Are Your Kids Sedentary? Get Them 'Exergaming'

Fewer than 50 percent of primary school-aged boys and fewer than 28 percent of girls meet the minimum levels of physical activity required to maintain health. However, a new study shows that exergraming, in which active console video games are used to track player movement to control the game, could help counteract sedentary behaviors.

Dr. Louise Naylor and researchers from The University of Western Australia, Liverpool John Moores University, and Swansea University evaluated 15 children, 9-11 years of age, who participated in 15 minutes each of high intensity exergaming (Kinect Sports - 200m Hurdles), low intensity exergaming (Kinect Sports - Ten Pin Bowling), and a graded exercise test (treadmill). The researchers measured energy expenditure, according to a press release. They also measured the vascular response to each activity using flow-mediated dilation (FMD), which is a validated measure of vascular function and health in children.

The study shows that high intensity exergaming produced en energy expenditure equivalent to moderate intesity exercise. As a result, low intensity exergaming resulted in an energy expenditure equivalent to low intensity exercise. Additionally, although the low intensity exergaming did not have an impact on FMD, high intensity exergaming significantly decreased FMD, suggesting that the latter may improve vascular health in children. High intensity exergaming also increased heart rate and the amount of energy burned. Participants reported similar enjoyment levels with both intensities of exergaming, which indicates that children may be equally likely to continue playing the high intensity games.

"Higher intensity exergaming may be a good form of activity for children to use to gain long-term and sustained health benefits," Naylor said. 

The findings for the study can be found in the publication The Journal of Pediatrics.