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Virtual Gaming Not Adequate Source of Physical Exercise

The latest craze in the video gaming revolution era has children getting up off the floor and moving more than ever before. Any exercise that can be squeezed into a kid’s day is good exercise. However medical experts caution that the new video gaming trend may not be a sufficient amount of daily exercise.Collene Greene, M.A., wellness coordinator for MFit, the health promotion division of the University of Michigan Health System contends that children need a larger dose of daily physical exercise than video games can provide.

She does not completely discredit what the video games actually achieve. It is a good starting block for the children. It gets them up off the couch or out of bed to play their favorite video games. It can also booster self esteem issues for children wishing to participate in real world physical sports such as football or baseball.

If a child masters the fundamental skills needed to play these and other real world sports, that new found ability will show through when try-out periods come around. Even so, the hours spent playing a virtual game versus playing that same game in the real world can not be compared.

One of the fundamental principles of outdoor physical activity is calorie burning. When children engage in physical exercise, adequate amounts of calories are burned. This is what keeps the children in a healthy physical state. At best, physical activity video games burn 60 to 70 calories an hour. Children need a much higher caloric burn rate to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

In the end, Greene recommends video games be nothing more than just a game. Outside action is where it’s at for children that want to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Source: University of Michigan Health System

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