Exergaming for the Lazy Kids

Nowadays, almost every child is not active and this is taking a toll on their health. As a proof, many children are obese or overweight. Researchers suggest exergaming for the kids as it is enjoyable and helps them to become physically active, as well.

What is Exergaming?

Simply put, it is a way to play those old games in a new and fun way. A sample of exergaming is dance dance revolution, which become popular back in the late 90’s. Researchers say that it could help inactive children to have a active lifestyle.

The Study

Dr. Louise Naylor and her colleagues from Australian universities studied the lives of 15 children with age ranging from 9 to 11 years. Each one of them participated in 15 minutes of high intensity exergaming (Kinect Sports — 200m Hurdles), low intensity exergaming (Kinect Sports — Ten Pin Bowling), and a classified exercise test (treadmill). The researchers assessed the energy that the participants used in the test. They also computed the vascular reply in every activity by means of flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which is a validated way of measuring vascular function and health among children.

After the study, researchers discovered that high intensity exergaming has the same energy used in moderate intensity exercise; low intensity exergaming resulted in an energy expenditure equivalent to low intensity exercise. Furthermore, despite the fact that the low intensity exergaming don’t bother FMD, high intensity exergaming shows a decrease in FMD, which suggest that the latter is best for children in improving their health. High intensity exergaming also helps to raise the heart rate, as well as, the amount of energy burned. As an added benefit, the children have a great time with exergaming. This means great for the children as they are likely to continue their program after the study.

Dr. Naylor says higher intensity exergaming helps inactive children rip the benefits of long-term and sustained health. The finding is also a clear proof that high intensity activity is beneficial for children’s health, and high intensity exergaming should be recommended among inactive children.