What's wrong with exergaming?
When I saw that PE Central was putting together a list of exergaming objections I thought it would be an interesting read, and it was. I've long maintained that simple miss-representation of exergaming as purely Wii Sports or Wii Fit has given rise to many of the objections.
Let's take a look at each of the common quibbles in turn, widen the population, figure out the origin and see if Gamercize measures up. Here's the list
1) Just go outside and play
This objection is around a general dislike of the idea of exergaming without a logical reason. It comes down to not specific exergames but a view that "back in my day". Well back in your day you had rickets and slavery, so let's move on....
Gamercize "Kids are playing sedentary games already, just use Gamercize to make them active games, your heart can't tell the difference between outdoors or indoors, if it could then people wouldn't get fit in a gym."
2) Why would we encourage more screen time?
Screen time is seen as bad - that's because there's no activity and screen time is shown to be linked with obesity. The key here is lack of understanding and knowledge about exergaming (in this case visit The Exergame Network!)
Gamercize "Make bad screen time into active screen time, you can do this with Gamercize playing video games or on the computer."
3) Traditional physical activity is better than technological physical activity!
This objection comes right out of Nintendo's back pocket. There has been so many studies that show Wii Sports or Wii Fit as little more exercise than a short walk to the cake shop. There's no denying the benefits of traditional physical activity, but if exergaming had comparable calorie burns then this objection wouldn't be anything like as strong.
Gamercize "Wii is not much exercise, and can always be cheated to be almost no effort at all. Not so with Gamercize, that is 4 times more exercise then the most strenuous of Wii activity and on a par with swimming or soccer!"
4) Active gaming breaks the piggy bank
This objection has a focus on schools and the mismatch in costs between traditional and exergaming. It's a fair point. However, comparing exergaming against, say, a gym membership - you're quids in to go electronic!
Gamercize "In most PE catalogs, Gamercize is the lowest cost option. Given the sustainability (and therefor utilization) is unrivalled, it's the cheapest option over time"
5) Active gaming takes up too much space
This objection comes from fixed based exergames need a whole room to be dedicated. These are the big commercial installations that'll take a day to install. Remember when "back in your day" computers needed a whole room? Now exergaming can be mobile, and that's good news to share it around facilities!
Gamercize "The Gamercize Mini-Pod is ideal for mobile applications, but bear in mind the space a Gamercize stepper takes up - about 1/3 of that required for a Wii Sports player, nice and neat!"
6) Durability and service is problematic
One big issue with exergaming is who fixes it? I'm no so sure where this objection comes from, but one issue could be using equipment that was designed for home use in a heavy use environment - a fabric dance mat for example lasts mere days in a school.
Gamercize "In six years we have had one failure of a Gamercize unit, and that was replaced even though it was a year outside warranty. Our exercise machines pass the required standard by a factor of 20, and yes, we test against standards for heavy use, including schools."
7) Children will get bored
Hello Nintendo, see you're back again. Yes, this is the old Wii in the cupboard objection. The novelty wears off and the fun runs out. There are alternatives to Wii Sports and Wii Fit!
Gamercize "Kids don't get bored of video games, and these exact same video games are what is behind every Gamercize. We use the games that keep you interested. What's more that gives better flexibility to engage many different people - you want to play Pac Man on the PC? You got it! Gears on the Xbox? We're playing too... there is no limit with Gamercize and it's all active!"
I think you can see from that list that not all exergames are created equal, and it looks to me that Gamercize has ticked most of the boxes! Now take a look at the original responses to these issues at http://pecactivegaming.blogspot.com/2010/09/critiquing-active-gaming.html. Huge thanks to PE Central and Lisa for bringing up the points.
2 comments:
"Well back in your day you had rickets and slavery, so let's move on...."
Seriously? I stopped reading right there. Very childish.
I think exergaming is a good alternative in this technological era for those who did not already have good workout ethics instilled in them. It is a tough thing to say to yourself, "i'm gonna go work out today" if you have never exercised before. I go workout in gyms and go on runs but I played football up until college where they made us workout and instilled in us the importance of and desire to do so on a regular basis. I have been trying to talk both of my parents into buying either a wii or an xbox that is kinect ready to utilize the workout options that they offer (or will offer in the case of the kinect). I think gamercizing is a great alternative to traditional exercise in this technological era.
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