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Motivating Kids to Exercise: Is Technology The Answer?
Author:
Stan Reents, PharmD
Original Posting:
01/16/2008 02:19 PM
Persuading kids to exercise can be a challenge for parents. In an age of youth sports specialization, where elite status in a sport can be determined by fourth grade, a lot of kids are left off organized teams. So they retreat to the computer or couch, and sedentary habits begin. This issue is only made worse by the fact that many elementary schools have cut back on gym classes in recent years.
MOST KIDS AND ADOLESCENTS DON'T MEET EXERCISE GOALS
In June 2005, researchers from the US and Canada published a review of over 850 studies on exercise and kids. Their conclusion was that "school-aged" youth should obtain 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day (Strong WB, et al. 2005). In the UK, the Health Education Authority adopted the recommendation of "60 minutes per day of moderate intensity exercise" in 1998.
However, in July 2006, European researchers stated in a paper published in The Lancet that, to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease, children need more than 1 hour of exercise per day. To prevent insulin resistance, children may need as much as 90 minutes of exercise per day (Andersen LB, et al. 2006).
Unfortunately, most children in both the US (Pate RR, et al. 2006) and in the UK (Riddoch CJ, et al. 2007) don't meet those goals.
CAN TECHNOLOGY MOTIVATE KIDS TO EXERCISE MORE?
At first, some may think that using technology to motivate kids to exercise is sort of like feeding whiskey to an alcoholic in hopes that it will cure his alcoholism. After all, television and video games are now regarded as one of the reasons why kids are so sedentary.
Nevertheless, a variety of web sites designed to motivate kids to exercise already exist. An example is:• www.KidNetic.com is a web site for kids. It was launched in June 2002 by the International Food Information Council in partnership with several other groups interested in youth health and fitness. The web site provides some educational games that cover nutrition and exercise. However, it's anybody's guess whether these web sites achieve any meaningful results.
Still, there is reason for optimism when it comes to utilizing technology to motivate people to exercise. During the past decade, some really clever and "cool" exercise games have been developed. It's quite possible that "exergaming" and "interactive fitness" can mobilize couch-prone video-game players.
Don't believe it?....then take a look at these You Tube video clips of kids (and adults!) playing these exergames in an actual facility:
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "EXERGAMING" AND "INTERACTIVE FITNESS"?
According to Lisa Hansen, PhD, at the University of South Florida's School of Physical Education, and co-director of the university's interactive fitness research lab, " 'exergaming' represents activities that utilize a computer screen. 'Interactive fitness' activities are technology-driven games that don't require a computer screen."
The evolution of exergaming began in the 1980s, with companies developing high-end fitness equipment that was primarily used by professional sports teams. Health clubs were reluctant to install the equipment. It was usually bulky and not user-friendly, and the average consumer couldn't afford it.
One of the first exergames was Konami's Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), which was released in 1998. Players move their feet forward, back, and side to side on a raised platform while following cues on a video screen. Norway registered the game as a national sport.
But as technology improved, costs dropped, and exergaming moved from the arcade to the gym and the living room. More recently, the exergaming industry has focused on the youth market, making it a viable option for getting kids to exercise.
Some of the most popular technology exercise games include the following:
Exergames (ie., requires a video monitor):
 • AirBounder jumping platform (by Hoggan Sprint, a division of Hoggan Health; HogganHealth.com): this platform device makes jumping and plyometric training fun.
• Dance Dance Revolution, DDR, stepping game (by Konami; www.Konami.com): DDR is a video game, first introduced to Japanese video arcades in 1998. It requires stepping on specific areas of a mat (dance pad) that looks like a tic-tac-toe grid. The dancer must step in 4 directions, depending on the arrow on the screen. Tom Hanks would like this one! Cobalt Flux (www.CobaltFlux.com) is a brand of DDR.
• Exer-Station Pro (by Interaction Laboratories; www.IA-Labs.com): This device challenges the user to work out their arms, upper body, and core by pushing and pulling a "steering wheel".
• Eye Toy interactive video (by Sony Computer Entertainment; www.EyeToy.com): This video game utilizes a small USB camera that sits on top of the video monitor (or TV). It puts the user "into" the video game.
• GameBike stationary bike (by Game Bike; www.GameBike.com): This is a stationary bike that allows the rider to navigate the terrain of the video game. Points are awarded for faster pedalling and better steering. Features include: full-function fitness computer, adjustable resistance, compatible with GameCube, PlayStation, and X-Box; plugs into any video console; has a heart rate monitor; calculates calories burned.
• Korebalance balance station (by SportKAT, LLC; www.SportKAT.com): This exercise station employs a circular platform that tilts in all 360-degrees.
• Trazer reaction trainer (by Cybex International; www.CybexIntl.com): The Trazer develops reaction time, speed, power, and balance. The exerciser wears a waist belt that contains an infrared beacon and, reacting to the images on the computer monitor, must move in specific directions. Kids will love it, but it will also be useful for basketball players, hockey and soccer goalies, tennis players, martial artists, etc., who want to improve their reaction skills.
• Wii virtual reality video system (by Nintendo; Wii.com): video games with a myriad of interactive options from tennis to baseball. (haven't you seen the TV commercials?)
• X-Board balance board (by Q-Motions; www.QMotions.com): With this device, the player stands on
a pivoting board that simulates snowboarding/skateboarding. Plug-and-play
connectivity.
Interactive Exercise Games (ie., do not require a video monitor):
• Core Trainer (by Panasonic; www2.Panasonic.com):
This thing looks just like a horse saddle; it even has stirrups! The
unit moves in all 3 planes while you sit on it, forcing you to engage your core muscles to
keep from falling off. The movements are very subtle, but noticeable. Urban cowboys (and girls) will love this one.
• iJoy balance board (by Human Touch; www.InterHealth.com): With this device, the player stands on a balance board that resembles a skateboard or snowboard. It improves balance and trains the muscles of the core.
• LightSpace Play lighted floor game (by LightSpace Corporation; www.LightSpaceCorp.com
): This game is also very cool. It can be set up where players have
to avoid stepping on the light (virtual dodgeball), or, where the goal
is to intentionally step on the light in order to score points.
Lightspace® Play includes an interactive floor surface comprised of
16”x16” programmable LED lit and pressure sensitive tiles constructed
to fit a 10 foot square space. Each tile consists of sixteen 4” x 4”
pixels that can display any color, pattern or image. The surface is
able to detect location, movement and density of players to give a
realistic gaming experience. Reactions to player movements are
displayed on the surface and are accompanied by sound effects.
 • NEOS game wall (by Playworld Systems; www.PlayNEOS.com).
Launched in October 2007, NEOS is a wall of 4 vertical panels, each
with 4 large buttons. The buttons light up in red or green, in random order,
and the players have to touch them before the light goes off. This
requires a lot of rapid back-and-forth and up-and-down movements.
It's very aerobic.
• 3-Kick punching and kicking station (by Fit Interactive; www.3Kick.com): This is a punching and kicking game. There are 3 padded columns (similar to kicking bags). The player must strike random targets within 5 seconds. Very cool.
"XRKade": A NEW CONCEPT IN YOUTH FITNESS
Put a bunch of these technology-driven interactive exercise games together in a single room and you've got...."XRKade" (www.XRKade.com).
XRKade is a new
concept and it is rapidly gaining attention. "It takes the interactive and gaming equipment and creates an
environment around it," said Lenny Lowenstein, co-founder of
Denver-based iTECH Fitness, owner of XRKade systems. "In a traditional fitness club, people like
to have the synergy of working out together," said Lowenstein. "In
XRKade everything is set up in pairs; people play against each other.
They work harder when they are competing against another player."
From scaling rock walls to gliding through an
on-screen half pipe on a snowboard, they boost their heart rates and
break a sweat in the virtual world.
The key element in motivating kids to exercise, says USF's Lisa Hansen, is to make exercise fun. "As soon as kids learn that the purpose of a game is to promote exercise, they're not as interested."
Personally, I think the "fun factor" is the most critical element in getting, and keeping, kids motivated to exercise. I also think that putting kids through a series of Nautilus-like exercise machines, even if supervised by a personal trainer, is ludicrous. In my opinion, this is a sure-fire formula for "burn-out." Remember the abrupt exit Andrea
Yeager had from professional tennis while still a teenager? Some readers may feel this isn't a relevant example, but I think it is. When a child is
pushed to do something repeatedly for years and years, especially if it isn't fun, often, there is a revolt. At least tennis has a competitive element to it; working out on weight-machines doesn't have that.
As of January 2008, only a handful of XRKade interactive
fitness arcades existed in the US. Nearly 2 years later, according to Lisa Hansen, "active gaming" appears in a variety of locations: schools, gyms, and even in doctor's offices. Certainly, all of these locations do not host a complete gaming arcade, but, nevertheless, some type of interactive fitness game or device is available.
DOES EXERGAMING AND INTERACTIVE FITNESS WORK?
But, does the concept of a "fitness arcade" actually promote exercise? Even though some of these games have been around for a while, very little research has been done evaluating their impact on exercise and/or health parameters.
In a study of adolescents published in December 2005 in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, researchers from SUNY reported that "personal fulfillment" was the strongest motivating factor for physical activity for adolescents (Haverly K, et al. 2005). This would seem to support the "fun factor" as being relevant.
While several labs in the US are evaluating these exercise games, Lisa Hansen, PhD at USF's lab in Tampa, is focusing on the bigger picture...ie., what is the effect of an exercise arcade on kids? So far, she has seen a positive impact. In a 4-month study of 5th-graders, kids were allowed to sit down if they were tired or just bored. "I did not have one student take this option," said Hansen. "All remained active. In addition, we saw an improvement in self-esteem in many, too."
What about more objective data? "We have found that some of these games push exercise
heart rates all the way up into the 180-190-range." Cybex's "Trazer"
agility game produced the highest measurements, according to Hansen.
In perhaps the only published study to date assessing the impact of exercise games on health parameters, Canadian researchers showed that an exercise bike linked to an interactive video (eg., GameBike with PlayStation 2) motivated young men (ages 18-25 yrs) to exercise more often than those who had access to only a regular exercise bike. As a result, those who exercised on the GameBike had a greater improvement in aerobic fitness (VO2max) and a lower resting blood pressure (Warburton D, et al. 2007).
"LOW-TECH" WORKS, TOO
So, it does seem that these techno-games have potential. But, they can be expensive, and, of course, they can break down. On that note, it's important to point out several "low tech" programs that have been highly effective in encouraging exercise in kids. Check out these 2:
• Skillastics™ (www.Skillastics.com) is a good example of a low-tech exercise game. Designed
by Sandy "Spin" Slade, a former college basketball player, Skillastics™
is like the board game Monopoly, except that each square presents a
specific exercise drill that each member of the team must do.
Skillastics™ games are available for basketball, soccer, or generalized
fitness. It's a great concept because it is so simple. It works
because it is fun for kids to play. Sandy launched Skillastics™ in 2004. Since then, more than 6200 customers have purchased at least one of the games. These customers include YMCAs, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Parks and Recreation Departments. She estimates that over 3 million kids have played Skillastics™.
• Another program that stimulates fitness in kids is Girls On The Run International (GOTRI, www.GirlsOnTheRun.org), a running program developed by Molly Barker, a four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete. This nonprofit program encourages girls in grades 3-8 to exercise, building self-esteem in the process. The girls meet twice per week with a female coach for 12 weeks. At the end of the session, they participate in a 5-K. Launched in 1996, Girls On The Run has reached over 50,000 young girls in more than 150 cities in the US and Canada.
SUMMARY
It's absolutely critical that we get children to exercise more. As kids move into adolescence, their rates of regular (daily) exercise drop dramatically, especially in black girls (Kimm SYS, et al. 2002). There is evidence that once a child becomes obese, the struggles with weight-control may persist for life. A recent Johns Hopkins University study predicted that nearly 24
percent of US children and adolescents will be overweight or obese by
2015.
The development of obesity during adolescence, in turn, is associated with higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome (Daniels SR, et al. 2005; Morrison JA, et al. 2005).
And if that is not scary enough, there is this quote from David Katz, MD at Yale: "Children today may be the first generation in history to experience a lifespan shorter than their parents." Hopefully, some of these new interactive games will prevent that from ever happening.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Several companies sell and/or install the exercise games described above. These include:
- Exergame Fitness USA (Palatine, IL) (www.ExerGameFitness.com) is the global leader in exergaming products and medically driven programming. Not only are they the largest distributor of exergames, but they also provide free grant assistance, layout design, and exergame education workshops.
- SportWall International (Carpinteria, CA) (www.SportWall.com) is a distributor of many of the interactive games described in this review.
- XRKade (Denver, CO) (www.XRKade.com) creates an entire room with an "arcade"-like atmosphere.
Readers may also be interested in these reviews: - Exercise for Young Girls (coming soon...)
- Exercise Motivation
- Exercise Recommendations For: Adolescents (coming soon...)
PERSONALIZED FITNESS and WELLNESS COUNSELING
If you'd like some help designing your personal fitness program, or have questions regarding exercise, or simply want some regular motivation, sign-up for our Fitness and Wellness Counseling Service. It may be the best investment in your health that you'll ever make.
REFERENCES
Andersen LB, Harro M, Sardinha LB, et al. Physical activity and clustered cardiovascular risk in children: a cross-sectional study (The European Youth Heart Study). Lancet 2006;368:299-304. Abstract
Daniels SR, Arnett DK, Eckel RH, et al. Overweight in children and adolescents: pathophysiology, consequences, prevention, and treatment. Circulation 2005;111:1999-2012. Abstract
Haverly K, Davison KK. Personal fulfillment motivates adolescents to be physically active. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2005;159:1115-1120. Abstract
Kimm SYS, Glynn NW, Kriska AM, et al. Decline in physical activity in black girls and white girls during adolescence. N Engl J Med 2002;347:709-715. Abstract
Morrison JA, Friedman LA, Harlan WR, et al. Development of the metabolic syndrome in black and white adolescent girls. Pediatrics 2005;116:1178-1182. Abstract
Pate RR, Stevens J, Pratt C, et al. Objectively measured physical activity in sixth-grade girls. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2006;160:1262-1268. Abstract
Riddoch CJ, Mattocks C, Deere K, et al. Objective measurement of levels and patterns of physical activity. Arch Dis Child 2007;92:963-969. Abstract
Strong WB, Malina RM, Bumkie CJ, et al. Evidence based physical activity for school-age youth. J Pediatr 2005;146:732-737. Abstract
Warburton D, Bredin S, Horita L, et al. The health benefits of interactive video game exercise. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 2007;32:655-663. Abstract
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Stan Reents, PharmD, is a former healthcare professional. He holds
Personal Trainer and Fitness Counselor certifications from the
American Council on Exercise and has been certified as a tennis coach
by USTA. He is the author of Sport and Exercise Pharmacology (published by Human Kinetics). He can be reached at: Editor@athleteinme.com.
Disclaimer: Neither the author, nor AthleteInMe, LLC, has any financial or business relationships with any of the products or companies mentioned in this review.
Last Revision: 03/11/2010 10:01 AM
Copyright ©2010 AthleteInMe,
LLC. All rights reserved.
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