LIVERPOOL: If your kids are fans of exergames such as Kinect Sports and Wii Fit, good news: research finds that they can help keep kids moving and off the couch.
Dr. Louise Naylor and researchers from the University of Western Australia, Liverpool John Moores University, and Swansea University evaluated 15 children, between nine to 11 years old. Each subject participated in 15 minutes each of high-intensity exergaming (Kinect Sports – 200m Hurdles), low-intensity exergaming (Kinect Sports – Ten Pin Bowling), and a fitness test on a treadmill. Then the researchers measured energy expenditure via flow-mediated dilation, which is a measure of vascular health and function, the researchers said.
Results showed that high-intensity games elicited an energy expenditure equivalent to moderate-intensity exercise, while the low-intensity games matched the energy expenditure of low-intensity activities. High-intensity exergaming also increased heart rate and the amount of energy burned — and since subjects reported similar enjoyment levels with both intensities, perhaps kids could equally enjoy a heart-pumping high-intensity game, the researchers said.
“Higher intensity exergaming may be a good form of activity for children to use to gain long-term and sustained health benefits,” said Naylor in a press release.
The findings were published online May 17 in the Journal of Pediatrics.
A separate study published last October found that exergames play a beneficial role in getting teens fit — especially self-conscious teens who struggle with their weight. Researchers from the University of Montreal surveyed some 1,209 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 and their parents.
The current recommendation for adolescents and teens according to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day.
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