Active gaming, exergaming or exercise games combine two very popular concepts; fitness and gaming. Both kids and adults play these interactive games for any number of reasons, but mainly to stay fit while having fun at the same time. But regardless the reason kids and adults enjoy these challenging games, they stand to reap the many benefits they offer.
There is still a lot of research that needs to be done in fitness games, but what we do know is that exergames do offer the same health benefits as traditional exercises. And there is a growing amount of studies that support the positive effects of exergaming including coordination, fitness and stress reduction to name a few.
But the biggest advantage that active gaming has over traditional forms of exercise is that both kids and adults love to participate. Simply stated, active gaming is fun because it is a form of entertainment. For example, dance games, like iDance, offer kids and adults a high level of engagement, which basically fools the participants in thinking they are just playing when they are really getting a good workout. Basically, it is all in the perception and perhaps even deception, like giving children medicine mixed in honey.
We can all agree that exercise is essential for good health, even in children. We are seeing that today’s kids are becoming increasingly sedentary in their lifestyles, preferring to engage in social media instead of exercise. We aren’t saying that exergaming is a cure-all for our health issues, but they are off to a strong start.
