Exergame Fitness Announces Strategic Partnership With XRtainment Zone To Provide Exergaming Wellness Programming

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Exergame Fitness Announces Strategic Partnership With XRtainment Zone To Provide Exergaming Wellness Programming

Palatine, IL – October 10, 2008 – The growing epidemic of Childhood Obesity and Inactivity among kids, teens and adults has prompted the need for entertaining game based fitness solutions that engage users – called Exergames.

Two USA companies that have pioneered the Exergaming industry have now joined forces to offer the largest selection of tested Exergaming products, along with medically proven programming to help fight the raging epidemic of obesity around the world. The new programming division is called "XRGame Zone - Exergame Fitness Programming."

The Exergame market has a growing number of product solutions that have had a great amount of success in keeping people of all ages and ability levels active through the experience of playing games. The critical next stage is to provide Programs and Curriculum based services that offer complete turn-key solutions for Exergaming locations.

XRGame Zone's in-depth programming will be headed by Dr. Ernie Medina Jr. DrPH and business partner Joel Peterson J.D. For years Dr. Medina has been the leader when it comes to the Exergaming market. His unconditional pursuit to helping fight childhood obesity thru means of Exergaming is un-matched in the industry.

Dr. Medina adds, “XRtainment Zone is very excited about the new strategic collaboration with Exergame Fitness” said Dr. Ernie Medina, Jr., cofounder of XRtainment Zone. “With Exergame Fitness’ expertise in exergaming product distribution and facility design combined with XRtainment’s one of a kind exergame and wellness programming, we believe we can offer a complete Exergame and wellness solution that will positively impact the health of kids, adults and seniors around the world.”

Exergame Fitness is the country’s largest distributor of Exergame fitness products. The proven and tested products have been installed in over 600 locations around the world; including: YMCA’s, Schools, Park Districts, Hospitals, JCC’s, Kids Fitness Zones and Health Clubs.

Ed Kasanders, President of Motion Fitness adds, "We have watched Dr. Ernie Medina and have followed his journey thru the Exergaming market for sometime now. Ernie is truly a leader when it comes to this industry. He is an encyclopedia of knowledge because of his amazing networking capabilities and his drive for providing proven programming that works.”

“The Strategic Partnership is an ideal fit, so we can offer the best of everything to our customers from concept to a successful long-term Exergame program that stands alone as a business model or is integrated into an existing facility”, adds Kasanders.

For additional information visit the Exergame Fitness web-site, www.exergamefitness.com, or call 1-877-668-4664.

Exergame Fitness is a division of Motion Fitness LLC. Since 1998 they have provided fitness, health and wellness products for consumer and commercial applications. Exergame Fitness provides Facility Planning & Installation, Grant & Funding Assistance, Program Design & Product Training, Turnkey Marketing Support, Free Layout Designs & Concepts, Programming Curriculums, Financing Options and more.

XRtainment Zone is a one of a kind family fun and wellness organization that offers kids of all ages a place where “working out is all play!” When exercise is fun, lasting healthy lifestyle habits can be established and obesity, cardiovascular disease and other lifestyle related illnesses can be prevented or reduced. XRtainment provides turnkey wellness programming which uses new interactive and video exercise games to make exercise fun, Through its innovative health techniques, wellness programming, and group training modules, XRtainment offers a highly effective and fun intervention to treat the multiple causes of lifestyle related diseases that currently plague modern families and society at large. Fitness centers, parks and recreation departments, senior centers, YMCA’s and others can now take advantage of this new, dynamic exercise program while increasing their return on investment.

“Exergaming” is a term used for video games that also provide exercise. Exergames have one element of exercise and one element of gaming. Games fit in to the category of entertainment, and similarly Exergames are a category of Exertainment (formed from "exercise" and "entertainment"). Exertainment includes one aspect of innovation or entertainment to an exercise work out. To learn more about Exergaming, visit: http://www.exergamefitness.com/about_us.htm

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CONTACT:
Tommy Seilheimer
Exergame Fitness
T: 847-963-8969 x1103
F: 847-963-8966
info@exergamefitness.com
http://www.exergamefitness.com/

GFH: XRtainment's Medina Says Gaming Gyms Can't Be Glorified Arcades

Baltimore's Games For Health conference saw exergaming crop up as a recurring theme, from game designer and Gamasutra/Game Developer contributor Noah Falstein's previously reported review of its history, to XRtainment Zone co-founder and CEO Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH, CHFI presenting his experiences launching a company dedicated to bringing exergaming to the masses.

Medina - who claimed his parents wouldn't let him play games as a kid which led him to open his own gaming facilities - has been considering the idea of a gaming-themed fitness center for years, and first experimented with that R&D at the ESPN Zone sports restaurants. When conceiving his own exergaming facility, however, he wanted to bring his degrees in public health to bear in creating something more medically-informed.

Medina quoted former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who said "the greatest threat to national security is pediatric obesity," adding that most students fail their fitness exams, with blame often laid on "recreational screen time." Medina saw a way for exergaming to make exercise more attractive for those who are receptive to gaming, while still fulfilling the government's recommended daily hour of exercise.

After opening in Redlands, California and conducting a local advertizing campaign, the XRtainment Zone facility was successful, but Medina explained that the concept still has challenges. For one thing, it can be tough marketing the center as a "family fitness and wellness center" and maintaining a reputation as a serious establishment. "We don't want to be seen as a fat gym," he said.

Often when parents entered the center and saw numerous video games, Medina said, they were immediately dubious about its legitimacy. Medina described two approaches that helped circumvent the issue: classes for specific regimens such as swimming and dancing, which eventually transition into full-scale memberships, and the introduction of more traditional exercise equipment alongside the exergaming machines.

That second approach has the secondary benefit of making the video game exercise games look more attractive in comparison, which in turn helps elsewhere. "The games are fun and exciting and all, but once the newness wears off, the excitement can go away," said Medina, stressing the importance of new programs as well as incentives.

According to Medina, children have lost from 7-17 pounds in seven-week courses. "Some exergaming facilities don't even measure outcomes," he said, cautioning against tracking participant progress. Leaderboards, a common feature of traditional multiplayer gaming, have proven encouraging among customers as well.

He remains a strong advocate of traditional exercise and, like those who claim Harry Potter is bringing new long-term readers into the world, believes that this kind of gaming facility is a "gateway gym" to more traditional exercise. One 12-year-old told Medina, "I don't like to exercise, but playing here I get a great workout and it doesn't feel like exercise."

Looking forward, Medina believes the field needs more research in order to convince insurance partners and non-profit organizations that exergaming is not simply intended as entertainment but is true medical intervention. Specialized, more durable hardware is also needed - most gaming equipment is manufactured for simple consumer use.

"If the gaming industry can see the excitement and potential market in the fitness and the casual market, it would be exciting if they'll start developing for it," he said. He floated potential ideas such as tying exercise equipment to online worlds such as Webkinz, with players' avatars reflecting their real-life fitness. Even professional exergaming was thrown out as one avenue for greater visibility.

On a personal note, Medina pointed to his own father, who suffered from a stroke. The only thing that was able to get his dad exercising in the aftermath? The Wii.