Active Gaming in Top UK Gym

Gamercize at Chamberlayne Open Day!

Active gaming was highlighted during the holiday weekend with the Gamercize Gym Pod being available for the public to use.


The gaming is provided by an Xbox 360 Elite running a multitude of games, such as soccer, skateboarding, racing and adventure games. These games are top sellers in the charts, FIFA '08 being the most popular, so have no problem getting the youngsters involved.

The exercise is supplied by mini steppers and cycles, in this case one GZ Power Stepper and one GZ Endurance Cycle. Their variable resistance gives everyone an opportunity to exercise at a rate comfortable to them, no matter what their age.

The GZ Pro-Sport, at the heart of the gym pod, makes sure the player keeps exercising while gaming. It keeps controllers connected while working out, and pauses the game if the player slacks off. This feature is an important factor in getting video games into a gym, and the players don't mind the effort because their mind is in the game and not on the exercise effort.

The open day was held by Chamberlayne Leisure Centre, one of two gyms in Southampton with Gamercize equipment. Their sister gym, St Mary's Sports Centre, has a Gamercize Gym Pod that is equipped with a PlayStation 3 for providing the entertainment. The open day was a celebration of the service and excellence of Chamberlayne, recently awarded 3rd best leisure centre out of all the UK and Ireland with the highest status of excellence. The Quest Award is highly prized by the staff and rewards a lot of hard work.

Back on the Gamercize Gym Pod, Luke (15) and Josh (13) are working hard too, playing video games and getting exercise. Luke normally prefers shoot'em'up games like Halo 3 but battles to a draw in FIFA '08 with sports fan Josh. A sudden death penalty shootout is needed to decide the winner! To the dismay of Josh, he misses the spot kick and gifts the win to Luke who is delighted to win this time!

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Free Fitness Training at Gamercize Gyms

Run for charity and qualify for the free offer

Southampton City Council's Leisure Centres support the Active Southampton drive in getting the people of Southampton more physically active. As part of this campaign, the Council's Leisure Centres are offering all registered participants in the Sport Relief Mile event in Southampton, an opportunity to prepare and train for the event in their fitness facilities with a free fitness suite induction and fitness suite session offer.

Sport Relief brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment, so what better way to get ready for the fundraising than taking up this offer and being able to experience the Gamercize Gym Pods that also bring together the worlds of sport and entertainment!

The Sport Relief Mile is at the heart of the fundraising activities which help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries. All you have to do is bring your Sport Relief registration forms to one of the Leisure Centres named below to book your free induction or attend your free fitness session.

• Gamercize Gym Pod with Xbox 360 Elite at Chamberlayne Leisure Centre, telephone 023 8043 7668


• Gamercize Gym Pod with PlayStation 3 at St Mary's Leisure Centre, telephone 023 8022 7579
  

Visit Active Southampton for more information.

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Government Spending £372m on Anti-Obesity Strategy

Active Southampton Shows the Way

Olympic and Commonwealth medallists Peter Waterfield and Iwan Thomas are joined by BBC's Roger Johnson to promote today's launch of the city's initiative to get Southampton active.

On the same day the government announces plans for "anti-obesity" spending of £372 million,including £30m to be spent in creating several healthy towns.

Southampton could already be a healthy town, with all the clubs, sport, indoor and outdoor opportunities to be active there should be no excuses. Yet Active Southampton chair, Jayne Ludden, announces "45% of Southampton adults lead a sedentary lifestyle".

The government, in its latest strategy, is planning to use £75m for just advertising and awareness. Getting the message across to be active is clearly going to be the biggest challenge for the Active Southampton partnership too.

To address this the partnership has appointed ambassadors and also plans to be a one-stop-shop on where and how to be active. At the launch today, Young Ambassadors said the aim is to "inspire and engage both young and old to be more active".

Having met many focused and dedicated individuals from the launch event, I would say that the initiative has every chance of succeeding. As Southampton is the home town of Gamercize - providing the technology for fitness and motivation to all, from office workers to school children - we will be getting involved to help out too.

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