – These commercial exergames get you jumping and running for your score. (Lightspace Play, Makoto, BodyPad: Tekken 5, SmartUs & TWall)

TEN reminds you to think of 'CREWS' as an amazing way to engage, motivate and sustain exercise over your lifetime! To discover more about Exergaming, get practical advice and more information from TEN or connect with us on twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook . Now enjoy what some of the leaders on Exergaming have to say and how Exergaming can truly benefit everyone!



“Exergaming Machines are a time saving way to keep me fit. Last week I clocked up over 9 hours of genuine cardio, just by playing the latest Xbox release! It is important that everyone finds the Exergaming method that works for them, if you enjoy the activity there’s more chance of keeping at it and reaching the fitness benefits. Nothing kept in the back of the cupboard will improve health.” Richard Coshott, Gamercize Founder and CEO.

"People who normally don’t like to be physically active are willing to try Exergaming because it’s FUN. Parents tell me that this is the first time they’ve seen their kids sweat this much…and they don’t want to stop playing the exergames! Exergaming is the best intervention for the “couch potato”, and introduces physical activity that’s fun for the first time in their lives." Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH, CHFS, preventive care specialist, Beaver Medical Group; CEO & “Exergaming Evangelist”, MedPlay Technologies.

“In Physical Education, we strive to provide a safe and positive learning environment that supports the needs and abilities of our students. Exergaming, in its many forms, is available in schools (before and after-school), at home, and in the community and thus has the potential to impact students.” Stephen Yang, Ph.D-ABD, M.S., B.S., Co-Director ExerGame Lab, Assistant Professor, State University of New York College at Cortland.

“Exergaming offers an alternative method of increasing heart-rate and building muscle bulk for those with disabilities. Real-world boxing, for example, offers an excellent aerobic workout for many able-bodied individuals, however is impossible for many with disabilities. Video-game based boxing, however, allows for simulated boxing with an avatar that is safe and achievable, while simultaneously being aerobically challenging. " Sheryl Flynn PT, PhD, Co-Founder Games4Rehab.com.

For more information - see the non-ploitical, non-commerical wiki site for T.E.N.

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Position Vacant - Exergame Evangelist

So you want to be an Exergamer?

Many people claim to be in the position of professing the future of enjoyable exercise through video games, but it takes a certain metal to make the grade. If you think you have what it takes, read on...

You know there's more than one exergame on the planet (Yes, bore me with your "I read some bog posts" knowledge of Wii Fit somewhere else), you don't spam listserves or LinkedIn groups with mindless links or piggybacks no one cares to read or reply to? Well, maybe you can join ... the Exergaming Evangelists! Here's the job:

WANTED - EXERGAME EVANGELIST

Follow in the footsteps of the Chief Exergame Evangelist and promote a form of physical activity that is the 21st century answer to inactivity and obesity.

Experience Required : You need to have delivered exergaming first hand to lots and lots (and lots) of people, and seen the realization in their eyes that fitness means fun, not pain.

Debating skills : You must be able to appreciate the viewpoints but firmly be able to counter the following arguments (using your own experience, research findings or yourself and others and first hand comments from users you have intorduced to exergaming):

1. Exergaming is not as much exercise as sport
2. Exergaming is not good enough to be MPVA
3. Exergaming is a fad and won't be used long enough
4. Exergaming is not social
5. Exergaming promotes those bad video games
6. Exergaming is too heavily branded - doesn't fit in with unbranded PE
7. Exergaming is keeping kids indoors when they should be outside
8. Exergaming is too hard to integrate in PE
9. Exergaming is unreliable and breaks down
10. Exergaming costs too much to buy and support
11. Exergaming doesn't include monitoring
12. Exergaming is a commercial solution that cannot be recommended by by non-profit/government
13. Exergaming research is commercially based and unreliable
14. Exergaming provides incorrect medical analysis
15. Exergaming is just for kids
16. Exergaming hasn't been proven to work for gateway effect / weight loss
17. Exergaming takes participants away from traditional sport
18. Wii Fit is endorsed by the NHS Change4Life Campaign

Background : You must have come from either the Fitness Industry, the Gaming Industry or the Parentally encumbered (tick as many as applies!!)

Remuneration: Nothing in cash terms. You must love people and exergaming enough to give up your free time and energy to help others with this new way of activity.

Well, I hope the last point hasn't put you off applying, if you can't see the benefits of exergaming past the dollar signs then you're better off in the carbon trading derivatives markets!!

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