A Prescription For Gaming
Image by Ben Requena
Gaming
12.16.2008
Many would say yes. I recently read an article that tracked four readers’ weight loss through gaming applications like Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution and others of far less notoriety. They were losing 50 pounds or more using these consoles. Their weight loss success rivals that of stories found in traditional health magazines. However, the use of the consoles for these weight loss winners may be atypical. Research has proven that many of the activities burn less than 100 calories compared to the calorie-burning benefits of their outdoor counterparts.
I began to research the topic and found an article about an initiative by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation who awarded grants through its Health Games Research (HGR) to a variety of research universities. They focus on helping others achieve the success found by the four weight loss winners above. The crux is finding a way to make the information and knowledge as fun as the games that have already become a hit.
Some concepts include using the PlayStation system to download free health and fitness information, using mobile-phone games for teenagers as a healthy learning tool, helping senior citizens with their vision using driving games, using the Wii Fit to improve stroke patients’ motor skills and creating virtual words for alcoholics to test prevention and avoid relapse.
We know Americans love video games and we also know Americans are overweight. The health benefits of using gaming consoles have clearly worked for some. However, it’s hard to tell if doctors will now recommend using a Wii Fit instead of joining a gym. Or, if physical therapy tools and classrooms across America will face a (Dance Dance) Revolution. Despite the skepticism, you can’t ignore the craze and the trends. When Americans stopped doing hard labor, we created gyms. Now, as Americans stop going outside and become more dependent on technology, tools for healthy living morph again to fit our lifestyle.
For the average gym-goer, the electronic workout experience doesn’t fit every need. As with other technological innovations that take the place of traditional exercise, the Wii Fit and other video game-based exercise tools rob the user of peripheral benefits. The social elements of gyms, parks, and health clubs, as well as the freedom of variety are what typically provide the motivation to stick with an exercise plan. So we should all stay tuned to the continued innovation within this field. When the novelty of a video game workout regime wears off, will “Male Trainer” keep users from hitting the couch?
