April 30, 2007
"There were all these kids dancing and sweating and actually standing in line and paying money to be physically active."
When gym class becomes a disco video game, our kids won't have to be fat anymore.
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12 comments:
"In a study last year, researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that children playing Dance Dance Revolution expended significantly more energy than children watching television and playing traditional video games."
How could that be? Expending more energy than watching TV? I don't believe it.
They were dancin' and singin' and movin' to the groovin'
And just when it hit me somebody turned around and shouted
play that video game for gym class
play that video game fast
play that video game for gym class
Put in a quarter and play that video game while it lasts
Good for them. Anything that works in this area is fantastic. One of the more depressing things I see walking through the mall is scantily clad teenage girls who, physically, already look like middle aged women.
Like rsb, I'm a little discouraged to learn that anybody working at the Mayo clinic had to do "research" to figure out that this sort of thing burns more energy than watching TV, though it's possible that finding surprised a journalist.
Well, that's sad and great all at the same time.
We have a dance pad and the kids do DDR with their computer. It's good exercise. And they like it.
And it's competitive. Very.
I wonder if that has something to do with it too. It's hard and there's a lot of admiration for those who can do it really well on the hardest settings.
And it's not kids, it's high school senior boys... or older... that are practically inhuman at this game.
The younger kids aren't going to decide it's "lame".
I'm a late-40s woman who can always use more exercise. I don't have the bucks to join the gym, by mid-May temperatures outside are in the high 90s with corresponding humidity so I don't do as much outside during the summer. What's a girl to do?
Install a wii. I now spend at least 30 minutes a day jumping and hopping and swinging and sweating with my wireless friend. It's particularly wonderful after spending hours at the computer. The only drawback is that it scares my dog.
Beth: Why not just dance? Unless you're into video games, this is nothing more than "Sweating to the Oldies."
Ann,
DDR forces you to keep up the effort and going on to new motions. It's like having an aerobics instructor leading you instead of just doing things on your own accord.
"and go on"
Me fail English.
Good question, Ann. I do like video games, so that's part of it. It just clicked. I bought the machine to have fun, then noticed how physically demanding some of the games can be. After that, I looked for games that demand movement. Some of them are pretty much dancing, but to bad Japanese video music.
I tried this with my kids, and I STUNK at it! It requires a lot of stamina and quick reflexes. And I've seen the high school kids go at it competing at DDR...even the (less inhibited) guys. It's a great pasttime for them. DDR and Wii are such good alternative workouts. Still, all kids' activity/sweat should not exclude old-fashioned fresh air, grass, mud, wind, and bright, warm sun. That would be missing half of the fun of being young!
Oh, yeah...and don't forget Guitar Hero!
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