Active Gaming to Compliment Fitness Testing?

For years we have been trying to find a more desirable way to test fitness levels in children. When I was teaching in elementary school I can still remember the sighs' coming from the students when it was time to "run the mile". There is really not much teachers can do about this...cardiovascular efficiency must be tested, right? Finally, there is a study that has been conducted that has set the stage for further research and exploration of how teachers may finally have a way to make testing more fun and motivating. You can find the entire blog on the Exergame Fitness website here.

The objective of the study is as follows:

"Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a correlation existed between the scores of the Jackie Chan Action Run active video game, the one-mile run/walk and Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) aerobic fitness tests of the FITNESSGRAM® in order to provide a potential alternative testing method for days that are not environmentally desirable for outdoor testing."

I think this study has many implications for physical education teachers. Not only may this active game be an appropriate method of testing students in the future; but, it may also serve as a great way to help students prepare for testing and improve fitness levels in and out of school. The Jackie Chan Action Run video game is feasible in cost and could serve as a great Christmas or birthday present and most teachers would have the funding to include this game in their curriculum!

National Public Health Week

I read a great blog today about National Public Health week (April 2-8). The article mentions active gaming/exergaming in what I believe is a positive and accurate manner. Here is part of the blog that discusses exergaming:

"Furthermore, the recent surge in "exergaming," a term used to describe video games that also serve as a type of exercise, is providing an innovative approach to promoting physical activity. Video games for interactive boxing and dancing get people up and moving, sometimes burning energy at levels comparable to moderate forms of exercise. Some schools have set up exergaming stations, and these interactive exercise sessions have been very popular among students, especially encouraging less athletic, often obese or overweight students to become more active. While these approaches do not solve the problem of physical inactivity for all Americans, they provide creative alternatives to traditional fitness activities and offer an exciting way to reduce sedentary time as well as promote physical activity."

You can read the entire blog here. It is wonderful that exergaming continues to grow in popularity and the physical activity benefits provided by participating in some of these activities are becoming more apparent.