#Exergame Benefits Review & Improved Body Comp Studies (SciVee)

I just came across SciVee and thought it is a great way to make science and research understandable for the masses. Although the quality of the videos can really vary, it has great potential to translate to a more informed consumer. I also love that a view of the actual paper is included and I think this would be a great way to have students break down research papers.




Maddison, R., Foley, L., Ni Mhurchu, C., Jiang, Y., Jull, A., Prapavessis, H., Hohepa, M., & Rodgers, A. (2011). Effects of active video games on body composition: a randomized controlled trial American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 94 (1), 156-163 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.110.009142
Primack, B., Carroll, M., McNamara, M., Klem, M., King, B., Rich, M., Chan, C., & Nayak, S (2012). Role of Video Games in Improving Health-Related Outcomes : A Systematic Review American Journal of Preventive Medicine , 42 (6), 630-638 : 10.1016/j.amepre.2012.02.023

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving research studies. 

The 8th Annual Games for Health Conference in Boston, MA at the Hyatt Harboside Hotel is June 12-14 -- under one month away!
Register today at: http://www.regonline.com/gbew2012

Additional Games for Health Keynotes! Constance Steinkuehler Squire, senior policy analyst for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will discuss the opportunities for videogames to address national challenges, including those in health, health care, and biotechnology. Bill Crounse, MD, senior director of worldwide health for Microsoft, will present “Connecting & Kinecting Health and Health Care,” which will explore how Microsoft and its partners are merging its information and game technologies to create global solutions for personal health and professional health care. Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of SuperBetter Labs, will highlight the design and release of SuperBetter, a game-based social application designed to help people boost personal resilience and lead healthier, longer, and more positive lives.

To see all the latest scheduled sessions please visit:
Our Schedule Block Page
You can also follow us  on Twitter. 

Children with CP Benefit from #exergames

#Exergaming can one way to incorporate more physical activity into the day and hopefully reduce the amount of sedentary time (The irony is not lost as I'm sitting down to write this). Seventeen children with Cerebral Palsy played exergames such as DDR, Wii Tennis-Bowling-Boxing and doubled their energy expenditure (above resting MET) ~ 2.22 MET. Boxing had the highest EE (3.36 MET) while DDR elicited 3.2 METs which is at the threshold of moderate intensity (MPA). Although this is not vigorous enough for cardiovascular endurance or strength training, it effectively burns twice as much as sitting down.

Exergaming Points To Ponder (P2P)

• Did the researches have them play a version of the same games while seated? 
• Are there condition specific cut-offs for children with CP for cardiorespiratory fitness indicators? 
• Would an exergame system like the GameCycle have been more appropriate to establish a baseline fitness level?

Howcroft J, Klejman S, Fehlings D, Wright V, Zabjek K, Andrysek J, & Biddiss E (2012). Active Video Game Play in Children With Cerebral Palsy: Potential for Physical Activity Promotion and Rehabilitation Therapies. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation PMID: 22571917

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving research studies. 

Related articles

• Playing Video Games May Benefit Kids With Cerebral Palsy (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Kids with cerebral palsy may benefit from video game play (eurekalert.org)
• Kids with cerebral palsy may benefit from video game play (medicalxpress.com)

#Exergaming Co-Play: Friends with Benefits

I know this is an older video but I wanted to show what some great Canadian researchers did with the idea that exergaming together (co-play) can be mutually beneficial. Last summer Tad Stach was presenting his and the EQUIS group's work on using one player on the bike while the other was standing and another study where your playing partner would be cycling from a different location. Great stuff! Last year at GFH 2011 -Ben Sawyer and Ben Heck did a great video and product to allow 2 players to co-play using 2 Xbox controllers modded so that one player worked the joystick/control pad while the other partner did the button mashing (See GameShare Controllers)

Frozen Treasure Hunter from Nick Graham on Vimeo.

Two players cooperatively play the game by sharing control of a single avatar. One player, the cyclist, steers and drives the avatar. This is performed using a gamepad and pedaling a recumbent bicycle. The other player, the swatter, defends the team from snowballs. Snowballs are swatted away by physically swinging a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, controllers that capture gestures via accelerometer data.

Exergamer on Kickstarter

The PC #exergaming peripheral Exergamer is a little short ($98, 596 to be exact) of attaining his $100k goal and I've profiled the device previously. Would you buy one for $50?

Exergaming Points 2 Ponder (P2P)

• It reads that "vertical movements...[are] comparable to the pressing and releasing of a joystick trigger or left mouse button". 
• So does that mean in essence doing a push-up?  
• To shoot or use your trigger you need to do a push-up? 
• If you were standing up, would you have to jump to use the trigger, left-mouse?
• Games would be over pretty quickly for any shooting game.
• It looks like they switched to Mouse Mapper for the mapping functionality.
• I like the customizability of the JS Mapper software as it allows for multiple user preferences and abilities.
• Being in the plank position for any amount of time is difficult, but having to also look at your laptop on the floor while playing and moving around in your game, essentially forces your neck into an awkward hyper-extended position....ouch.
• I think it is also seems a little uncomfortable having to do push-ups, move around then have to pick-up your Exergamer Hands and re-position them without leaving the push-up position.
• I'd like to try the ExerGamer to see how it works. I know the movements would be a fantastic workout, but I worry about the effect on the games and the enjoyment levels.

The 8th Annual Games for Health Conference in Boston, MA at the Hyatt Harboside Hotel is June 12-14 -- under one month away!
Register today at: http://www.regonline.com/gbew2012

Additional Games for Health Keynotes! Constance Steinkuehler Squire, senior policy analyst for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will discuss the opportunities for videogames to address national challenges, including those in health, health care, and biotechnology. Bill Crounse, MD, senior director of worldwide health for Microsoft, will present “Connecting & Kinecting Health and Health Care,” which will explore how Microsoft and its partners are merging its information and game technologies to create global solutions for personal health and professional health care. Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of SuperBetter Labs, will highlight the design and release of SuperBetter, a game-based social application designed to help people boost personal resilience and lead healthier, longer, and more positive lives.

To see all the latest scheduled sessions please visit:
Our Schedule Block Page
You can also follow us  on Twitter. 

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving research studies. 

Wii Fit(ter) to Music #exergame ?

#Exergaming with virtual trainers is a popular segment of the exergame market, and an Italian firm is prepping a UK release of Wii Fit Music to pump you up even more. O2 games will be working on a Kinect and iPad version as well, but no word yet on a release date and if these titles will be brought over to the North America. Since they are using European Fitness Champion Patrizia Salviato as the on-screen virtual trainer, they are probably in the works to get a similar champion or trainer (a la Jillian Michaels). I doubt it'll be her since she has her own line and has done the Biggest Loser titles as well. 

Exergaming Points to Ponder (P2P)

• All the gameplay shows no use of the Wii Balance Board but some of the graphics (see above) do. It'll be hard to do some of the dance moves on the board, and unsafe.
• It looks to be similar to Dance Central and Just Dance except that you can customize some of the features for a workout according to the beats per minute (BPM) of the song.
• There are over 200 exercises and 15 fit dance tracks, will there DLC available in the future and how much will packs cost?
• I'm still not sold on the interface without a camera showing live feedback (my biggest criticism of Kinect).
• Will there be Joule-like compatibility with heart-rate displayed on screen?
• I'm also interested in seeing the fitness data tracking feature as that is such an important areas for wellness and healthcare.

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving virtual trainers.. 

Site
http://www.fitmusicthegame.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fit-Music/228234747257890
Reviews
http://press2reset.com/reviews/review-fit-music/
Press Release
http://www.develop-online.net/press-releases/84295/Fit-Music


Less than a month from now we will be in Boston for the Annual Games for Health Conference with lots of incredible speakers and workshops to fill everyone's batteries.


The 8th Annual Games for Health Conference in Boston, MA at the Hyatt Harboside Hotel is June 12-14 -- under one month away! Register today at: http://www.regonline.com/gbew2012

Additional Games for Health Keynotes! Constance Steinkuehler Squire, senior policy analyst for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will discuss the opportunities for videogames to address national challenges, including those in health, health care, and biotechnology. Bill Crounse, MD, senior director of worldwide health for Microsoft, will present “Connecting & Kinecting Health and Health Care,” which will explore how Microsoft and its partners are merging its information and game technologies to create global solutions for personal health and professional health care. Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of SuperBetter Labs, will highlight the design and release of SuperBetter, a game-based social application designed to help people boost personal resilience and lead healthier, longer, and more positive lives.

To see all the latest scheduled sessions please visit:

Our Schedule Block Page

You can also follow us  on Twitter. 

SOCCKET to me: Ball harnesses energy from play

Playing ball creates energy for electronic devices, water sterilzation, lights or other low powered vampires. At Uncharted Play, their tag line is the world's first eco-friendly portable generator in the form of a soccer ball.  

Not only can this ball transform the health of those who interact with it, it also produces important energy and thus reduces the strain on the environment. Very cool and forward thinking of this group!

..."(it) improves quality of life, improves working capacity, and learning capactity..." - Bill Clinton

30 minutes of play provides ~ 3 hours of electricity