This article should edit the 4th paragraph to say, "...SOME health experts..." because there are a good number of us within the Games for Health community that know how exergames CAN benefit one's health.
One of the criticisms I keep running across is that "health experts" keep trying to compare exergaming to traditional exercise and sports. Why can't they just take it for what it is and look at it more as a "gateway intervention" that meets those who are completely sedentary and anti-exercise where they are at?
We know the importance of increasing one's physical activity in daily life (take the stairs, park farther, etc.). Then we have the NEAT project by Dr. Levine at Mayo Clinic, showing that low levels of PA can be very beneficial in improving one's health.
Exergaming has characteristics that help to overcome the obstacles that sedentary people usually have when it comes to motivating them to be more active, and since this is a population that is costing our healthcare system the most, we should encourage exergaming as an outreach intervention to these types of people, not criticizing it that playing Wii tennis is not as physically active as the real deal. Maybe, for that person, that's as real as it'll ever get, therefore, it's real!
Nintendo Wii: Does it have health benefits?
This article should edit the 4th paragraph to say, "...SOME health experts..." because there are a good number of us within the Games for Health community that know how exergames CAN benefit one's health.
One of the criticisms I keep running across is that "health experts" keep trying to compare exergaming to traditional exercise and sports. Why can't they just take it for what it is and look at it more as a "gateway intervention" that meets those who are completely sedentary and anti-exercise where they are at?
We know the importance of increasing one's physical activity in daily life (take the stairs, park farther, etc.). Then we have the NEAT project by Dr. Levine at Mayo Clinic, showing that low levels of PA can be very beneficial in improving one's health.
Exergaming has characteristics that help to overcome the obstacles that sedentary people usually have when it comes to motivating them to be more active, and since this is a population that is costing our healthcare system the most, we should encourage exergaming as an outreach intervention to these types of people, not criticizing it that playing Wii tennis is not as physically active as the real deal. Maybe, for that person, that's as real as it'll ever get, therefore, it's real!
August 26, 2008 at 12:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )