Children Tell Researchers: We'll Get Fit if it's Fun

An independent study at the University of Cumbria found that nine in every ten youngsters want to play video games at the same time as exercising. The games reduce the boredom of exercise.

Fifty children aged 11 and 12 were asked to use exercise equipment combined with video games provided by a company called Gamercize.The children could play their games only while they maintained movement on the fitness machines. If they stopped exercising, the games paused. Researcher Jack Tyson said:

"The results of this study show that 90% of children like combining video games with exercise."Only one in five of these children was achieving the recommended one hour a day of moderate physical activity, while three-quarters of them played video games for more than one hour a day. Today, the National Obesity Forum hailed the findings.Clinical director Dr David Haslam said:

"Physical inactivity in children is a major cause of the obesity epidemic, and Gamercize provides an innovative solution, reducing sedentary behaviour, whilst maintaining enjoyment, making it a popular and appealing remedy. This study begins to show that by providing more novel opportunities, it is possible to increase a child's activity in a painless and effective way.

"Tam Fry, the Forum's board member for children and the Honorary Chairman of the Child Growth Foundation, added: "Ideally children should be running around fields and expending energy naturally, but a lot of children are unable to do this so active gaming brings about energy balance. The key to all this is that children must have fun and the value of Gamercize is that children have a great time using it.

"Gamercize equipment has proved popular in schools and homes worldwide.Derbyshire Sport introduced Gamercize equipment into schools this year.Steve Smith, the schools sports partnership development manager, said:

"We have found Gamercize equipment appeals to all children, helping us to provide additional physical activity in our primary and secondary schools. Gamercize has proved both popular with children and is extremely flexible for PE teachers and school sport competition managers alike.

Gamercize products are available at Exergame Fitness USA.

Video Gaming for Health: Major New Trends to Be Discussed as National Conference Gets Underway

The latest "gaming for health" trends -- including "exergaming," health elements in
popular commercial games (e.g., a "disease" being unleashed inadvertently
on the population in "World of Warcraft") and sophisticated, new videogames
used to train emergency medical personnel -- will be outlined during a
live, two-way phone-based blogger/online news event at 1 p.m. EDT Thursday
(May 8, 2008).

The special news briefing for bloggers and other online media will take
place on the opening day of the May 8-9, 2008 Games for Health Conference
in Baltimore, MD.

News event speakers will be:
--  Ben Sawyer, co-founder, the Games for Health Project; and

--  Chinwe Onyekere, program officer, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's
    Pioneer Portfolio.

The conference will explore the intersection of next-generation game
technologies and health issues. Founded in 2004, the Games for Health
Project supports community, knowledge and business development efforts to
use cutting-edge games and game technologies to improve health and health
care. The Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is the
lead conference sponsor and a major supporter of the Games for Health
Project.

TO PARTICIPATE: You can join this live, phone-based blogger/online news
conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:00 p.m. ET on May 8, 2008 by
dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "Health and Video Games" news event.

CAN'T PARTICIPATE?: A streaming audio replay of the news event will be
available on the Web at http://www.gamesforhealth.org as of 6 p.m. EDT on
May 8, 2008.

CONTACT: Ailis Aaron Wolf, (703) 276-3265 or aawolf@hastingsgroup.com
(for media and bloggers); Elly Spinweber, (703) 741-7513,
espinweber@golinharris.com

The Games for Health Project is produced by the Serious Games
Initiative, a Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars effort that
applies cutting-edge games and game technologies to a range of public and
private policy, leadership and management issues. The project also produces
the Games for Health Conference, now in its fourth year.

The Initiative founded Games for Health to develop a community and best
practices platform for the numerous games being built for health care
applications. To date, the project has brought together researchers,
medical professionals and game developers to share information about the
impact games and game technologies can have on health, health care and
policy. For more information, visit http://www.gamesforhealth.org.

Over three days, more than 300 attendees will participate in over 60
sessions provided by an international array of 75 speakers, cutting across
a wide range of activities in health and health care. Topics include
exergaming, physical therapy, disease management, health behavior change,
biofeedback, epidemiology, training, cognitive exercise, nutrition and
health education. This year's conference includes presentations by Dr.
Richard Satava; Starlight Foundation; HopeLab; Realtime Associates; Virtual
Heroes; XRtainment Zone; Archimage; Dr. Mark Baldwin of MindHabits;
Electric Owl Studios; Noah Falstein of The Inspiracy; and Games for Health
co-founder Ben Sawyer.

USA Exergaming distributors Exergame Fitness and Motion Kids will be attending the Games 4 Health Conference. Both Companies will be bringing a product called Lightspace Play developed by Lightspace Corp. Lightspace Corp, Motion Kids & Exergame Fitness have partnered up to bring the Exergaming community one of the most in demand products out today. The Lightspace Play will be available for everyone to try out and to see just what this amazing interactive piece can do for your facility.

For more information on the Lightspace Play Floor and Lightspace Play Wall please call 866.245.3036

or visit www.exergamefitness.com or www.motionkids.com.