The Exergame Network (TEN) Blog

Going to Games for Health? USA or Europe?

noreply@blogger.com (gamercize @) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 20:53:00 +0000

9th Annual

Games for Health Conference

Back Bay Events Center, Boston MA

June 26-28, 2013!

Register Today! http://www.regonline.com/gfh2013

Sponsorship
and exhibit opportunities also remain.

Contact bbryant@dmill.com for more information.

Latest schedule up at Sched.org!

Three Days to
Explore...The Role of Videogames in Health & Healthcare

The 9th Annual Games for Health Conference is
coming soon. Register today before prices rise and hotel room availability
dwindles. Join hundreds of developers, health professionals, researchers,
funders, and more at the largest event devoted to games in health &
healthcare.

GAMES FOR HEALTH EUROPE!

On November 4-5 join
us in Utrecht, The Netherlands for the 3rd Annual Games for Health Europe
Conference.

For
complete details on Games for Health Europe visit:

http://www.gamesforhealtheurope.org

ABOUT GAMES FOR HEALTH

Founded
in 2004, the Games for Health Project supports community, knowledge, and
business development efforts to use cutting-edge games and game technologies to
improve health and health care. The Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation is the lead conference sponsor and a major supporter of the
Games for Health Project. To date, the project has brought together
researchers, medical professionals, and game developers to share information
about the impact games and game technologies can have on health, health care,
and policy.

A
major effort of the Games for Health Project is the annual Games for Health
Conference. Over three days, more than 400 attendees will participate in over
60 sessions provided by an international array of 80+ speakers, cutting across
a wide range of activities in health and health care. Topics include
exergaming, physical therapy, disease management, health behavior change,
biofeedback, rehab, epidemiology, training, cognitive health, nutrition, and
health education.

(via http://gamercize.blogspot.com/2013/06/going-to-games-for-health-usa-or-europe.html)

Where is the Education in P.E from Exergaming?

noreply@blogger.com (gamercize @) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:39:00 +0000

Active Video Gaming uses in Physical Education

I've just spotted a new comment on a Gamercize YouTube video that opens a critisim of exergaming that a lot of active games struggle to answer - where's the education component? The overriding answer to this question is there is none, as the game is just a tool for the PE teacher to use. However - some games give the teacher more to work with.

Here's the video that was commented on:

The comment says "I like the overall idea and objective of this, but how are kids working on fundamental movement skills and such. Sure this is getting heart rates up, but not actually teaching them any skills or ways to stay active throughout their lives."

Yes, Gamercize does raise HR to moderate to vigorous levels, so that's a tick in the box for physical activity, but what of the skill component? True, Gamercize is not teaching kids how to catch, but we're looking at more advanced kids - the ones that are engaged by video games.

Gamercize in this implementation is being used to teach

Sport strategy - seeing the big picture of team interaction and how tactics can be employed
Team play - co-operation and communication between teams of 2 to achieve a sports objective
Physiology - which muscles are working and how energy is being created for them

I'm not a PE teacher, so that is just first impression view and I'm sure those more experience in PE will be able to find different modes of implementation that lever the power of engagement into video games to reach lesson objectives!

As for the second part of the question above, kids are like wind-up toys - just give them the opportunity to get moving and give them a start and they'll keep on moving :)

Originally posted at http://gamercize.blogspot.com/2013/03/where-is-education-in-pe-for-exergaming.html

Sitting is our gen's smoking

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:50:00 +0000

1-16-13: Great article and title on the dangers of sitting too much! If you set a lot, then read this article by the HBR Blog Network. The author talks about how she's incorporated "walking meetings" to combat this...what if we had "exergaming breaks" like smokers have smoking breaks?

One solution: Play a short 2-3 minute exergame every hour to protect your health!Instead of smoking areas, have "exergaming break areas" where employees can break the hold of sitting too much, of hypokinetic disease!

Now that would make an interesting employee wellness study, looking at the effects of such a break area on a business. ;-)

Exergames help pediatric obesity in inner city schools

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:26:00 +0000

1-11-13: Finally some nice press on exergaming, reported by Discovery News and listed in the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation News Digest for Pediatric Obesity. A study on how exergames can help battle childhood obesity, a report on a study by lead author Todd Miller at GWU School of Public Health. Read about it here. It was published in the Games for Health Journal recently.

Activity trackers & other fitness gadgets @ CES

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:03:00 +0000

1-10-13: The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is going on right now in Las Vegas. I have my pass to attend, but due to a last-minute change in plans, I wasn't able to go this week. (No worries, it was a nice change of plans--was in Florida last week for the grand opening of the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Health and Wellness Center!).

Well came across this article that talked about two new activity trackers that are encroaching on FitBit and BodyMedia's space. You can read about them in the links below.

Wthing Smart Activity Tracker - can also measure heart rate, though in the way a Mio does
Basis Band - can measure heart rate continuously

On a related note, I just rec'd my Jawbone Up, a bracelet activity tracker that I was supposed to get at TEDMed '11, but due to technical difficulties which caused a recall, I didn't get it till a couple of days ago. And man, is it nice! Love the design and form of it, and I'm less likely to lose or misplace it like my FitBit...which ironically, also just came out with their own bracelet activity tracker! Haven't tried that out, but heard it was very similar to the other FitBits (2 other models now). You can read more about the Fitbit Flex here.

These are just some of the health gadgets that have come out at CES this week. If you'd like to see more, check out this "slideshow of health devices at CES". There are more activity trackers there, as well as some other unusual devices that you probably didn't know you needed!

Here are some that you can also read about:

BodyMedia Core2...waterproof and reads heart rate right from your tricep!

The Fitlinxx Pebble isn't being sold to consumers directly, but being marketed to employers as part of an employee wellness program. Hmm, wonder if we can get it for our LIFE program?

Now if someone will just make some kind of device to track our EATING as easily as these gadgets track our activity...come on, I know the technology already exists!!! I hope someone is working on it right now.

Exploring Unknowns with Exergaming

noreply@blogger.com (gamercize @) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:32:00 +0000

I had written this a little while ago, but the sentiment is still valid and at this time of goodwill, sharing, friendship and helping others, I thought it was particularly relevant to post.

Unusually for an article about exergaming we are starting outdoors. At 3,500 feet to be precise. Like many of us I am comfortable with flying as a means of transport. I also enjoy flying as a pastime having earned my wings some years back qualifying to pilot light aircraft. At few thousand feet in this Cessna, I am neither comfortable nor enjoying the flight. I feel cold, I feel apprehensive, I feel unsure, I feel not in control. The once familiar rolling green countryside passing below no longer looks picturesque, it looks menacing and alien. With a cacophony of noise and blast of cold air, the side of the Cessna opens up, and I find myself at the open door, gripping the aircraft for fear of falling out. Over the noise of the engine and the roar of the slipstream I hear myself questioning how I got in this situation, how this looks like a really long way down, how I wished I was not here, uncertain of what will happen, what could happen, what to do. Then I jumped.

The members of The Exergame Network successfully raised $350 for me to take on this challenge of a solo skydive to raise money for much needed exergame research. The Exergame Network (TEN) is a non-profit, unaffiliated and unbiased group of individuals with a common goal, to advocate the appropriate use of exergaming to improve health and fitness. The group started from an expansion in interest of the genre of exergaming and a need to continue the debates between that of the annual Games for Health conferences in Boston. TEN created resources, such as the TEN wiki, and used collaboration tools such as Skype and Google Docs to advance understanding and structure thinking around exergaming.

The work of TEN led to identification that exergaming in practice was progressing far faster than research could keep up. Members of the network identified what these gaps are, from creating and analysing an evidence base of published studies on it’s wiki. We then established what progressive research questions could be asked in order to get “what we can prove” in line with “what we know”. Closing this gap is a priority for the advocacy of TEN.

In order for TEN to close this gap we are pulling together resources from its members to arrive at a package of awards that can be granted to aid the inception and completion of the missing studies. My skydive was just a part of this package, raising money that will be used for buy out from class or research assistant’s time. With a strong contingent of established researchers, academic and clinicians the awards package also includes free consultancy time to aid newcomers. This experience in exergaming provides a big advantage in the methodology and study design.

There is also a wealth of exergaming manufacturers, distributors and implementers within the TEN network that alongside pledges of free consultancy for the award package are able to donate or loan exergaming equipment to facilitate studies. We even have members who are pledging facilities, and in some instances with populations already pre-engaged in exergaming.

Completing the awards package we have pledges of dissemination opportunities that include a pre-agreed poster session and a journal publication (subject to editorial controls). When this package of awards is finalised in the new year a panel from TEN will be inviting submissions for study proposals which will answer our research questions and fill the gap between theory and practice. Successful applications will receive the awards that aid the complete process from design to publication.

Completing this project has significant outcomes. For the people “at the coal face”, supporting, promoting and implementing exergaming the publication of studies that confirm what we are telling people about exergaming will be the evidence basis to help progress the genre. For the academic community the seeding of studies in exergaming will enable more progressive research to be carried out, and give a foundation for researchers beyond simple energy expenditure studies.

Where does that leave me? Like the state of exergaming research today, I am hanging in limbo, under a parachute canopy. I soon realise there is a problem. My canopy lines are twisted and the parachute is not controllable. From the instruction of the course I know what I need to do to resolve the problem and I follow the advice to separate the risers and kick out of the twists. Under full control I can clearly see the direction I need to take and maneuver for the landing pattern. Having the advantage of experience from my fixed wing qualifications it is easy for me to fly the pattern and bring the canopy onto final approach. As I come in to landing I have a talk-down via radio to ensure my pre-landing checks are correct. Resisting the natural temptation to slow the canopy I approach on “full drive”, flaring at the right time and right height to make a successful landing.

As I walk alone back to the manifest area I realise that the success of the jump was down to having the right information to start with, the application of experience to a new environment and the continual support and guidance throughout the final landing phase. This is comparable to the experience TEN will be providing for researchers and students willing to take a leap of faith into the genre of exergaming research.

Originally posted at http://gamercize.blogspot.com/2012/12/exploring-unknowns-with-exergaming.html

The Cause of Obesity

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:40:00 +0000

(Source: http://gamercize.blogspot.com)

It should come as no shock that there is an obesity crisis. We hear it in the news every now and again, but what's the problem. A few more fat people? It's actually quite a serious issue.

For an individual take a look at this graphic

(source : https://www.ldh.nhs.uk/obesity_01.htm)

For the population that's not overweight of obese (congratulations!) there is still a serious issue

(source : http://www.getamericafit.org/statistics-obesity-in-america.html)

What this means is fit or fat, you're affected by obesity, either in your health or your wealth.

This is an outcry I hear you say. I'd agree. There is no mistake that I have cited UK and USA sources above, obesity is a global epidemic - a pandemic. So what are our individual countries doing to fix this for us?

The the UK we have the Change4Life campaign. Eat less, move more! Great. In the USA we have Healthy People and latterly supplemented with Let's Move! In Canada there's of course Active Healthy Kids Canada. Everything's ok now we have these great quasi-government organisations fighting for our health?

Not quite. All of these organisations have a common flaw. They do not adapt, they do not learn, they do not get disbanded if they are ineffective.

First on the block for the chop is Healthy Active Kids Canada.

"Since the formation of the Active Healthy Kids Canada in 1994, according to "Obesity in Canada - Snapshot" published by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the levels of obesity have grown from just over 20% to nearly 25%."

Next up Healthy People 2010

"Since the inception of Healthy People 2010 in 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the states in America that have an obesity prevalence of 30% grew from zero states in 2000 to 12 states in 2010".

What about Change4Life?

"Since the creation of the Change4Life campaign in 2009, according to the National Health Service commissioned statistics via ONS, the percentage of overweight or obese children had grown from 17% reported in 2009 to 30%"

Why if the obesity problem is recognized and agencies have been set up to combat the problem is it still getting worse? Costing us our health and our wealth? The answer is a lack of knowledge about the population they are trying to help. Technology is becoming increasingly more important in work and leisure for the modern western individual and these agencies are still touting the "go play outside" message for increasing physical activity. All of them have dismissed exergaming as part of the solution.

Exergaming is dismissed because a few studies in Nintendo Wii have failed to produce the illusive 60 minutes of MVPA (Moderate to Vigourous Physical Activity, basically, being out of puff) that most governments recommend. Equally, most people get bored of Wii Sports and go play Mario Kart instead. The lack in understanding of exergaming, and the natural aversion to technology, causes the obesity agencies to make a fatal (that'l be fatal you you, not them) mistake and provide incorrect guidance. So what if exergaming ticked the boxes for sustainability, for MVPA?

Contrary to stereotypical or ignorant belief, exergames can. At least, Gamercize can. If you only ever read one piece of research this decade, make it this one. Exergaming MVPA, sustainability and of course comparison against the dreaded Wii.

(source : http://exergaming.pbworks.com/w/file/61482197/BHF%20Exergaming%20Poster.pdf)

So what causes obesity? Ignorance. Or to be blunt - the ignorance of the agencies set up to combat the situation. We know exergaming works, see above, but the agencies deny this. I would rather suggest honest stupidity over a desire to worsen the crisis in order to justify the expansion the respective agencies budgets. Well, maybe I might just hint at that.

Source: The Cause of Obesity

Taking a leap of faith for Exergaming

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 14:32:00 +0000

The Exergame Network Fundraiser

A couple of days before Thanksgiving Richard Coshott took a “leap of faith” out of an airplane to raise money for an organization that he is very passionate about, The Exergaming Network (TEN).

Coshott raised nearly $400 using Fundraise.com and that money will go towards paying for research that needs to be done. One of the biggest challenges in growing TEN is trying to convince organizations, schools, educators and anyone involved with making decisions on how exergaming isn’t just video games.

Exergaming is very beneficial to students and it is great way to keep students active. Coshott was nervous about the jump, but knows that it help raise awareness for TEN’s goals.

“When you have a door open to an airplane at 3,000 feet it goes against every natural instinct to jump out,” Coshott said. ”We have raised the profile of the initiative, and the knock on effect is we have some great partnership relationships in construction.”

He is excited about creating more fundraisers with Fundraise.com in the future and loved working with the team on creating a successful fundraiser.

“The great part about using Fundraise is that we can add to our activities, so we’re expecting to add more fundraisers,” Coshott added.

There is a lot of research to be done in the coming months, and some of the topics that need to be tackled include: Positive Behaviour Effects, Gateway Effect, Comparative Enjoyment of Physical Activity, Health Benefits of Exergaming, Family health benefits of Exergaming, Cognitive benefits of exergaming and Improved social confidence from Exergaming.

Coshott is hoping that exergaming will continue accross the globe in the United States. One of the biggest challenges in the US is that with the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, money has been diverted away from physical education and the arts and towards teaching to the test to try to meet the requirements of of NCLB.

But Coshott sees exergaming as a great way to keep kids in shape and educate them at the same time. Some studies show that students who regularly exercise perform better academically.

“Exergaming is brilliant to give all kids a chance to be active and successful in physical activity,” Coshott added. “One goal of TEN is to educate these schools so that they can implement a successful and rewarding experience for the school and the students. The good news is that exergaming can help; so long as we know how to use it and we have the proof that it does say what we say it does.”
And that leads back to the reason why TEN needs financial support.
“Hence the reason TEN is doing all the work to get the gaps filled in exergaming research and hence the reason I jumped out of a plane last weekend,” Coshott exclaimed.

Here is video of Coshott taking his “literal leap of faith” to help support the TEN: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXZje4axsk&feature=g-all-u
To read the previous entry on this fundraiser, visit: http://blog.fundraise.com/post/35724102079/growing-the-exergaming-network-one-player-at-a-time, to read more more about the Fundraiser, visit: https://www.fundraise.com/the-exergame-network/active-gamer

Originally posted at :
http://blog.fundraise.com/post/36427724320/taking-a-leap-of-faith-for-exergaming

Jumping into Exergaming Research

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:22:00 +0000

The Exergame Network is a not for profit advocacy group promoting exergaming that wishes to give students new opportunities in research. On November 18, Richard Coshott, Chairman, will be taking a literal leap of faith to launch a new initiative.

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov 16, 2012 -
Coshott will be going through two days training towards a solo skydive to support and raise money for the exergaming movement. The Exergame Network (TEN) will use the funds collected through this fundraiser to support new generation researchers with their study costs into active gaming and exergaming.

TEN has been long aware that the limitations of exergaming are public knowledge, dissemination and evidence base rather than failings of exergaming equipment or the individuals who deliver the experiences. To address this TEN has collaborated to identify the top research questions, and therefore evidence, required to understand exergaming.

Coshott is hoping that more research will help bring exergaming to the forefront.
“There a is a widening gap between what we know and what we can prove. Research is stuck in Exergaming 101 with energy expenditure studies. The collaboration of academics and deliverers of exergaming within TEN has explored the practice and theory, concluding there isn’t enough quality research that answers the questions that we want answered,” Coshott said.

There are several studies that need to be funded. These studies fall into the following categories: positive behavior effects, gateway effect and comparative enjoyment, health benefits, family health benefits, cognitive and improved social confidence through exergaming.

For these categories, TEN will be providing a package of incentives including cash for research assistants or buy out from classes, exergaming equipment donations and loans, use of exergaming facilities, dissemination opportunities at conferences, publication opportunities and professional and academic expertise.

For more information about exergaming and to get involved with a pledge, visit http://www.facebook.com/groups/exergaming/ or follow the movement on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ExergameNetwork.

To donate to the cause, visit: https://www.fundraise.com/

the-exergame-network/active-gamer

Pledges for Exergaming Research

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 12:51:00 +0000

The Exergame Network is running an initiative to help bring new researchers into the field of exergaming. See the page on our wiki site that outlines this project - http://exergaming.pbworks.com/w/page/54632210/Exergaming%20Funding

In order to make exergaming an attractive proposition as a field of study we are reaching out to the network and exergamers world wide to pledge resources. Any help you can give is great, it could be as little as an hour on Skype with a student to fine tune a research question or as much as donation of exergaming equipment to be the subject of a study! You can make your pledges here : http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1081349/Resource-Pledges-for-Exergaming-Research or complete the form below:

online survey softwarePlease take my survey now

PhD Defense: Comparing MVPA, EE, RPE, & Enjoyment in Adolescents Playing Exergames

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 18:27:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I defended my dissertation titled: "Comparing MVPA, Duration, EE, RPE & Enjoyment of Adolescents Playing Exergames". I would like to thank everyone who has been so helpful and instrumental in getting me to this point, especially my Committee Chair Dr. Melissa Bopp; Committee Members: Dr. Linda Caldwell, Dr. R. Scott Kretchmar, Dr. Karl Newell; and Dr. John Challis (former Grad Coordinator) all of Penn State University; PSU & SUNY Cortland Faculty and Staff; the Cortland YMCA staff and participants, and of course my wonderful and loving family. Some of the details have been omitted as the separate papers are in the process of being submitted to separate journals but it gives you a rough estimate of what I was investigating. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Another Deadly Sitting study...and how exergaming can help!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 22:20:00 +0000

10-15-12: These studies are coming out fast and furious, which I think is great because it gives us more ammo in the fight against hypokinetic disease!!!

A meta-analysis (18 studies and included a total of 794,577 participants) showed that your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and death were increased 2x if you sat for long periods of time.

What's even more disturbing (and backs up what other previous studies have found) is that this increased risk is INDEPENDENT of the amount of moderate-to-vigorous PA one gets, so even if you meet the PA guidelines, you are still at risk if you sit for long periods of time throughout the day.

What can you do to protect yourself? Don't sit for long periods of time!!! Office workers, college students, and other occupations that require you to sit for long periods of time are at risk so try and take small breaks every hour or so. Get up and move around, step in place, walk around your building or block, go up and down the stairs, etc. You could even play some active video games and have fun while you're taking a break! It only need be a few minutes to break it up, so active video games would be a great option for this kind of break.

Just because you get your PA for an hour a day doesn't mean you're safe to sit on your bum for the other 23 hours of the day!!!

Reference:
E. G. Wilmot, C. L. Edwardson, F. A. Achana, M. J. Davies, T. Gorely, L. J. Gray, K. Khunti, T. Yates, S. J. H. Biddle. Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetologia, 2012; 55 (11): 2895 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-012-2677-z

Other reports on this study:
http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/why-sitting-is-unhealthy-the-newest-study/benefits-exercise/

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/uol-sfp101112.php
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121015090048.htm

Cooper Institute gets into serious video games!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:05:00 +0000

8-28-12: The world-famous Cooper Institute, the non-profit arm of the Cooper Aerobic Center in Dallas, TX, has gotten into serious video games. Just came across this entry for The Quest to Lava Mountain in a contest for childhood obesity. You can see the trailer here and vote for it if you like it! Strictly a nutritional video game, but with the Cooper Institute getting into serious games, do you think that an exergame can't be far behind??? ;-)

Exergames good first step, according to Peng

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:48:00 +0000

8-8-12: For those who have been in the field of exergaming for some time, this just published article on the effectiveness of exergames to increase physical activity is not new. We all know that certain games, in certain settings, can get the target population--sedentary Americans--in the moderate to vig. level fairly easily, while many other exergames will only get them in the "low intensity" level.

That's like saying swimming isn't as good a cardiovascular workout as it's cracked out to be because some just splash around or walk in the shallow end...even though many swim competitively or play water polo, both very vigorous cardiovascular activities.

Read this review about this RWJF sponsored research in this e-health newsletter I subscribe to.

By the way, some of the latest research in physical activity and hypokinetic disease is focusing on the "other 23 hours"...and how sedentary we are, even AFTER doing our 1 hour of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity a day! Here is where exergaming can really make a huge impact!!!

Some of the latest cancer research talks about how just 1-2 minutes of movement every hour will lower cancer biomarkers...and this is independent of your doing the prescribed 1 hour a day of MVPA!!! (Read more about that in my Physical Activity Evangelist blog)

So instead of blasting exergames for not being "exercise" enough, why not focus on how exergames can help REDUCE CANCER biomarkers and impact the "other 23 hours"???

Exergaming: Preaching to the Converted

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 13:47:00 +0000

Reaching the "Hard to Reach" through Social Media

Photo by ExergameLab http://exergamelab.org

The concepts of obesity, physical activity and health are globally recognized and linked. Ideas and questions are shared within social media without international boundaries and eagerly expanded or answers suggested. Video gaming is also a global concept, with worldwide release dates for premium games and global communities of online players. Stories around these topics tend to cause a social media "buzz".

Exergaming is an innovative bridge from video gaming to health, that has been demonstrated in almost every country, but exergaming is not intrinsically a social media buzz-category. Why is that? It could be the approach exergaming stories should be shared needs to be different to take into account the relative infancy of the proven exergaming concept.Over recent months I have seen the success and acceptance of exergaming in social media though what was once called "cross-posting".

Cross-posting is a term that was used in bulletin boards and news groups of the old Web 1.0 and involves repeating information in different areas. Given the amount of social media available to be consumed via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sources, this practice is useful today in order to reach the intended audience. In fact I intend to "cross-post" this blog post! When a story is posted there is the opportunity for readers to interact for example by "liking" or "retweeting" - a comparative measure for cross posts..

Judging the reaction by the number of "likes and comments" on exergaming cross-posts this year it is apparent that only "preaching to the converted" is working! There are very few reactions to exergaming stories in PE and physical activity forums, but plenty in exergaming circles. The most effective social circle for reaching audience is clearly The Exergame Network. The only other notable forum for exergaming is Games for Health. Both The Exergame Network (TEN) and the Games for Health organization, with its US and European factions and related Games for Health Journal, are global organizations.

There are two conclusions that can be drawn from my recent observations. Firstly, there are simply not enough knowledgeable or passionate individuals in the field of exergaming (at the moment) to sustain a buzz in anything less than a global forum. National and regional scope simply does not reach the tipping point to build momentum. I have seen individuals go it alone, and the only outcome being they fall out of the flock of exergamers!

Lastly I am concluding that approaching exergaming like it has the social kudos of gaming or fitness is the wrong approach. For exergaming "Preaching to the Converted" is all that really works. How should the approach change then? Increase those that are converted! Invite PE and physical activity advocates into The Exergame Network and Games for Health spaces, so they can consume exergaming stories, ask questions and make suggestions is a positive collaboration instead of a skeptical minority.

First posted by Richard Coshott at http://gamercize.blogspot.com/2012/08/exergaming-preaching-to-converted.html

Gamer Health Record (GHR) debuts as Kinect PlayFit to track exergaming calories

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 14:53:00 +0000

Read the Full Story at ExergameLab

Launching today on Xbox Live is a free new downloadable dashboard for Xbox LIVE members. Kinect PlayFit is hoping to be a stepping stone to the Holy Grail of the Quantified-Self movement as it will track the time and calories you burn while playing exergames like Dance Central 2 and Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012. Indeed it is the first time a major console will integrate fitness tracking across games as previously it only existed in game info from games like DDR, EA SPORTS Active, and EyeToy Kinetic.

Exergaming Points to Ponder (ExP2P)

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving Kinect PlayFit.

Games for Health 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 02:48:00 +0000

Jump into Exergaming

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:01:00 +0000

The Exergame Network (TEN) is a not for profit advocacy group promoting exergaming and wishes to give students new opportunities to research this exciting new field.

The Exergame Network Chairman of the Board, Richard Coshott, will undertake a sponsored skydive in August this year to raise awareness and money for TEN towards funding students study designs into research reality. TEN will be inviting students to submit study designs for consideration by the board of directors towards an award.

Awards will be made in October and not limited to funding but include donation or free borrowing of exergame equipment and, most valuable, expertise from TEN exergaming researchers in to form of help, advice and study quality assurance.

"I am raising money by way of a sponsored skydive in August 2012 to provide TEN with funds to support aspirations towards quality research in exergaming, by engaging the new generation of researchers. The skydive is a solo jump, which represents the leap of faith and commitment of purpose we would expect to see in candidate submissions into the field of exergaming research from the students." said TEN Chairman Richard Coshott.

The Exergame Network already freely provides a rich source of exergame information at it's wiki http://exergaming.pbworks.com and is supported by the sectors leading, independent experts. The awards for the Future of Exergaming Research will be made by TEN following an international invitation for study designs open to all universities across the globe.

Please support the inititive by showing your support at https://www.fundraise.com/the-exergame-network/active-gamer. All donations will be attributed directly to award winners, full details of the contest will be available via TEN.

Can Wii Fit #Exergame Help Elderly With Balance & Gait?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:17:00 +0000

The authors wanted to know if playing 3 Wii Fit games (50/50 Challenge, Ski Slalom and Soccer) would be comparable to a typical dynamic functional task, such as gait.

Click here to read the results from this study on Exergame Lab...

Active Play PALA+ Challenge for #exergames

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:51:00 +0000

The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition has updated its physical activity logging to include #exergames. In its recent announcement the PCFSN "ESA member companies will incorporate PALA+ promotional features into some of their most popular active video games to educate video gamers on how they can use technology to get physically active and earn PALA+."

Click here to read the rest of the story on ExerGame Lab

Remember ...The 8th Annual Games for Health Conference in Boston, MA at the Hyatt Harboside Hotel is June 12-14 -- under one month away! Register today at: http://www.regonline.com/gbew2012

Additional Games for Health Keynotes!
Constance Steinkuehler Squire, senior policy analyst for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, will discuss the opportunities for videogames to address national challenges, including those in health, health care, and biotechnology.

Bill Crounse, MD, senior director of worldwide health for Microsoft, will present “Connecting & Kinecting Health and Health Care,” which will explore how Microsoft and its partners are merging its information and game technologies to create global solutions for personal health and professional health care.

Jane McGonigal, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of SuperBetter Labs, will highlight the design and release of SuperBetter, a game-based social application designed to help people boost personal resilience and lead healthier, longer, and more positive lives.

To see all the latest scheduled sessions please visit:

Our Schedule Block Page

You can also follow us on Twitter.

Miami schools using exergaming for $100,000 prize

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:33:00 +0000

View the full story here - http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21007542111844/

Gaming is Good for You (Infographic)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:44:00 +0000

Source: Frugal Dad

AAHPERD Exergaming Presentations - TEN has the Power

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 13:03:00 +0000

There are two pages of academic presentations and poster session on the subject of exergaming at the AAHPERD Nationals in Boston this year. Sadly Boston is experiencing power issues that shut down the conference yesterday and are likley to impact today's proceedings.

TEN will help presenters disemminate their studies and ideas by publishing them on The Exergame Network slideshare profile (http://www.slideshare.net/ExergameNetwork) and futher social media distribution via Twitter and Facebook.

If you have an exergaming presentation that has been cancelled, please email info@exergamenetwork.org with a link to your session outline on the AAHPERD site (for example http://aahperd.confex.com/aahperd/2012/webprogram/Session52322.html) and attach a copy of your presentation or poster. TEN will do the rest for you!

ExerGame Workshop at AAHPERD 2012 Rocked

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:35:00 +0000

We had a great morning with all the presenters and attendees discovering the many faces of exergaming and ways to implement them into any curriculum to accomplish your intended learning outcomes (specific learning outcomes/ objectives) which should be the main focus of any lesson/unit plan.

From no or little technology or to full blown exergaming systems, our star-studded cast of presenters helped attendees to feel the difference when some form of technology is used appropriately.

A special thank you to the teacher-candidates and student-teachers from SUNY Cortland who came a day earlier than the rest of the gang to help lead games, give suggestions for using technology, and be so supportive of all the presenters. They're already talking about making North Carolina in 2013 even better!

Exergaming PreConference Event at AAHPERD

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 13:47:00 +0000

The largest gathering of physical education professionals in the country will take place next week for the 127th National Convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in Boston.

This will be the 2nd annual Let’s Move in School Showcase with more than 200 Boston Public School children showcasing the different ways they receive the nationally recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day with celebrity athletes cheering them on!

As a Preconference to the event some of the most renowned educators and professionals in the country will demonstrate the implementation of technology into physical education under the title 104 Exergame Workshop: United We Move Toward Active Games 4 Health.

This event will take place Tuesday, March 13th 2012 in Room 304/306 in the Convention Center from 8:00am-12:00pm.

This experiential, multidisciplinary workshop will focus on how exergames (video games that require physical exertion to play) can be used as a means to accumulate more physical activity in today’s sedentary society. Our panel will lead live demonstrations and competitions on the use and benefits of exergames in schools, fitness clubs, and at home. Don’t miss your chance to meet the leaders in exergaming from education, health care, advocacy, fitness, research, manufacturing, and marketing.

We hope you will join us for this wonderful opportunity to learn how technology is a significant part of physical education. Many thanks to Stephen Yang (http://www.exergamelab.org/) of SUNY Cortland for his continued work in making these workshops work! Follow Stephen on twitter @ExergameLab

(Originally posted at : http://blog.motionfitness.com/?p=1399)