Video Games That Keep Kids Fit

Gym teachers and video games have never been a happy mix. While one side struggles to pull kids off the couch, the other holds them fast. But Kim Mason, a phys-ed director in Rogers, Ark., with 28 years of experience selling kids on the virtues of sweat, did something unlikely last year: she persuaded her public-school district to invest $35,000 in brand-new video-game equipment.

That would be more surprising if students in Rogers were the only ones plugging into interactive workouts, but they're not. Some 2,000 schools in at least 35 states have begun to set up exergaming fitness centers with motion sensors and touch-sensitive floor mats to allow kids to control the action onscreen not just with their thumbs but also with their bodies. Do enough dancing or kung-fu kicks, and you just might get the same level of exercise as from chasing a soccer ball. What's more, this is a workout kids don't try to duck. "Physical education used to be a joke," says Dr. John Ratey, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Spark, an upcoming book about exercise. "That has changed simply because we are catching up with the gamer generation."

Finding a way to help this most sedentary age group is more important than ever. Nearly 17% of U.S. kids are considered overweight or obese, and many more are struggling. Meanwhile, as scale numbers are climbing, school budgets for P.E. are falling. As a result, fewer than 10% of elementary schools meet the National Association for Sport and Physical Education's standard of students spending 150 minutes a week in gym class.

The high-tech answer to the problem came two years ago when West Virginia University studied the health effects of an exergaming system called Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)--interactive games that instruct kids to use their feet to tap buttons on a sensor mat. After a pilot program found the games were beneficial, the state vowed to install consoles in all its public schools by next year. (It didn't hurt the study's credibility that it was funded in part by an insurance company, not by the gamemaker.) Since then, other districts have climbed aboard, helped by video-game makers like Nintendo and Sony, which are designing systems to meet the demand; small companies like Expresso Fitness that donate equipment; and federal grants and private donations that bankroll the purchase of equipment. "The old system is failing kids," says Phil Lawler, director of training and outreach at PE4life, a nonprofit based in Kansas City, Mo., that helps modernize P.E. "We are tricking them into exercising."

A gaming system, which can cost up to $4,000 a pop, is more expensive than, say, a kickball, but the fact is, it may work just as well. In January the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., found that obese kids burned six times as many calories playing DDR as they did with a traditional video game. And in July the wonderfully named Alasdair Thin, a researcher of human physiology at Heroit-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, found that college students burned twice as many calories playing an active video game in which they dodged and kicked for 30 minutes as they did walking on a treadmill. Studies have not yet shown how the new games measure up against a real session of, say, soccer or wind sprints.

Of course, since a child told to hustle around a track pretty much has to do it, critics argue that there's no need for video games in gym classes even if they do have some health benefits. But there's a physical difference between an hour of exercise enthusiastically pursued and one that's merely plodded through. And, Lawler says, "most kids aren't volunteering to do pull-ups after school." Develop a taste for aerobic video games, however, and you just might carry the habit home.

But can anything hold the fruit-fly attention span of kids? "Video games are not the answer," says Warren Gendel, founder of Fitwize 4 Kids, a chain of traditional children's gyms. "Kids will get bored and be back on the couch." Maybe, but that won't stop the games from coming. Fisher-Price just began selling a video-game bike for toddlers. No word yet on a version for the prewalking crowd--but don't bet against it.

“Exergame Fitness & Hoggan Health Launch The USA Made eXerbike ”

Pedal to Play! It’s really that simple. The all new USA Made eXerbike designed by eXergame Fitness and Hoggan Health Indiustries is a commercial grade game bike designed to bring competitive fun and stunning Playstation graphics back into kids interactive fitness.

Using the superior power and technology of the Playstation 2, users can play their favorite racing, boating, motorcycle and biking games while acheiving a great cardio workout without them knowing it. The interaction of the eXerbike user with the Playstaion 2 games masks the overall feel of exercise. Once you hop onto the bike the games pull you in visually and pedaling becomes second nature. This is a real fun & healthy alternative to traditional kids fitness.

Equipped with Hoggan’s “Magnetic Resistance Technology”, the user will be provided with a smooth and efficient workout. Just turn the dial from left to right adjusting the resistance setting. Perfect from kids to seniors, the eXerbike has a unique "step thru" design that allows any user to enter and exit the bike without having to straddle the machine in order to sit down, as you do with most upright cycles. Simply "step thru", sit down, pedal and play. Both portable and durable, the eXerbike is perfect for YMCA’s, Schools, Park Districts and any other health & wellness formats that are using Exergaming or general fitness products.

The eXerbike is housed in a sleek black shroud that contours to the user’s body tapered with high resolution graphics and silver framing giving it a futuristic look that grabs kid’s attention.
The sturdy design of the eXerbike can allow player to play as hard and as fast as they can. The back section of the eXerbike houses 2 commercial grade wheels which make moving it a snap. Easily lift the front of the bike and pull away. The steering mechanism simulates riding a bike. In order to turn you have to physically turn the handlebars and reset them to the middle to move ahead. Similar products reset to the center for the user which is unnatural.

Tommy Seilheimer CEO of Exergame Fitness adds, “A feature our design team really focused on during the beta testing stage was the absolute positioning of the Playstation controller on the bike. Most game bikes in the industry make it too easy for kids to cheat by sitting on the bike and using a 3rd party controller to do the interaction. At our testing & research facility we noticed this was a daily problem and the kids were not getting the cardio workout they needed. Our eXerbike has a “1st party Sony PS2 controller” and is bolted tightly to the frame eliminating break-offs and disconnects. If you look at the eXerbike you can see that the controller is put well below the handle bars making cheating a non-issue. In order to cheat this bike you will be put in a very awkward position which deters this style of play.

Another crucial feature on the eXerbike that we added were large custom buttons on the handle bars making interaction with the software simple and accessible. Once again, all of the data cables from the handle bars are hidden and run thru the frame of the bike for durability and cosmetic purposes.

Another key feature we wanted to achieve is that we decided to enclose all of the wires into the frame allowing a prevention of wire splitting and tear-offs. This also gave birth to an overall cleaner design. We have noticed that on other brands the wires and controller seem to be the first things to go due to misuse and over exposure to the user. We are very pleased to have worked with Hoggan Health Industries to provide a high quality bike with an affordable price tag. Hoggan is a company known for quality and service and that’s exactly what we at Exergame Fitness stand for. We are happy to announce the launch of the eXerbike with Hoggan and many more Exergaming products in the future."

Ryan Hoggan, Director HOGGAN Health Industries, Inc. added: “Using our expertise in designing and manufacturing equipment for high-use applications, we have built the eXerbike to withstand the torturous environments of schools, YMCA’s and fitness centers. By combining durability, safety and fun, we are determined the eXerbike will be adorned by children and teens worldwide.

We are pleased to work with Exergame Fitness on the design and launch of the eXerbike. By combining HOGGAN’s world-renowned design and manufacturing capabilities, with the market knowledge and brand of Exergame Fitness a new era of Exergaming equipment will emerge to innovative the way people exercise."

eXerbike Features:
-Easy to use and no complex or confusing programs to run. Sit, Pedal & Play!
-Seating adjustment made easy by easy grip pull knob
-Ergonomically contoured seat allows the user to exercise comfortably and safely.
-Utilizes friction free magnetic resistance technology, which provides a smooth and efficient workout
-The eXerbike is "human powered," thus requiring no external power source.
-Rated for continuous heavy-duty commercial use.
-Designed, fabricated and assembled entirely in the USA.


About Exergame Fitness:
Exergame Fitness is the world’s largest distributor & supplier of Exergaming and kids fitness products to YMCA’s, Schools, JCC’s. Park Districts, Health Clubs, Hospitals, Kid Zones, Family Entertainment Centers, Casinos, Government/VA and more. Exergame Fitness provides Facility Planning & Installation, Grant & Funding Assistance, Program Design & Product Training, Turnkey Marketing Support, Free Layout Designs & Concepts, Detailed Programming Curriculums, Finance & Lease Options and more. Exergame Fitness offers the lowest prices on any of the products they carry backed by a 110% Lowest Price Guarantee.

View the Official Press Release Here