Exergaming Is Quite Interesting

My, professor Mr Yang, is big into the study of exergaming. Exergaming is video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle. Exergames are seen as evolving from technology changes aimed at making videogames more fun. This type of gaming incorporates physical activity for all ages and involves movements of all different types of limbs. Exergamer games are such as Dance Dance Revolution and the Wii. DDR is a game that involves you to step on a mat that has arrows. You step on the arrows as the arrows move up to the top of the screen. This game can get very intense when you play on a higher speed; you are non-stop moving around the mat to hit all the arrows. Children and adults love this game.  I never imagined riding along rugged terrain, swerving around curves, racing an adversary, all from a stationary bike.  This is as all because of virtual devices. These types of equipment are becoming popular fast. They have a bike called the “brain bike.” This bike incorporates the physical activity of pedaling while playing games on a screen. The games improve body and brain functions. They are designed to improve memory, concentration, and cognitive function. These types of equipment can range from reasonably affordable to almost unrealistically expensive.

Image taken from Here

There was an interesting article written that can be found here about exergaming. It talks about exergames and how they can help children who are obese become fit without being around other people or needing other friends to play a sport for physical activity. Exergames should not replace sports, but it is a great alternative for when mother nature does not permit us to be outside. Also instead of the video gamers sitting for hours in front a the game console in one spot, exergaming gets them up and moving and burning calories. I play Wii bowling a lot on my Wii and now know it shows an increase in energy expenditure above rest of 2.3 times. I think this is amazing. The term "exergaming" has recently been added to popular dictionaries in 2007. As technology advances, the exergaming games are getting more and more intense. It went from dance dance revolution to now seeing yourself on the screen and actually watching yourself do the movement. These games help athletes as well to assist them with their fundamentals and form. Yes, hitting a baseball that is thrown at you is harder than swinging at a ball on a video game, but with the web cam effect, you can see if your elbows are back and see where and what you need to adjust in real life. I am very interested in exergaming now since professor Yang brought us into our exergaming lab this morning. I never knew my school had this and I am amazed and excited to try out all the equipment. I hope to bring some exergaming ideas to my future school that  I hope to teach at. I want to incorporate the technique of becoming physically active into my schools curriculum.