Get your game on

Active video games, also known as “exergames,” are not the perfect solution to getting the nation moving, but they can play a role in getting some people up off the couch and moving right in front of it.

 

Michigan State University researchers reviewed published research of studies of these games and say that most of the games provide only “light-to-moderate” intensity physical activity.

 

And that, they say, is not nearly as good as what would be real exercise, but video gaming may be a step in the right direction. They generally do not provide the recommended 30 minutes of moderate activity per day, but for some people, the researchers said, light activity can sometimes be enough.

 

The researchers named the three video gaming systems that offer active video games as ways to increase physical activity: Nintendo’s Wii, Xbox 360 (Kinect), and PlayStation 3 (Move). The study was published in Health Education and Behavior.

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