Exergaming Evangelist's Soapbox

Targeting Sedentarianism with exergaming!

2012-01-11T16:02:00.000-08:00

1-11-12: Happy New Year! I hope that you have a great holiday break. I'm sure many received some sort of exergame (such as a Wii or Kinect), and are using it to stay active in the new year.

As I look back on the last few years in the field of exergaming, a lot of the attention has been focused on using exergames as a way to increase physical activity (PA) and to be used as a new intervention for an exercise prescription (Exercise Rx).

However, in just the last year, I've noticed a new focus coming up...that of decreasing sedentary behavior. At first glance, this may seem like 2 sides of the same coin or mere semantics, but in fact, evidence is coming out that shows sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor compared to not doing the your exercise Rx.

In other words, someone who is doing their regular exercise Rx of 30 mins, 5x/wk, but then then is totally sedentary the other 23+ hours of the day (sleep, sitting at work, driving, etc.), is almost at the same risk as not doing your Exer. Rx at all!!! In other words, doing your workout does NOT protect you from being a couch potato the other 23 hours of the day!!!

A study that just came out highlights this in youth. Published by the American College of Sports Medicine, you can read more about it here.

What I like about this new focus is that now, instead of seeing which exergames meet the moderate to vigorous levels of intensity to qualify as "exercise", we are just focused on kids (and adults) being less sedentary!!! They talk about the benefits of JUST STANDING while talking on the phone, for example. With this level of physical activity, EVERY SINGLE exergame would qualify as an tool to decrease sedentary behavior!!!

Imagine schools, workplaces, homes, taking "sedentary vaccinations" by playing a game or two of some popular exergame every hour. It would be a nice mental break as well as a physical activity against sedentarianism.

I think we should encourage more research into the viability and effectiveness of exergames to break sedentary behavior. Then maybe, exergames will be more fully accepted by all those in the sports medicine and healthcare fields and promoted as a tool for their patients/client.

What do you think? Feel free to comment here or e-mail me at xrgamer1@gmail.com or post a message on my Facebook wall (Exergaming Interventionist).

New games 4 health journal debuts Feb!

2012-01-05T14:02:00.001-08:00

This was copied from an e-mail update from the publishers of this new journal...enjoy! And if you're in this space, you definitely should subscribe to this journal. (Disclosure: I'm a member of the editorial board of this journal, but even if I wasn't, I would still encourage everyone to subscribe and support this new journal, our only journal dedicated to games for health!)

The team behind Games for Health Journal wishes you a happy 2012 - a very promising year for health games research, development, and clinical applications and the launch of our print and online journal—powerful new resources to share and shape developments in this burgeoning field.
And we came a long way in 2011. One of the developments of the year that caught my eye was Pamela Kato's work in validating the effectiveness of health games. While this is clearly early work, my sense is that as games become more popular vehicles for academic and clinical researchers to explore the theoretical potential for improving health, everyone from prescribing health care professionals to insurers to the families of the prospective end-users will seek assurance of the effectiveness and duration of game-influenced changes. Dr. Kato's clinical brief, Confirming Efficacy: Validating the Results of Health Games is featured in our upcoming inaugural issue of the Journal.

With that, I'd like to take a moment to remind you all to subscribe now using the link below to ensure you will receive the inaugural issue of Games for Health Journal when it debuts in February. We have a very strong first issue with a powerful roundtable, interview, and profiles of health game innovators, as well as seven very interesting original articles, three informative clinical briefs, and additional content that will be of interest and use to all of us engaged in the many aspects of health games.

I welcome your feedback regarding this e-newsletter. The Games for Health Industry Insider was originally launched to develop relationships with journal subscribers, authors, reviewers and the many other health game stakeholders. I hope the e-newsletter is achieving these goals. Please email me at bferguson@liebertpub.com to share your suggestions, comments, kudos, and criticisms of the Games for Health Industry Insider.

Thank you. Have a healthy, happy, prosperous new year.

Bill Ferguson, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publisher's Games for Health Industry Insider
Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications

January 05, 2012

New Health Game Platform Connects Consumers and Insurers
Washington, D.C.-based Audax Health, Inc. will soon offer a gaming platform designed to enable large insurers to offer incentives such as reduced premiums to their members with the goal of healthier member habits. Audax Chief Executive Officer Grant Verstandig recently said the innovative start-up has raised $16.5 million in angel funding and a Series A round from a very impressive roster of investors that includes former Apple Inc. Chief Executive John Sculley, former Aetna Inc. Chief Executive Jack Roe, current TIAA-CREF Chief Executive Roger Ferguson and New Leaf Venture Partners. Additionally, the company has put together a seasoned executive team with Chief Technology Officer Thor Ernsston, who came to the company from Zynga Inc., where he helped run Farmville, and other key executives from WebMD Inc. and the social network Ning Inc. Audax’ Careverge platform is intended to attract consumers for all information and all socializing related to their health, Verstandig said. Consumers will be able to access the site for free and Audax will garner much of its revenue from the large health-insurance providers who will also want to use the site, he said. The providers will be able to offer incentives-including lowered premiums-to members of their insurance plans in exchange for the members adopting healthier habits, something that can save insurers money in the long run, according to Verstandig.

Videogames Engage Patient Interest, Provide Needed Exercise
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has found that many physical therapists are currently integrating the use of videogame consoles, such as the Kinect for Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii into their care protocols because the videogames engage the attention and interest of the patient while giving him or her the physical movement and exercise they need. The Hopkins team of experts concluded, “Although professionals in the medical field need to conduct further research to determine the physical therapy benefits and how the games help meet these goals, many physical therapists are carefully considering the integration of motion gaming as a patient treatment into their curriculum.” More information here

New Online Videogame Redirects Frustration
The new video game Free Mmorpg has been created to help people deal with stress and to avoid resultant self-destructive behaviors by increasing self-esteem. According to the Urban Alliance Foundation, many people who are fond of playing online videogames are introverted. Frequently when this population is under a great deal of stress, they seek something that will either bring them joy or help them to forget that the problem exists. According to the Foundation, this often shy population frequently seeks solace from smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, or addictive drugs to escape their stress. A better approach, they report, is to communicate with real people in the virtual world via online games. Success in the virtual game environment often translates to higher self-esteem and reduced stress. More information here

Personal Growth Apps Score with Young Adults
Mindbloom® sees a trend of young adults embracing online and mobile apps for personal growth over self-help books and life coaches. Discovering that nearly 65 percent of its users are young adults, Mindbloom found that young adults were four times more likely than baby boomers to use its Life Game mobile and Web app, which are designed to inspire people to define what's important, discover what motivates them, and take meaningful daily actions in all areas of their life. Throughout 2011, 80 percent of users focused on their health as their number one life priority by committing to simple actions like drinking more water, getting more sleep, and walking topping the list. Relationship-focused commitments like calling parents, spending time with close friends or saying 'I love you' followed health-related activities with about 70 percent interest from both genders. More information here

The Travails of Game Developers Subject of Sundance Indie Film
Health game developers may take comfort in knowing their challenges have caught the eye of an independent movie producer. A new film titled “Indie Game: The Movie” chronicles the desperate efforts of Edmund McMullen and his partner, Tommy Refenes to cram four months' worth of work into a two-month span if they want their new game to have any chance of success. Microsoft was offering to feature their game "Super Meat Boy" on the Xbox Live Arcade, the console system's downloadable game marketplace, but it needed to be finished for the October 2010 independent-game promotion. Canadian filmmakers James Swirsky and Lisanne Pajot were planning a documentary on indie games and the people who make them--artists who forgo day jobs, the chance to work on the next "blockbuster" game, and even a measure of social interaction to bring their own visions to interactive life--and met Team Meat at the March 2010 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. The resulting film is set to premiere Jan. 20 at the Sundance Film Festival, one of 12 selections in the World Documentary category.

Burgeoning Eldercare Attracts Health Games Treatments
Medical authorities in Singapore are deploying the latest technology as their rapidly aging population prepares for a "silver tsunami" as a result of longer life spans. Compounded by lower birth rates, the average age of Singaporeans is rapidly increasing. By 2030 an estimated 20 percent of the population will be 65 years or older, compared to 9.3 percent at present. To better prepare themselves for the demographic explosion, hospitals in the affluent city-state of five million people are using the latest available technology to augment their limited pool of health personnel. Bala Rajaratnam, a lecturer at the School of Health Sciences at Nanyang Polytechnic in Singapore, states that new technologies including videogames “empower clients to take control over their recovery as well as maximize therapy time.” Future physical therapists at Nanyang Polytechnic use video game platforms such as the Nintendo Wii to help patients recover more quickly than they would using conventional methods. Other medical institutions in Singapore such as KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital as well as Changi General Hospital are also using videogames as part of their repertoire of therapy. “The targeted patient population includes people with neurological conditions such as stroke, acquired brain injury, and Parkinson’s Disease,” said Jean Tan, a senior physiotherapist at Changi who goes on to say, “Any patients with balance deficits and decreased arm function will also benefit from these games.”

Mindset Differences Impact Response, Outcomes of Serious Games
Researchers at Michigan State University have found that abstract individual beliefs regarding their flexibility may predict their response and outcome in learning from serious games. According to Y.H. Lee, Carrie Heeter, Brian Magerko, and Ben Medler, “Individuals with growth mindsets believe their abilities can develop with practice and effort, whereas individuals with fixed mindsets believe their abilities are static and cannot improve.” The studies also indicate that growth mindset players performed better than fixed mindset players, their mistakes did not affect their attention to the game, and they are more likely to utilize feedback than fixed mindset players. Growth mindset players were also more likely to actively seek difficult challenges, which are often essential to self-directed learning, according to the researchers. More information here

Adults with Cystic Fibrosis Have Videogame Options
A recent study conducted by researchers at Queensland, Australia’s Allied Health Research Collaborative has found that video game-based exercise provides similar cardiovascular demand as traditional exercise modalities. After studying 19 adults with cystic fibrosis who had been hospitalized for treatment of pulmonary exacerbation, the team concluded that the conventional treadmill or cycle ergometer was no more effective than the video game exercise in heart rate or energy expenditure. However, patients rated the videogames to be “more enjoyable” than the more traditional interventions. A related discussion by Games for Health Journal editorial board member Peter Bingham from the University of Vermont can be found in the inaugural issue of the Journal. More information here

Games are Great Teaching Tool for Physicians
Researchers Laura de Wit-Zuurendonk and Guid Oei from the Department of Obstetrics at Maxima Medical Center in Veldhoven, The Netherlands report videogames are a new resource in medical education. The games have the potential to become an important tool for healthcare professionals for learning a range of techniques including surgical skills, especially for laparoscopy; clinical decision-making; and patient interaction. More information here

Long-time game developer and European University Cyprus assistant professor Georgios Christou has written a very interesting treatise on how to evaluate the usability of a video game. Intended to be applicable for all types of videogames, the assessment process certainly applies to the developers and prescribers of health games to optimize their interest, engagement, utility, and effects.

ABC News technology reviewer Scott Steinberg is launching a new book series, “The Modern Parent’s Guide,” and a companion video, “Family Tech: Technology for Parents and Kids.” One of Steinberg’s assertions is that surgeons who regularly play videogames are generally more skilled at performing laparoscopic surgery. The book goes on to say: “Besides offering medical students the ability to practice on patients (which is much safer in the digital world), simulations offer health care providers several upsides. Chief among them are the abilities to make better choices, see results more clearly, and apply information immediately.” More information here

Games for health experts Katharina Stephenson from the University of Vienna Faculty of Philosophy and Education (Austria); Helmut Hlavacs, head of the research group Entertainment Computing at the University of Vienna; Fredrik Debong, co-founder of MySugr Apps, a startup in Vienna which develops mobile applications conquering diabetes; and Mario Lehenbauer, psychologist and psychological game developer at the Faculty of Psychology at the Vienna University presented their experiences with health-related games at the recent Association of Gaming with a Purpose conference in Vienna. The next Gaming with a Purpose Conference discusses ‘Games on Education’ and will take place on April 17, 2012. More information here

Jason Bond of JasonBondPicks.com is upbeat on investing in health games accessories. According to Bond, Mat Catz Interactive (AMEX:MCZ) which designs, manufactures, markets, sells, and distributes accessories for videogame platforms and personal computers, as well as for iPod and other audio devices, is a good investment for 2012.

Games for Health Journal editorial board member, Kognito CEO Ron Goldman invites all to the next NYC Health Games Meetup which will take place in late January at NYU's Kimball Hall. The time and date will be announced via the link below. The theme of this meeting will be games that are used to support veterans, military personnel, and their families in the areas of health and behavioral health. The meeting will feature two presentations followed by Q&A and networking time. You can RSVP and attendance is free.

Games for Health Journal: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications is a new, bimonthly peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the development, use, and applications of game technology for improving physical and mental health and well-being. The Journal breaks new ground as the first to address this emerging, widely-recognized, and increasingly adopted area of healthcare.
Games are rapidly becoming an important tool for improving health behaviors ranging from healthy lifestyle habits and behavior modification to self-management of illness and chronic conditions to motivating and supporting physical activity. Games are also increasingly used to train health care professionals in methods for diagnosis, medical procedures, patient monitoring, as well as for responding to epidemics and natural disasters.

Games for Health Journal is a must for anyone interested in the research and design of health games that integrate well-tested, evidence-based behavioral health strategies to help improve health behaviors and to support the delivery of care. Learn More Subscribe

Autism & exergaming study!

2011-09-16T16:25:00.001-07:00

9-16-11: Just came across this study on autism and exergaming. Good stuff! Check it out:

http://www.dovepress.com/autism-and-exergaming-effects-on-repetitive-behaviors-and-cognition-peer-reviewed-article-PRBM

Makoto on ESPN!

2011-09-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

9-16-11: Just rec'd the following from a friend...be sure not to miss one of our leading exergaming companies on ESPN!!!!
*****

The new Makoto Arena II is being features on the ESPN Show "Rise UP" on October 4th at 7PM EDT!

Tune in to see how Makoto helped to transform this inner-city Chicago High school and bring a re-energized sense of excitement and enthusiasm to their athletic program.
******

I had the pleasure of checking the Arena II out just before they started shipping last Nov. on a tour of the Makoto facilities with Marian and Dave. Let's just say they had to clean up the drool from their test unit after I left! LOL!

Kudos to Marian and Dave for getting on ESPN! Hopefully someday, the NAGL Finals will be showcased there. (Put in a good word for us, Dave or Marian!).

Exergaming getting hot in healthcare!

2011-09-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

9-8-11: Taken from Mobihealth....good stuff! Ernie

Video games are hot in healthcare right now
Posted By Neil Versel On September 8, 2011

A fringe topic not too long ago, the subject gained a sense of legitimacy in July, when publisher Mary Ann Liebert Inc. introduced a new journal called Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications. The first issue is due out this fall.

That’s right, there’s now a peer-reviewed, scientific journal specifically examining the role video games can play in advancing individual and population health, the healthcare industry and personal wellness. And this week, Liebert announced a companion newsletter called Games for Health Industry Insider, which starts publication on Sept. 29. I can see both titles being good resources for MobiHealthNews.

If you think this is an anomaly or a journal that’s ahead of its time, may I remind you that the Journal of the American Medical Association published a paper earlier this year that said video games deserve “serious attention” in healthcare.

Adding further weight to the notion that gaming can be an important part of healthcare, the University of Missouri just released news about a study underway at the school that incorporates Microsoft Kinect motion-sensing technology to help prevent falls and spot other potential health problems in seniors. A related study uses motion sensors from widely available security systems.

Researchers from Mizzou’s Sinclair School of Nursing and School of Engineering installed Kinect for Xbox 360 in a Columbia, Mo., nursing home and gave wearable sensors to residents to help measure changes in gait, a key indicator of the likelihood of falls. Additional sensors on beds were used to detect changes in sleeping patterns. Alerts get sent to nursing staff when there is a change that might signify a health issue.

“The potential that we’ve learned for early illness detection could revolutionize what’s happening in the way that we diagnose problems of older adults. We know from the research that we can pick things up 10 days to two weeks before critical health-change events happen,” nursing professor Marilyn Rantz said in a video released by the university.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Microsoft itself joined in. On the Microsoft HealthBlog, Dr. Bill Crounse, the Redmond Empire’s senior director for worldwide health, promoted the latest episode of Microsoft Health Tech Today, the company’s online talk show about how the company’s technology is advancing healthcare.

The subject of the newest video? Kinect.

Gaming in health—particularly mobile gaming—also is the subject of a forthcoming MobiHealthNews report. If you recall, Dr. Leslie Saxon, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Center for Body Computing, said last month that she’d like to take a mobile gaming app like Angry Birds and “diabetize it.”

Yes, we’re hearing a lot lately about gaming in health and healthcare. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Ever since Nintendo debuted the Wii Fit as a fitness tool in 2008, gaming for health has started to break out of a niche and become mainstream. It seems as if we’re now reaching critical mass.

Article taken from mobihealthnews - http://mobihealthnews.comURL to article: http://mobihealthnews.com/13078/health-gaming-reaches-critical-mass/

Striiv: a new device that makes daily life an exergame!

2011-09-01T11:20:00.001-07:00

9-1-11: A new product, Striiv, which will come out in Oct., is positioning itself as a device to make daily life an exergame! Read about the full report here.

Stiiv is accepting pre-orders now, though when I tried to place mine, I got an error page so I contacted them and hopefully can get it straightened out.

What's interesting is that other than the $99 initial cost for the device, there are no other subscription fees (so far!), so we'll see what other business models they incorporate.

You can check Stiive out at http://www.striiv.com/.

New peer-reviewed games for health journal!!!

2011-07-13T13:02:00.001-07:00

7-13-11: just rec'd this in my e-mail! Check it out http://tinyurl.com/G4HJournal, especially since it seems to get chopped in half here. Then be sure to subscribe!!!

ON THE WEB

CONTACT US

ShareThis

Contact: Vicki Cohn
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
(914) 740-2100, ext. 2156
vcohn@liebertpub.com

Games for Health: Research, Development,
and Clinical Applications; A Groundbreaking New Journal
on the Applications of Digital Games to Human Health

New Rochelle, NY, July 13, 2011–Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces the launch of Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications (G4H), a new, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the development, use, and applications of game technology for improving physical and mental health and well-being. The Journal breaks new ground as the first to address this emerging, widely-recognized, and increasingly adopted area of healthcare. Published bi-monthly, Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications will be released in fall 2011.

Games are rapidly becoming an important tool for improving health behaviors ranging from healthy lifestyle habits and behavior modification to self-management of illnesses and chronic conditions to motivating and supporting physical activity. Commonly used applications include mobile phone-delivered games that track daily exercise and “exergames” that require physical exertion in order to play (e.g., on platforms such as the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation Move, and Xbox Kinect). Games are also increasingly used to train healthcare professionals in methods for diagnosis, medical procedures, patient monitoring, as well as for responding to epidemics and natural disasters.

Billions of dollars and immeasurable hours of research and development are being invested in developing and employing sophisticated software and technologies that deliver tailored, personalized game-based healthcare interventions. Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications will provide a print and online forum for peer-reviewed research articles, new system and game reviews, field news and reports, convention and event announcements, book reviews, and point-counterpoint discussions to support professionals in the field.

“This research journal will be an authoritative and influential resource for decision makers who purchase, use, prescribe, recommend, design, publish, fund, or invest in digital games for health, and it will serve our research field and its related academic disciplines in many valuable ways,” according to Debra Lieberman, PhD, Director of the Health Games Research national program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “The Journal will be a starting point for anyone interested in the research and design of health games that integrate well-tested, evidence-based behavioral health strategies to help improve health behaviors and to support the delivery of care.”

Forthcoming articles for early issues of Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications include research on the effectiveness and design strategies of:

Games intended to develop the social skills of people with conditions such as autism
Exergames aimed at motivating more activity in physical education classes
An alternate realty game designed to increase physical activity
Exergames for young adults and families
Games to help treat eating disorders and habits such as smoking
Games to improve cognitive function in older adults
The use of simulations to help develop the interpersonal skills of family members of veterans suffering from PTSD

“The benefits of games for health—from autism to Alzheimer’s to heart disease and other illnesses and conditions—are demonstrating significant promise for improving the way people manage their health and for the delivery of care both in and out of the hospital setting,” said Mary Ann Liebert, president and CEO of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. “Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications is a critical and much-needed forum for this evolving area of healthcare.”

The new journal is under the editorial leadership of Bill Ferguson, PhD with expert input from a diverse editorial board which includes researchers: Debra Lieberman, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara); Tom Baranowski, PhD (Baylor School of Medicine); Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD (University of Pennsylvania); Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD (University of California, San Francisco); Peter Bingham, MD (University of Vermont); Barbara Chamberlin, PhD (New Mexico State University); Wei Peng, PhD (Michigan State University); Sam Yohannan PT, MS, (Cornell Medical Center); and many other leaders from the research community. Industry, technology, and other experts on the Editorial Board include Jim Bower, PhD (Whyville), Ron Goldman (Kognito) Benjamin Heckendorn (The Ben Heck Show), Ernie Medina, Dr. P.H. (MedPlay Technologies), Ketan Paranjape BS, MS, MBA (Intel Corporation), Russell Shilling, PhD, Capt. USN (DARPA); and Eric Zuckerman, DO (Pediatric IBD Foundation).

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking; Telemedicine and e-Health; and Population Health Management. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at our website.

This email was sent by: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor New Rochelle, NY, 10801-5215, USA

Interactive tools for increasing fitness

2011-06-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

Check out the latest post on a presentation I did at the recent ACSM Summit in April. You can read about it on my Exrgaming Interventionist blog. (Thx to TEN and Steven Yang for posting!)

Latest CA PE report

2011-05-31T14:54:00.001-07:00

Rec'd this from a colleague over at San Bernardino County Public Health, Pam Sampson!
***************************************

Good afternoon Fit 2Gether partners and LIAs,

Last one for the day. Thought you may be interested in the Health Policy Brief from UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. See summary below, and the policy brief attached or visit, http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/files/adolescentpepb.pdf. …Pam

FYI: CA recommends 200 minutes/every 10 days for elementary and 400 minutes/every 10 days for middle & high school, but NASPE recommends 150 minutes/week plus one 20 minute recess/day for elementary and 225 minutes/week for middle & high school.

__________________________________________________________

May 2011

Adolescent Physical Education and Physical Activity in California

Allison L. Diamant, Susan H. Babey and Joelle Wolstein

S UMMA R Y: In California, more than 1.3 million adolescents (38%) do not participate in physical education (PE) at school, and this rate increases dramatically with age, from just 5% at age 12 to 77% at age 17. In addition, only 19% of teens meet current physical activity recommendations. Participation in PE at school is associated with more overall physical activity. Policies that promote more opportunities for physical activity, including those that help schools meet or exceed current PE requirements, can contribute to greater levels of physical activity for adolescents.

Wrap-up of the 7th Games for Health conf....

2011-05-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

5-26-11: Whew! The 7th Annual Games for Health Conf. is now history. And what a conference it was! This was, by far, the best conf. for me personally, on so many levels. Great people, networking, all the sessions, expo tent, new products, after-hour socials, kicking off mobile Adventure Walks and NAGL...the list could go on and on. Even the rainy overcast weather couldn't dampen the excitement that ran through the conference, at least for me.

Maybe it was because I was so dang busy! LOL! Besides kicking off and promoting 2 new start-ups with friends there, I had 2 presentations and was on Team 5METS in competition with a team of young hotshot developers from UC Berkeley, led by just-graduated Ann Beaver and friends. (Ok, we lost, but we did our best and they were great sports. Next year, we'll be sure to take our Ben Gay and Geritol to better our chances! LOL!)

Kudos to Ben Sawyer and Beth Bryant for all their hard work in organizing and putting this conference on. (Hope Beth is enjoying her new MacAir that she received Wed. night for her b-day!) Also great job by Ed Kasanders and Parker Johnson (Motion Fitness) for organizing and running the exergame expo tent. The times that I was there, it was quite busy and people were playing the games and getting involved. (Special thanks for allowing MedPlay Tech's newest employee, Elena Butoiu, to work and train under your guidance. She learned a lot in this intensive exergaming experience!)

I'm going to try and highlight some key things here for me. I've included links below for other wrap ups (as I get them), URLs to pictures, and where you can find the presentations.

If you want to feel like you were there, check out the tweet thread by searching for #g4h11 and see what many of us were tweeting during the conference!

Let me start by talking about some cool innovative stuff I found there that I think you might be interested in:

1. Zamzee - We've been hearing about this HopeLab initiative for a few years now. Well it's about to come to fruition this summer! Check out their website! For those who don't know, this is a kid-friendly accelerometer that is connected with an online incentive reward program. Take more steps, earn more Zamzee points to get prizes!

2. S2H - Here's another accelerometer-based incentive reward system for all ages. I'm wearing the wrist band now and for every 60 mins. of activity, I enter in a code that will help me accrue points which I can use to get prize. Available now.

3. mobile Adventure Walks - We did a demo walk on the Back Bay and it was a blast, even in the rain! Looking for clues and solving the riddles makes this walking app more appealing and inviting. It's not just another tracking device! Sign up for updates at the website, this free app will be available this summer.

4. NAGL - The National Active Gaming League kicked off here at G4H. Still in construction, this league for "active gaming athletes" will provide structure and training to those wanting to be involved on a team and go to competitions and meets. Learn more about this and how you can get involved at our website (a HUGE thanks to Tommy Seilheimer for getting our website up and running the week before the conf!) A drawing for a Xavix Tennis system is still going on today so sign up for our e-newsletter today! (Another huge thanks to SSD's Peter Newman for being the first official NAGL sponsor with this donation!)

5. Positive Psychology - I wasn't expecting to learn something on psychology, but one of the key notes, Dr. Martin Seligman, who is the "father of positive psychology", was awesome! You may be wondering how this relates to games for health...well you'll just have to get his book, "Flourish", and find out! Here's a clue: Jane McGonical is mentioned in the book, so he definitely talks about video games. I bought his book there, he signed it, and I started reading it on the flight home. It's amazing and a must-read! I even ordered one for a friend who was there but missed his talk. You can also go to his website and learn more about positive psychology, take any of his assessment tests for free, etc. Great call by Ben and Beth for being able to get him to speak!

5. President's Council on Sports, Nutrition, and Fitness - While there were many excellent sessions on a wide variety of topics, one that stands out in my mind is the session by PCSNF Exec. Dir. Shellie Pohfl. She talked about how "active gaming" can be used as a tool for increasing movement and physical activity, and that she looks forward to integrating and collaborating more with the active gaming community! Great to have that kind of support from the federal level. Next stop: Let's Move!!!

WRAP UP
Motion Fitness's wrap up
TEN
TEN blog

PIXS (these are mine from Facebook albums)
Pre-conf (mobile track)
Day 1
Day 2

PRESENTATIONS
www.slideshare.net, search "Games for Health 2011"
TEN presentation

If you have links to more pictures, video clips, wrap-ups, presentations, etc., feel free to e-mail them to me so I can add them to this blog.

Enjoy! Already looking forward to Games for Health 2012! Be sure to save the date: June 6-8, 2012, Boston, MA, Hyatt Harborside.

Can Wii make you fit?

2011-05-22T09:47:00.001-07:00

5-22-11: Check out this article that quotes some character named Medina! ;-)

http://www.myhealthnewsdaily.com/can-wii-make-you-fit-the-arguments-for-and-against-1530/

Game Makers Push Fitness - CNBC

2011-05-22T06:53:00.000-07:00

Healthy Business — Special Report — Game Makers Push Fitness To Health Clubs - CNBC

5-22-11: A good intro article with quotes from Motion Fitness's Ed Kasanders and researcher guru Dr. Ann Maloney. Glad to see exergaming getting exposure on CNBC! At least they didn't say that exergames were totally useless. ;-)

As for Fuze Fit's Dave Jame's comments on kid's picking the Trampoline over the Wii, it's too bad that they didn't print the rest of what he probably said: that there are a lot of other kids who would prefer the wii over the trampoline!

The bottom line is that we need to use ALL the tools available to us--exergaming tools AND traditional exercise tools--to get kids to move more. Just because some kids choose the trampoline over the Wii doesn't mean exergames are a waste--NO! As long as they are moving more than they were...that's the key!!!

In my experience with the Xrtainment Zone, our kids overweight classes (Family Fit Zone), & our classes at Beaver Med Group, exergames DO reach kids who aren't into the traditional, so I'm grateful we have this tool to use!

Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH
Exergaming Interventionist
MedPlayTech.com

Can exergames replace treadmill workouts?

2011-05-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

5-12-11 Thx to Exergaming Evangelist from Down Under, Brett, for tweeting and posting this on FB!

Heart Rate and Perceived Exertion During Self-Selected Intensities for Exergaming Compared to Traditional Exercise in College-Age Participants

Kraft, Justin A; Russell, William D; Bowman, Tracy A; Selsor, Clifford W III; Foster, Grant D

Check out this just published article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, March 2011.

They compared workouts on DDR and Gamebike to treadmill and here's what they found:

"Results support that exergames are capable of eliciting physiological responses necessary for fitness improvements. Practitioners might consider exergames as periodic activity options for clients needing motivation to be regularly active."

The evidence just keeps coming out that certain exergames CAN reach the MVPA level!

Military uses DDR to read satellite data

2011-05-11T09:05:00.000-07:00

5-11-11: Thx to Dr. Ann Maloney for this link...interesting! Read how the military is using DDR to read satellite images. Click here.

Games for Health conf. less than wk away!

2011-05-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

The 7th Annual Games for Health Conference in Boston, MA is May 17-19, now just over one week away!

Over three days we have scheduled over 100 talks covering a complete gamut of opportunities for videogames and videogame technologies in health and healthcare.

Registration fees will be rising soon. Register today and receive 10% off the current ticket price using the discount code BOST11.

To see schedules and register visit: http://bit.ly/gfh2011

FREE PASS OFFER
To see if you qualify for our free pass for sensor-based developers and researchers visit: http://bit.ly/mLR3De

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Three days featuring 120+ speakers and over 80 talks, two networking receptions, contests, group activities, and more.

Day 1 Keynote
Positive Psychology -> Positive Computing -> Positive Videogames
Dr. Martin Seligman, The Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania

Day 2 Keynote
"The Last Mile Doesn't Have to be the Hardest: Solving Problems Between Games and Health"
Dr. Roni Zeiger, Google

Featured Talk
"Gaming Your Way to a Healthier Lifestyle" by Shellie Pfohl, Executive Director, The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition

A games for health briefing by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

A panel on gamification ideas applied to various issues in health, including exercise, and healthy living

GameShare - A special project and presentation developed with Ben Heckendorn of BenHeck.com

To see the latest scheduled sessions please visit:
http://www.gamesforhealth.org/index.php/conferences/gfh-2011/sched201-block/

For up-to-date conference information please visit:
http://www.gamesforhealth.org/index.php/conferences/gfh-2011/

GAMES FOR HEALTH FEATURES THREE DAYS OF EVENTS...

May 17: Pre-conference Events & Workshops

Out & About II: Mobile Serious Games

Ludica Medica I: Game-based Medical Modeling, Simulation & Education

Enabled Play: 4th Annual Games Accessibility Day

NEW!!! Games for Health Sensor Day

May 18-19: 7th Annual Games for Health Conference
Multiple tracks of great content including...

Open Content Tracks
Exergaming & Active Gaming
Cognitive & Emotional Health
Sensorimotor Rehab
Nutrition & Games
Social Games & Virtual Worlds
Sensor Games for Health

The 7th Annual Games for Health Conference is just over two weeks away.

Registration fees will be rising soon. Register today and receive 10% off the current ticket price using the discount code BOS11.

To see schedules and register visit: http://bit.ly/gfh2011

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. The Games for Health Project is produced by the Serious Games Initiative, a Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars effort that applies cutting-edge games and game technologies to a range of public and private policy, leadership, and management issues.

Exergaming in AHA's Circulation journal!

2011-04-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

4-25-11: My job in the clinic doesn't require me to publish like my academic colleagues, so it's cool to see something published that I co-authored with legends Debra Lieberman and Barbara Chamberlin, and others. This particular article contains a summary of exergames, state of field, and future considerations.

This was published from our presentation during the 2nd day of the Power of Play Summit, hosted by the Amer. Heart Assoc., and Nintendo. (These are pictures from the summit held Jan. 2011.)

You can check out the actual article here.

Wii board used for kid's rehab walking game

2011-04-17T07:10:00.000-07:00

4-17-11: Check out what engineering and computer sci students at Rice Univ. have done to help kids at Shriner's. They've modded together several Wii Fit boards and created a game to help kids who are getting rehab to walk! Great job to these students!!! Click on the article here.

Our big conference: Games for Health 2011!

2011-04-12T20:34:00.001-07:00

Anyone and everyone who is someone in games for health will be there--will you?

The 7th Annual Games for Health Conference is coming this May 17-19 in Boston, MA. The event which brings together a variety of researchers, game developers, and health professionals to review, brainstorm, and collaborate on how videogames, and videogame technologies are finding new roles in health & healthcare.

There are major tracks on exergaming, sensorimotor rehab, nutrition games, medical training, and cognitive & emotional health. Pre-conference events focus on mobile games, game accessibility, and medical modeling & simulation.

The opening keynote is Dr. Martin Seligman, widely known as the father of positive psychology. He will deliver a speech titled Positive Psychology>Positive Computing>Positive Videogames.

If you're interested in this further you can click the following link to read more on the Games for Health website: http://bit.ly/gfh2011

Girl's BMI doubles!

2011-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

4-11-11: A sobering story about our efforts with pediatric obesity in our county (San Bernardino county) and CA in general. Read about that latest pediatric obesity rates in today's story that came out in the San Bernardino Sun here.

What can be done? Notice how video games" are mentionedd several times as the culprit...unfortunately, it still is in vogue to pick on the "bad video games" and not other forms of sedentary-inducing activities like TV watching, computer usage, even reading (heaven-forbid we pick on that! ;-). Exergaming (i.e. active gaming), of course, can get all these video-gaming couch potatoes active again, especially since many of these kids are not into the traditional forms of physical activity.

Video games aren't going away, so instead of blaming them, we can use them to INCREASE physical activity in the very population of kids who love video games the most! This is a win-win for everyone.

Even better, imagine a system, similar to USA Swimming where my daughter, Summer, was on the Redlands Swim Team for 6 years. She trained with the coaches 5x/wk, from 1-2 hrs a day. When she was older, they added "dry land" exercises to augment their in-pool training. She would work on her technique and times, and then once a month, enter swim meets all around the IE. Over the years, she collected hundreds of ribbons and medals which she had hanging on the walls in her bedroom.

Soon, we will have a similar non-profit org called the National Active Gaming League (NAGL) where we will have teams of kids who will train on various exergames (active video games) to learn strategy and technique, and also train with more traditional forms of exercise to improve their game scores. We will go to local, regional, and county meets, and eventually, national meets (the National Spelling Bee final is on ESPN--why not the NAGL Final?). This will give kids a structured format to train and get exercise, have fun with other kids, and train for a goal of doing their best in tournaments.

We are looking to launch a pilot of the NAGL this summer, so if any parents are interested in getting their video-gaming kids involved with the NAGL, feel free to contact us at xrgamer1@gmail.com.

By using the "enemy", we can get these rising BMI stats turned around!!!

PS. In this article, UCLA's Center for Health Research put the blame on, "They blame the increase on youths' sedentary lifestyle, which is often instigated by prevalence of video games and lack of opportunity or motivation to play outside."

The good news is that new mobile games and apps are being developed that address this! Companies such as Perpetual Motion Partners (PMP) are developing mobile app games that get players walking outside, motivating them with a fun scavenger hunt to play! One example is Mobile Adventure Walks! For more info, a promo video, and updates when the app is available, go to mobileadventurewalks.com.

Quick trip to San Diego!

2011-03-30T07:12:00.000-07:00

3-30-11: Shortly after lunch, a friend, Megan, and I took a quick trip to San Diego to meet up with the large gathering of exergaming friends from around the world. They had just finished putting on one of the best exergaming workshops for all the PE folks at the AAHPERD annual conference that AM and were now relaxing at Lounge 6.

Before that, we visited Peter Newman's office to see some of his latest products. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pixs of our visit there so sorry about that!

Here are a few shots from our quick trip (got back after midnight last night!) yesterday....

Great seeing everyone, especially Brett from NZ! The next time I'll be seeing them is in Boston for Games for Health. Then, I'll be able to hang out with the gang longer!

Exergaming goes mobile!

2011-03-28T08:36:00.001-07:00

Announcing Perpetual Motion Partner's' (PMP) first health game app! View the trailer and go to our website and sign up for the updates. You can also submit an idea for your own adventure trail!

http://www.mobileadventurewalks.com/

We're trying to go viral and could use your help in getting our product funded so we can create mobile adventure walks anywhere!

Know anyone who is into walking? Help us spread it to your network of friends and invite them to sign up for updates as well or to submit an idea for a walk in your area!

Thanks!

PE and videogames by USF

2011-03-24T07:54:00.000-07:00

Video games and physical fitness: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

ExerGame Lab: Move & Kinect Square Off

2011-03-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

ExerGame Lab: Move & Kinect Square Off

LA Times article on exergaming

2011-03-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

3-13-11: nice article came out today in LA Times. Glad George made it in! Check it out here.

More proof exergames can reach moderate intensity!

2011-03-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

3-11-11: Over the last few days, I've been excited to see the latest study by Bailey & McInnis, published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, showing that exergames can get players to reach the moderate to vigorous intensity levels, being talked about all over the net. (WebMD, Kotaku, VOA, Switched, Montreal Gazette, MedConnect, Google News listing)

Exergames can reach MVPA
This joins a growing body of research showing that certain types of exergames can be used to reach the moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity (MVPA). (See the list of research in The Exergame Network database, the Exergames Unlocked database, and Health Games Research database.)

Ever since the latest federal recommendations for physical activity came out in 2008, I've been saying that certain exergames can help Americans fulfill these recommendations, so it's nice to see more and more research supporting this this idea.

We know that exergames can overcome many of the obstacles faced in motivating people to be more physically active. We know that exergames can be appropriate interventions for reaching the PA recommendations.

Will they keep playing long enough to see the benefit?
What we don't know for sure yet is if players will keep playing long enough to gain the biometric benefits (reduced weight, lowered BP, reduced blood markers, etc.) those of us in healthcare desire to see.

Another recent study published online in Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise (MSSE) concluded that "...active video games can significantly increase energy expended during screen time, but these games are less enjoyable than other more sedentary games, suggesting that they may be less likely to be played over time...".

NAGL to the rescue?
This is an organization like the now-forming National Active Gaming League (NAGL) can help address this "less enjoyment" factor and long-term compliance.

Just like swimming laps during a swim team practice is less enjoyable than playing Marco Polo at a swimming b-day party, organizing teams and training together for upcoming NAGL tournaments can empower kids and adults to "train" on exergames at a new level.

The structure provided by NAGL can give exergaming teams and "AGAs" (active gaming athletes) a reason to continue to train for the right duration and intensity.

A Prediction
Someday, the NAGL will be as effective at getting kids and adults to reach MVPA as the National Spelling Bee is at getting kids to study and compete in spelling. Then maybe someday, we will see the NAGL national finals on ESPN, just like the National Spelling finals!

VR tech symposium on DM and Obesity published!

2011-03-04T09:48:00.000-08:00

3-4-11: Last summer, a group of games for health and exergaming colleagues presented at this NIH-sponsored symposium looking at virtual reality technology in research and education on diabetes and obesity.

Just rec'd the link that the March 2011 issue of the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology just came out so if you'd like to see all the various presentations in articles, check out this link:

J Diabetes Science and Technology, Vol. 5, #2, March 2011

Thx to Skip Rizzo for inviting us to present and co-organizing this event. Games for health and exergaming had a lot of presence here at this symposium, and we were able to network and get better acquainted with quite a few NIH folks.

BTW, my presentation was part of an article by Barb Ruppert (along with Ben Sawyer's presentation), which you can read here in this abstract:

"New Directions in Virtual Environments and Gaming to Address Obesity and Diabetes: Industry Perspective"
by Barb Ruppert, M.A.Ed.

Author Affiliations: Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, Frederick, Maryland

Keywords: exercise games, exergames, gaming for health, medical virtual environments, virtual reality

Corresponding Author: Barb Ruppert, M.A.Ed., 271 Crum Rd., Fairfield, PA 17320; email address ruppertwritingworks@earthlink.net
Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology
Volume 5, Issue 2, March 2011 © Diabetes Technology Society

Abstract
Virtual reality is increasingly used for education and treatment in the fields of health and medicine. What is the health potential of virtual reality technology from the software development industry perspective? This article presents interviews with Ben Sawyer of Games for Health, Dr. Walter Greenleaf of InWorld Solutions, and Dr. Ernie Medina of MedPlay Technologies. Games for Health brings together researchers, medical professionals,
and game developers to share information on the impact that game technologies can have on health, health care, and policy. InWorld is an Internet-based virtual environment designed specifically for behavioral health care. MedPlay Technologies develops wellness training programs that include exergaming technology. The interviewees share their views on software development and other issues that must be addressed to advance the field of virtual reality for health applications.

J Diabetes Sci Technol 2011;5(2):277-282

Microsoft Has Big Plans for Kinect’s Future

2011-02-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

2/22/11: Interesting article on the Kinect. Take note if you're a game designer...

Microsoft Has Big Plans for Kinect’s Future

New article on exergaming!

2011-02-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

2-4-11: Thx to Sir Richard for posting this article in FB. Read this article from the Health Journal and check out my comment after it. Let me know what you think!

Ninja @ exergame presentation!

2011-02-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

2-3-11: For the first time, I really was a "ninja" at an exergaming session last night by Rachel Flynn (no relation to Sheryl), a PhD student in cognitive psychology at a local university (Univ. of Riverside) presenting on exergaming and her study she did last summer with a summer camp back in NYC with George Wa. Univ. and Northwestern.

It was really strange to be in an exergaming presentation where NO ONE knew who I was! I really felt like a ninja spy. I tried to bite my tongue when she asked if we had any questions, but did pipe in now and then.

Overall, she did a good job, and in her last slide, she credited Exergames Unlocked and exergameslab.com for her resources! Her eyes grew big when I told her I knew Steven Yang well and that I was on the Exergames Unlocked grant! ;-)

We talked for quite a while after that, and hope to collaborate more with some research, especially involving impact of exergaming, interactive media, and cognition.

BTW, I was a double-ninja-spy because this presentation was being held in the Health Ed. dept. of a "competing" medical group, Riverside Medical Center!!! I told them afterwards, and they were cool about it. Health Ed folks are a friendly lot, even with competitors!

It's great to see exergaming research at other local universities and I want to do all I can to support that! ;-)

Childhood obesity linked to health habits, not genetics...

2011-02-01T22:27:00.001-08:00

2-1-11:...says a recent Univ. of Michigan study. Check out the full article here.

“For the extremely overweight child, genetic screening may be a consideration,” says study senior author Kim A. Eagle, M.D., a cardiologist and a director of the U-M Cardiovascular Center. “For the rest, increasing physical activity, reducing recreational screen time and improving the nutritional value of school lunches offers great promise to begin a reversal of current childhood obesity trends.”

This is a great opportunity for exergames to increase physical activity--both as part of an exercise program and also just overall increasing daily acts of living.

Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world | Video on TED.com

2011-01-30T01:01:00.000-08:00

If you don't have time to read the book, "Reality is Broken", then watch this TED video clip on how playing games can make the world better! Jane McGonigal: Gaming can make a better world | Video on TED.com

Ubisoft's Godin on exergaming

2011-01-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

1-25-11: Excellent interview of Ubisoft Montreal game desiner, Nicola Godin, on the state and future of exergaming. Read it here. (Thx to Parker for posting on Motion Fitness's blog!)

President's Council on Active Gaming!

2011-01-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

1-21-11: This is the FIRST time I can recall that I've seen active gaming (aka exergaming) blogged about on the Dept. of Health & Human Services website!

President's Council on Sport, Fitness, & Nutrition's Executive Director Shellie Pfohl recently authored a blog on the benefits of "active gaming" and the intersection between the use of this cutting-edge technology and the national objectives outlined in Healthy People 2020. To read Shellie's blog and/or post a comment, please visit the DHHS blog to read the full article.

I had a chance to meet with Exec Dir. Pfohl after her presentation during the Fitness Tech session at CES a couple of weeks ago, and we had a good talk about how the President's Council can be more involved with active gaming. (It didn't hurt that I was able to mention that it was our work (Dr. Haddock and I) that got the Wii Sports listed on the President's Challenge list of exercises!).

We talked about the National Active Gaming League (NAGL), and she seemed enthusiastic about it, so I look forward to collaborating more with the President's Council when we launch the NAGL in May!

Ernie Medina, Jr.
Exergaming Evangelist/Interventionist

BullsWhitesox Academy's Vault!

2011-01-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

1-6-10: Check out this video clip from a news station in Chicago on this lastest exergaming vault!

Research shows technology makes goals achievable | Local News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

2010-12-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

12-24-10: Someday we'll have the ultimate device that communicates with our electronic medical record via an online health game. Research shows technology makes goals achievable | Local News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California

Be Active Your Way Blog | Exergaming and Physical Activity

2010-12-23T09:40:00.000-08:00

Be Active Your Way Blog | Exergaming and Physical Activity Check out this excellent blog by Sanna--very well balanced! Great to see exergaming in this particular forum/blog. Great way to get the message out there!

Top 5 Reasons Kids get Bored of Exergaming

2010-12-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

Top 5 Reasons Kids get Bored of Exergaming

Excellent blog! Read and let me know your "solutions".

Exergames in USA Today!

2010-11-29T11:19:00.000-08:00

11-29-10: A good article on how exergames and active video games are being utilized more in schools. A good discussion on how it can be incorporated into the school day, the debate about exergames in PE, and best of all, quotes from exergaming colleagues from our Exergames Unlocked grant--Barbara Chamberlin, Bryan Haddock, and Emily Murphy!

I was especially glad to read a quote from a non-exergaming evangelist say exactly what we've been saying all along when exergaming is criticized:

"Charlene Burgeson, executive director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, a group of physical education professionals, says, "We need to meet kids where they are, and if active video games get them moving, then all the better.""

Yeah, Go Ms. Burgeson!!! I'm going to try and track down her e-mail and thank her for this quote. Love it!

Also love the other case studies on how exergaming has helped with tardiness and testing.

You can read the rest of the USA Today article here.

GeoPalz: next step online virtual game?

2010-11-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

11-22-10: Just in time for the holidays! A gift that will help kids earn more gifts and prizes, and get them moving at the same time! Similar to Webkinz where you buy a product that gives you access to an online world to earn more cool stuff! Check it out here:

GeoPalz website

Now here's the kicker: Can this be tied into an online virtual world type of game? I'm betting we're going to see that very soon, so stay tuned!

Exercise and Alzheimer

2010-11-19T08:49:00.001-08:00

11-19-10: Check this out...study on exercise and high-risk alzheimer...more reasons for seniors to keep exercising! What is interesting is the testing they did to measure cognitive function.

What if the exercise was COMBINED with a cognitive function, as in some of our exergaming equipment like the Makoto? Could there be an even bigger impact on protection???

An excellent idea for a study, working with the neuro or geriatric guys....we have all the equipment and resources at LLU so let's get a grant to study this effect!!! I have yet to see it presented at any of the conferences.

http://www.stonehearthnewsletters.com/exercise-link-to-alzheimers-risk-protection-cleveland-clinic-marquette-wayne-state-rosalind-franklin/alzheimers/

Makoto's newest Makoto!

2010-11-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

11-9-10: Got a cool treat tonight! No, not Denver's first snowfall of the year (tho that was pretty cool), but got to spend some time with Makoto's Marian and David Shaw and to check out their newest version of the Makoto, shipping out this month. Also got to see the new wall, ready by 2011.

It features a new "brain", a Window's 7 PC and screen. This allows it endless flexibility for programming now, compared to the original version. This also is better set up to allow groups of kids to play various games, making it a great choice for working with groups of kids.

Not only that, there were upgraded design features: flush lights, more lights, and larger towers. It looks really sharp in black!

See an exclusive sneak peak of co-founders Marian and Dave demo it their newest product! Thx to Marian and Dave for picking me up and allowing me to see this newest Makoto. Would love to upgrade our Makoto in the Zone so we can do some research with it. Lot's of possibility! Way to go, Marian and Dave!

Kinecting Experience

2010-11-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

11-9-10: The Kinect is here! Last Thur., picked up my Kinect at Gamestop, along with some of the games like Kinect Sports and Dance Central. Also picked up Your Shape as well, to check that out.

Couldn't try it right away because I had to update the OS of my Xbox and after trying it with the USB and a CD of the update, I finally had to lug it upstairs near my Airport/router so I could hook it up to download the update from Xbox Live (didn't want to spend the extra $100 just to get the wifi adapter since I don't plan to do a lot of online gaming at the moment). Fortunately, that worked and soon, my Xbox was ready for Kinect to connect to it.

Got to try it out a bit Friday afternoon, but Sat. night was the "big" test with a bunch of kids at a friend's house. You an see some of the pictures of this session here. Here's the link to theYoutube clip of them trying out the Kinect.

Here are my first impressions:

1. It's big! When I first opened the box, I was struck with how large it was--not bad--just, wow! The connecting cable & power cord are connected, and initially I wondered if it would reach both the Kinect camera and the outlet at the same time, but the design hasn't proved to be a problem, so far.

2. Immersive - It's really NICE not to have to hold anything, and the 3D feature is a whole lot better than the Eye Toy's 2D. You also can't cheat it--if you do a little overhead motion/hit in v-ball, you do a dink shot. If you do a full-on spike motion and time it right, you can do a power spike, which leads me to...

3. Better in the virtual world! I can do things in Kinect that I can't do in real life, like crush my spike in v-ball. It felt awesome and just made me jump higher and swing harder to see how hard I could spike that ball.

4. It's a blast! I've only played a couple of games on it so far (v-ball and soccer), but so far, my initial impressions is that it's a blast! It's the first time (for a home console) that I feel like I'm really IN the game. The only other exergame that is similar to that is the Trazer...and that costs quite a bit more than the Kinect (even if you have to get the Xbox bundled with it).

Is it perfect? Not quite...

1. Updating Xbox: If you have an older Xbox, you have to make sure you have the latest OS. I mentioned my experience for updating that I went through above. When I downloaded the update from Xbox's website, I put it on a flash drive as they instructed, but when I tried to insert my flash drive in the back of the Xbox, it DID NOT FIT because the port is recessed in! I ended up having to use a little "hub" as an extension that would fit into it. Once I did that, I never got the "update" screen the instructions said I should see. So I tried plan B--putting the update on a CD. That too, didn't get my the update screen. You can read above how I ended up hooking it directly to my router. Fortunately, I still had my ethernet cable that came with the Xbox so I lugged it upstairs near my router and then lugged our pre-flat screen CRT 20-inch TV into the hallway to connect it to the Xbox so I could do the update. Once I had that all set up, the update went smoothly and automatically, even without having an account with Xbox live. Too bad they don't just give you a CD with Kinect that would do the update automatically without all this fuss.

2. Navigational challenges. Playing is lifelike; navigating takes a bit more practice (or tech perfection). If you watch my video clip on youtube or FB, you'll see the kids sometimes hunting around for the little white "hand" that you use to make selections, etc. Even then, when you found it, it would sometimes not move the way you wanted to. You have to make sure you keep your body in one place and just move your hand--sometimes, the kids would "walk" there body over which messed up the camera for some reason. This was really the only frustrating part of the whole experience, especially for younger kids. Too bad you didn't have the option of using the xbox controller to make selections or control the white hand with the joystick.

Challenges aside, if and when a lot of Kinect games come out quickly, Wii and Move should be worried because it truly is the most immersive of all the platforms as far as the "human joystick" concept.

I can't wait for more games--wonder if they'll make a "ninja" type of game or other martial arts games--I could really get into that since I really can't do those things in real life! (Shhhhh, don't tell my daughter's friends who all think I really AM a ninja!)

Also, from a games for health perspective, I really hope that we can get developers to make entertaining and immersive games for health that we lifestyle medicine practitioners can recommend to our patients. Not only that, but can also track their exercise, nutrition, and other health behaviors we're trying to change.

And while we're at it, I hope that the xbox can someday connect with electronic medical records (EMRs), especially Microsoft has a whole division on health and lifestyle, and their own personal medical vault or cloud. I would love to be able to recommend a FUN game that helps my patients stay active, and in the background, that game would connect with their EMR or even to me, notifying me when that patient didn't meet their weekly exercise goals (eg. 150 mins/wk of moderate intensity) so that I could intervene right away and help them get back on track instead of waiting to hear about it a month down the road at their monthly follow-up. Given that healthcare is focusing more and more on lifestyle medicine, we will need tools that not only help our patients keep compliant with the prescribed behavior changes, but also EASILY keep track and report to healthcare professionals when a patient is BEGINNING to lapse from their behavior.

Have this cycle between healthcare practitioner, patient, and EMR would greatly increase the practitioner's effectiveness and efficiency, tracking for their EMR, and compliance on the patient's part. All of this should lead to reduce cost, reduced utilization, and improved outcomes (biometrics)....a win-win-win for the patient, healthcare provider, and healthcare system in general.

Finally, I looking forward to trying Kinect with my dad (post-stroke) to see how he does it with it. We got him a PS2 and Eye Toy way back when he first had his stroke, and that worked out very well. So as soon as I get back home from this conference, I will get him playing on it and do a follow-up report on that specific aspect.

I'm hoping to set it up as a demo here at the American Public Health Assoc. annual meeting in Denver, where I lugged my Xbox in my carry-on and checked in the kinect. We'll see if I can find a place to set it up and demo it! Unfortunately, I can't seem to get the RCA jacks in my hotel room TV to work, so I haven't been able to play more of the games after hours--so much for lugging my Xbox here to Denver! LOL!

That's my initial report on the Kinect. Stay tuned for part 2! Overall, a huge 2 thumbs up to Microsoft for the Kinect. This is a huge homerun for bringing exergaming into the homes of the end users.

BTW, I have no financial connections with Microsoft or Xbox, but hey, if they want to send me more Kinect games or Kinects to outfit our XRtainment Zone, I'll be happy to disclose that in future blogs and presentations! ;-)

Speaking of which, Dr. Bryan Haddock just got some Kinects as well and will be doing some kcal expenditure studies on it, so stay tuned for that, too.

USA Today article on Exergaming!

2010-10-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

10-12-10: This article just came out after the recent Obesity conf. down in San Diego. Check it out here.

Some colleagues of mine were featured in this article, like Drs. Barbara Chamberlin, Emily Murphy, and Bryan Haddock.

Dr. James Sallis was also featured, and here's something interesting he said about exergaming and PE:

"But Sallis isn't convinced that these activities should be included in PE classes. "Whenever possible, we want to get the kids outdoors, where they can run around more freely. We actually need to teach kids activities such as basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball. We need to teach them teamwork."These are the kinds of skills kids need for a lifetime of physical activity, he says. "Doing some kind of exergame may be better than no PE or bad PE, but I don't think it's as good as good PE."

I respect Dr. Sallis's work with the built environment and all, but I disagree with his comments on PE. Teaching kids team sports does NOT teach the kind of skills they need for a lifetime of PA! Learning how to do a lay-up when I was in elem. school (which included a lot of standing around, waiting for my turn to do a lay-up) did NOT teach me life skills for PA. I never played JV or varsity b-ball in highschool or college, and I don't play b-ball now. But we sure spent a whole lot of time learning about these and other sports.

That's why we have the growing movement that PE4Life has started, with the late Phil Lawler. They saw that "traditional" PE was not teaching skills that could be use for PA in life after PE, so they started a movement of change in PE and thankfully, it's spreading.

Teamwork is important, and there are lots of other, more inclusive ways of teaching teamwork besides team sports. Team sports only appeal to those who are are good at it; if you're not good at that particular sport, beware! You are relegated to the bench or worse off, not picked for a team unless you're "force" onto a team. If anything, team sports turned the majority of kids OFF of being part of a team, because of these dynamics, and only appeals to the jocks and jockettes who were good.

Exergames in PE is more inclusive (even handicapped and disabled kids can perform and compete with able-bodied kids), can instill teamwork (we've done teams with the makoto, 3-kick, and they have teams with iDance, etc.), and more importantly, they can be done for LIFE!!! (Seniors are doing exergames when they've stopped playing team sports a long time ago--if they even played them as adults!).

The only point that Dr. Sallis might have over exergames is the "outdoors" point...but I'm sure PE is held indoors when we have smog alerts or it's over 100 degs...or below freezing outside, so even traditional PE can't be done outdoors all the time.

As someone said in the article, a key point to exergames is that it can meet kids where they are at, so for many patients that I see, exergames CAN take the place of traditional sports. Many of these kids won't do team sports for many reasons, but they'll play exergames, especially if we have a similar system of teams and leagues for exergames like we do for b-ball, swimming, etc.

Physiologically, the heart doesn't care if you're running down first base line, or if you're running fast on a Xavix mat. All it knows is that this person is moving their feet fast and needs more oxygen and glucose to power their leg muscles!

Once overweight and obese kids get in shape and lose the excess weight playing exergames, maybe they'll try some of the more traditional activities, sports, or even some other ones that are outside and very physically active--like paintball!!! (that's a form of a non-digital exergame). I don't believe that kids and adults who start off on exergames as their main form of PA will stay on that only. I believe that they will venture out and try other forms of PA....but that is something for future research to prove or disprove!

Brain exercises accelerate Alzheimers?

2010-10-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

10-8-10: If you read the title and the news, you might conclude that doing brain (cognitive) exercises is bad for Alzheimers. But read the study closely and you'll see why the researchers said that brain exercises is still good for the brain!

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Neurology/AlzheimersDisease/21998

I thought this might be of interest because of some exergames such as the Brain Bike, which combines both brain exercises and physical execises.

In a nut shell, brain exercises lengthy the duration of a healthy, pre-alzheimer brain, but once alzheimer sets in, it shortens the "bad stage" of progression of the disease.

In other words, a person will suffer the least amount of time if they do brain exercises.

So no matter what, keep your brain active! Doing brain exercises with physical exercise is the best, synergistic combination you can do!

Children's brain development is linked to physical fitness, research finds

2010-09-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

9-17-10: Another reason for kids to be physically fit! I wonder what would happen if you added mental stimulation--like what you get when you play exergames--into the mix? That would be an interesting research study! Hmmmm...

Children's brain development is linked to physical fitness, research finds

Review article on active video games

2010-09-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

9-8-10: Just rec'd a PDF of this review article entitled, "Active video games to promote physical activity in children and youth", by Elaine Biddis and Jennifer Irwin. It came out in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescence Medicine, 2010; 164(7):664-672.

The objective of this study was to "...systematically review levels of metabolic expenditure and changes in activity pattenrs associated wtih active video game (AVG) play in children and to provide directions for future research efforts." This covered published studies spanning Jan. 1, 1998 to Jan. 1, 2010.

If you'd like a copy of this study via PDF, send me an e-mail at ernie@medplaytech.com.

TEN rolls out comprehensive exergaming rating system!!!

2010-09-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

9-7-10: On Monday, The Exergame Network rolled out a press release announcing the newly developed and most comprehensive exergaming rating system to date. Created by a group of exergaming experts from around the world, this system looks at the whole "experience" and not just one or two factors.

This will help consumers, parents, fitness trainer, healthcare practitioners, and others who either are recommending exergames to their patients/clients or trying to make a choice for themselves.

You can see the whole rating system HERE.

Check it out and give me your feedback!

Rating system; dent in peds obesity?

2010-09-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

9-3-10: Interesting article by the Opposing View on the need for a rating system for exergaming and if it can put a dent in the peds obesity epidemic. Be sure to read the comment section for the ANSWER to these questions!

China's Lenovo to launch game console!

2010-09-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

9-1-10: Thx to our Hong Kong Exergaming Evangelist, Robin M., for bringing this to our attention! Read about China's game console that will use gesture control! Read more about it HERE.

ACSM on the Wii!

2010-08-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

8-24-10: It's not often that I see the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) publish something on exegaming, so it was a nice surprise to see a posting on the Wii and seniors in their current e-bulletin. You can read more about it here:

Hope we can see more exergaming research featured on ACSM!

Why schools need exergaming!

2010-08-02T21:17:00.001-07:00

8-2-10: Here's link to a great article by Dr. Dan Lawler. The title is, "Exergaming and the 'Turned On' brain" and shows how exergaming can help with some of the biggest challenges in education. If you work in a school setting, you won't want to miss this article!!!

New study could help casual exergaming!

2010-07-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

7-28-10: Check this quote out: “The time spent sittingwas independently associated with total mortality, regardlessof physical activity level.”

This was from a new American Cancer Society study, titled Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults. (I put more details of the article and study below for those who want the reference) What does this study suggest? Two things:

1. We still need to promote the 2008 physical activity recommendation of 150 mins. of moderate physical activity per week.

2. We need to start focusing on reducing the amount of time we spend being a couch potato the other 23.5 hours in the day!

How does this help the exergaming cause? Well for starters, most of our research focus has been on showing how exergaming can meet objective #1. Games like wii Boxing and Xavix Jackie Chan Run and certain songs of iDance can definitely get one up to the moderate (4-6 MET) range.

Even though we have been showing this, most of the criticism towards exergaming is still focused on how it isn't "enough" to reach the moderate level of "exercise". Well now with this study, we can say that the OTHER exergames that fall below the "moderate" level can help to address this second objective! It seems that this is turning out to be a much bigger risk factor than was first thought.

So casual exergames can make a big dent reducing the negative effects of "hypokinetic disease", and if you read the study, this could be even bigger than getting people to do their 30 mins. of moderate exercise Rx 5x/wk!

Another study to support the use of exergames in getting couch potatoes all over the world moving!
***********************************************************

Public release date: 22-Jul-2010

Contact: David Sampson
david.sampson@cancer.org
American Cancer Society

Study links more time spent sitting to higher risk of death

Risk found to be independent of physical activity level

A new study from American Cancer Society researchers finds it's not just how much physical activity you get, but how much time you spend sitting that can affect your risk of death. Researchers say time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level. They conclude that public health messages should promote both being physically active and reducing time spent sitting. The study appears early online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Increasing obesity levels in the United States are widely predicted to have major public health consequences. A growing epidemic of overweight and obesity has been attributed in part to reduced overall physical activity. And while several studies support a link between sitting time and obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk factors (11, 16, 17), and unhealthy dietary patterns in children and adults (18-20), very few studies have examined time spent sitting in relation to total mortality (21-23). Thus, public health guidelines focus largely on increasing physical activity with little or no reference to reducing time spent sitting.

To explore the association between sitting time and mortality, researchers led by Alpa Patel, Ph.D. analyzed survey responses from 123,216 individuals (53,440 men and 69,776 women) who had no history of cancer, heart attack, stroke, or emphysema/other lung disease enrolled in the American Cancer Society's Cancer Prevention II study in 1992. They examined the amount of time spent sitting and physical activity in relation to mortality between 1993 and 2006. They found that more leisure time spent sitting was associated with higher risk of mortality, particularly in women. Women who reported more than six hours per day of sitting were 37 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat fewer than 3 hours a day. Men who sat more than 6 hours a day were 18 percent more likely to die than those who sat fewer than 3 hours per day. The association remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for physical activity level. Associations were stronger for cardiovascular disease mortality than for cancer mortality.

When combined with a lack of physical activity, the association was even stronger. Women and men who both sat more and were less physically were 94% and 48% more likely, respectively, to die compared with those who reported sitting the least and being most active.

"Several factors could explain the positive association between time spent sitting and higher all-cause death rates," said Dr. Patel. "Prolonged time spent sitting, independent of physical activity, has been shown to have important metabolic consequences, and may influence things like triglycerides, high density lipoprotein, cholesterol, fasting plasma glucose, resting blood pressure, and leptin, which are biomarkers of obesity and cardiovascular and other chronic diseases."

The authors conclude that "public health messages and guidelines should be refined to include reducing time spent sitting in addition to promoting physical activity. Because a sizeable fraction of the population spends much of their time sitting, it is beneficial to encourage sedentary individuals to stand up and walk around as well as to reach optimal levels of physical activity."

###

Article: "Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults." Alpa V. Patel, Leslie Bernstein, Anusila Deka, Heather Spencer Feigelson, Peter T. Campbell, 5 Susan M. Gapstur, Graham A. Colditz, and Michael J. Thun. Am J Epid Published online July 22, 2010 (DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwq155).

Link to abstract: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/kwq155

Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults

Alpa V. Patel^*, Leslie Bernstein, Anusila Deka, Heather Spencer Feigelson, Peter T. Campbell, Susan M. Gapstur, Graham A. Colditz and Michael J. Thun

^* Correspondence to Dr. Alpa V. Patel, Epidemiology Research Program, American Cancer Society, 250 Williams Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30303 (e-mail: alpa.patel@cancer.org ).

Received for publication January 7, 2010. Accepted for publication April 29, 2010.

The obesity epidemic is attributed in part to reduced physicalactivity. Evidence supports that reducing time spent sitting,regardless of activity, may improve the metabolic consequencesof obesity. Analyses were conducted in a large prospective studyof US adults enrolled by the American Cancer Society to examineleisure time spent sitting and physical activity in relationto mortality. Time spent sitting and physical activity werequeried by questionnaire on 53,440 men and 69,776 women whowere disease free at enrollment. The authors identified 11,307deaths in men and 7,923 deaths in women during the 14-year follow-up.After adjustment for smoking, body mass index, and other factors,time spent sitting (6 vs. <3> mortality in both women (relative risk = 1.34, 95% confidenceinterval (CI): 1.25, 1.44) and men (relative risk = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.11, 1.24). Relative risks for sitting (6 hours/day) andphysical activity (<24.5> combined were 1.94 (95% CI: 1.70, 2.20) for women and 1.48 (95%CI: 1.33, 1.65) for men, compared with those with the leasttime sitting and most activity. Associations were strongestfor cardiovascular disease mortality. The time spent sittingwas independently associated with total mortality, regardlessof physical activity level. Public health messages should includeboth being physically active and reducing time spent sitting.

mortality; motor activity; prospective studies; sedentary lifestyle

Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; CPS-II, Cancer Prevention Study II; ICD, International Classification of Diseases; MET, metabolic equivalent

Nice writeup on Games for Health

2010-07-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

7-9-10: Check out this nice article in Reuters on our recent Games for Health conference. Ben and Steve were quoted in here!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE66761A20100709

ABCs of Fitness in school day!

2010-07-09T10:42:00.001-07:00

7-9-10: A study looked at the ABC's of fitness...but not the alphabet, but the effects of "Activity Bursts in the Classroom"! It's a preliminary study, but I think shows great promise based on the results. David Katz, of Yale, is the lead researcher in this study.

It's a preliminary study, and they discuss the limitations, but I think it's a great start and one that future research can be built upon, especially with utilizing exergaming.

Here's the source and link to this article:

You may want to see this recent article from Preventing Chronic Disease, the online e-journal:
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2010/jul/09_0176.htm?s_cid=pcd74a82_e

Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD) is a peer-reviewed journal established to disseminate knowledge and promote discussion among researchers and practitioners in the field of chronic disease prevention and health promotion. All issues are available electronically, free of charge to subscribers.

You can find PCD on the Web at: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd

Thte "womb of technology"

2010-07-08T10:26:00.000-07:00

7-8-10: Ok, so this is the Exergaming Evangelist's soapbox...that doesn't mean I just blindly support anything exergaming, but want to look at all sides of this growing field.

Here's an interesting piece by Jonathan McCalmont on Microsoft's Kinect and where he thinks this type of technology is leading us. Click on the link to read about it:

http://futurismic.com/2010/06/30/microsoft-kinect-the-call-of-the-womb/

Think he's right or is it a doomsday perspective? You be the judge.

Another new multiplayer dance game

2010-07-07T17:18:00.001-07:00

7-7-10: iDance is the big kid on the multiplayer dancing type exergames, but Cobalt Flux is unveiling it's newest exergame at the YMCA conference in Utah this week called "BluFit". Check it out on their website!

http://www.blufitpro.com/index.html
Will be awaiting reports on this new game from colleagues who are there at Utah right now, so stay tuned!

National Wii Games Tournament!

2010-07-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

7-1-10: Only 15 days till the first-ever national Wii Games Tournament kicks off! Too bad there wasn't a location nearer to us, tho the Finals will be held in Los Angeles, which I'll have to go check out. See the website to see if there's a location near you!

http://www.wiigames2010.com/wii-event-locations.aspx#stateca

Now if we can just get a more inclusive World Exergame Tournament going on, like the National Spelling Bee, that would be awesome! Kids could be training all over the place--at home, in rec centers, at Y's, in after-school programs--training for their local competition in hopes of making it to sectionals, regionals, and then the finals. (Exergame Fitness has hundreds of locations they have set up. Imagine training of teams going on at all of these facilities!)

Imagine teams of kids, adults, seniors, challenged athletes...all traveling to the "World Cup of Exergaming" in some country? Wouldn't that be a sight?

It's been done already--a test competition between a school in California and England (thanks to Richard of Gamercize), so we know the technology is there.

It would make for great TV viewing as well. Maybe there could even be a TV show like the American Gladiators, featuring the latest exergaming athletes!

Having something like this would be a huge motivation to a lot of kids who might not otherwise want to do a whole lot of physical activity. How many kids will make it to the World Little League tournament, or the Junior Olympics in swimming, track and field, etc.? Not many. But if we had something like this for the "video game generation", they would have something to train for.

Those of us who are involved with exergaming sites know that even with video games, the newness can wear off so unless you keep adding new games to your inventory, kids can get bored. Having something like a national or world tournament system (and a chance to be on ESPN or American Exergaming Gladitor on TV) would give kids something to train for and look forward to, thus increasing long-term compliance with their weekly exergaming workout.

Hopefully we'll see that soon and I'll do all I can to make that happen. Anyone interested in joining me & MedPlay Technologies to make this happen???

Laser tag video game?

2010-06-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Wow, Ubisoft takes a jump and brings back an oldie but goodie, laser tag, in the form of a video game! Thx to Dr. Stephen Yang for posting this on his blog (see his link in my fav links sidebar).

See and download the full gallery on posterous

Play laser tag outdoors (FPS, Survival mode) or anywhere you want or even biatholon using Ubisoft's newest exergame - Battle Tag. At E3 last night, the unveiled exergaming's newest entry into an ever changing user interface market. In how Ubisoft describes Battle Tag as the first Live Shooter Game (LSG), the infrared (IR) lasers have a 70 meter range while the pc base needs to stay within a range of 300 meters in order to keep track of the game using the UbiConnect antennae. You can pick up health, ammunition, or objective packs to keep your game going and they are scanned using the RFID sensors placed in both the gun and packs. This is somewhat reminiscent of Hyper Dash, Hyper Jump, Animal Scramble from Wild Entertainment and an FRID toy called Swinxs that is finally available in the US. It would be neat to test all three systems to compare what kids like about each system. If you know someone that can get us a test kit - please get in touch with me at exergamelab@gmail.com.

Other features include:

UbiConnect Game Master program & antennae
Up to 8 players can play together (4 v 4)
User-generated data shared with Battle Tag community
Laser sensing vests
Voice prompting from Game Master transmitted via the laser gun's speakers

Exergaming Benefits

Physical activity (primarily cardiovascular) away from a console.
If most of the movements are near maximal and in short bursts, it could be one of the elusive exergames that elicit the vigorous intensity level that has shown to have excellent health benefits.
Choice of many types of games and challenges.
Social interaction with peers while playing and after receiving results.
Strategies (individual and group) and group dynamics.
Problem-solving during game-play.

Exergaming Concerns

If we really want the kids to get outdoors, they probably should focus on making this game/ type of exergame a mobile-based system (think Jogging at Distance) or one that can leave the range of UbiConnect and continue to be able play. Similar to some wireless real-time heart-rate monitors that leave the base range and continue to collect data - then when you get back in range, the data is streamed to the base.
Tethered to the UbiConnect base (300m).
"Shooting" / using humans as targets.
Batteries and charging system.

Unverified

Any haptic feedback in vest or gun?
GPS / mobile systems in development?
Customizable games and features?
Language packs?

Release date Holiday Season 2010. In know what I'm going to ask Santa for this Christmas:-) Tag On!

center;width:480px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#FF9B00;">Xbox 360 Games - E3 2010 - Battle Tag

UBISOFT BRINGS TOGETHER TOYS AND VIDEOGAMES WITH BATTLE TAG

Los Angeles, USA – June 14, 2010 –Today live at the E3 exposition in Los Angeles, Ubisoft demonstrated a unique new brand of video game toys. The new UbiConnect^TM brand brings video games and toys together to offer an immersive and innovative game experience. The brand launches in holiday 2010 with its first product, Battle Tag^TMa real shooter game that can be played between friends anywhere – at home or outside.

Battle Tagcombines the best of two worlds: a laser tag game and a shooter video game. Using unique real world accessories, players will be able to recharge and increase their life points. The PC will act as a Game Master, challenging players and keeping track of scores between teams. Players will also be able to download new content, create their own content and share with their friends and the Battle Tagcommunity.

“Today’s children grow up with video games and accept them as a part of their play time,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “UbiConnect brings together video games and physical toys, allowing players to play the game both at and away from a video screen.”

Battle Tagis a social, physical and fun experience that brings the interactivity of video games into real life using real world toys and accessories. Battle Tag will launch across North America during this fiscal year.

For more information on Battle Tag, please visit: www.battle-tag.com

E3 Exergaming Highlights

2010-06-23T12:17:00.000-07:00

6-23-10: Back from vacation, checking out the highlights from E3. Here's one called Kinect Adventures (Kinect is the new name for Natal, MS's 3D camera).

Every body has a brain

2010-06-05T06:31:00.001-07:00

6-5-10: This was a session at Games for Health...check out the videos!

Every Body Has a Brain, Karen Littman, Morphonix.

This session will focus on lessons learned and techniques used developing Every Body Has a Brain, an interactive musical brain game and web site designed to increase interest in and knowledge about the brain among 4-6 year olds. It is the third in a series of award-winning neuroscience video games developed by Morphonix LLC and funded by grants from The National Institute of Mental Health's Small Business Innovation Research Program. Creating videogames for 4-6 year olds is challenging. Designers must remember to think like a kid in order to create engaging games. Many 4-6 year olds have never used a computer. Issues like navigation and how to word instructions to meet the developmental needs of the children must be addressed. Participants will learn about Morphonix’ design process, which includes a group of 4-6 year old advisors. They’ll see parts of Every Body has a Brain, hear examples of original songs that introduce each learning objective, and see video footage of the design team in action. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/karen-littman/1/b59/977 www.morphonix.com

"I posted Videos shown at my session, Every Body Has a Brain on our YouTube channel since they were too big to upload to slide share. There are 5 short videos posted. The links follow with the description of the session. Great conference!"

Karen Littman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0Xo9_yzPr0&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Ja01ot6e4&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9aPV-4e6fI&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5f1lXQlcs&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V996ky_ynk&feature=channel

NASA's Challenge

2010-06-05T06:28:00.001-07:00

6-5-10: Just rec'd the following from our games for health listserve:

The following request for a written proposal describing a virtual exercise program has $20k award associated with it:

https://gw.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/overview/9455001

"NASA is looking for a system that augments the exercise experience and captures psychological and physiological measures while the individual crew member is participating in prescribed exercise regimens. This virtual, interactive system will serve as a countermeasure by enhancing the exercise experience.

This is a Theoretical Challenge which requires a written proposal only. The Solver will propose a system that meets the requirements and justify it with arguments and relevant references. Evidence that the proposed system will work (from previous applications, existing data, literature, etc.) will be very important. The proposal will be evaluated on a theoretical basis considering the current state of the art knowledge."

Take care,

Bill

6th G4H Conf. history!

2010-05-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

5-29-10: The 6th Annual Games for Health Conf. is now history! It was the best one yet, as they seem to keep getting better each year.

Check out the pictures from my FB page here:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31313159&l=a2fac16f76&id=1012620518

You'll see quite a few pictures of the first ever at a conference--the Exergame Challenge! While we didn't reach the 1 million step goal (the non-profit still received their check), it really increased testing of the exergame equipment brought out by Ed, Tommy, Parker, and staff from Motion Fitness. This was a great trial run for a bigger conf. in Nov...the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Nov, in Denver, where over 14,000 public health folks from all over the world will be there. Talk about exposing exergaming to a world-wide audience!

So it was a great conference, and you can see from the pictures we had a great time. Having said that, it seems that we are now reaching a point where this conf. is poised to take the next step...CEU's? Bigger? Post-Conf. evaluations? Live streaming of sessions? These are just some of the questions discussed.

Ben Sawyer and Beth Bryant did an AWESOME job as always, and deserve a nice break after this.

If you weren't here, you need to make sure you can make it next year!

2010-05-23T10:16:00.001-07:00

Excuse my test once more!

RIP Phil

2010-04-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

4-24-10: It's with sadness that I just learned that one of exergaming's pioneers, the original "exergaming evangelist", passed away last night. Phil Lawler, the creator of PE4Life, finally lost his battle to cancer.

When I first got into this field, back in 1998, Phil was the first exergaming expert to contact me and offer his help and support in anything that I was doing. Over the last decade, Phil would call (he rarely e-mailed) to see how I was doing, tell me about the latest thing he was working on, or give me the scoop on some "inside" info that was happening in the exergaming world. He always had things that escaped my ever-expanding radar!

He was most excited about his latest endeavor, Spark, and the work of Dr. Ratey and the effect of exercise on the brain, kid's academics, etc.

As the field of exergaming continues to grow, mature, and gain credibility, it is sad that Phil won't be around to see the fruits of his labor come to fruition. He fought the good fight, and now is at rest, free from pain and suffering, and for that, we are thankful.

My only regret is that Phil and I never got to meet in person. We kept joking that one day, we would end up at the same conference, or that I would visit his place whenever I was in Chicago, but alas, that day never came. I guess I'll meet him in the next life, for sure! We'll set up an exergaming zone in heaven!

May we all be inspired by his tireless work for the kids, and strive to continue his legacy in whatever work that we do.

ACSM Summit, Austin, TX

2010-04-08T00:59:00.001-07:00

4-7-10: First day here in Austin, TX, at the ACSM Summit. Went to the pre-conf. on Exercise Adherence: thinking outside the box (perfect for exergaming!), met Kathy Smith, the first keynote speaker, and visited Lance Armstrong's bicycle shop, Mellow Johnny's. Ended the day with a yummy Thai dinner with Dr. Beverly Hall and Ed Kasanders (Motion Fitness).

Check out the pictures at this Facebook link:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2056561&id=1012620518&l=f766ad4c67

First presentation tomorrow at 4:30 PM, so better hit the sack!

Newest exergaming product released!

2010-04-01T03:04:00.000-07:00

4-1-10: Just rec'd this press release from the makers of this newest exergaming product. It's awesome! I definitely want to get one as soon as they come stateside. I know the creator, Richard, well, so maybe he can hook me up with an early production model...hmmmm. Check it out!

iPedals

http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/gamercize-announces-ipedals-get-fit-while-driving-to-work-144517.php

THE NEW NEUROACTIVE BRAINBIKE, WORLD’S FIRST AND ONLY MIND-BODY FITNESS EQUIPMENT, UNVEILED AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - Free-Press-Release.com

2010-03-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

THE NEW NEUROACTIVE BRAINBIKE, WORLD’S FIRST AND ONLY MIND-BODY FITNESS EQUIPMENT, UNVEILED AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - Free-Press-Release.com

GDC 2010

2010-03-11T00:29:00.000-08:00

3-10-10: Finally, a dream come true--my first Game Developer's Conf.! Thanks to Ben Sawyer for inviting me to be a presenter on an exergaming panel during the Serious Games Summit. It was awesome!

I was part of a panel that consisted of the following (above, L-R): Stephen Yang, Barbara Chamberlin, Sheryl Ashford, and myself.

To see more pictures, go to this facebook album. Had a great time meeting and networking with attendees afterwards.

Now I can relax and focus on networking and checking it all out for the next 2 days. Stay tuned for more updates!

US Surgeon General to also try exergaming?

2010-02-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

2-11-10: Here's another federal VIP, our US Surgeon General, giving her vision for a healthy and fit America.

Hmmmm, wouldn't that be wild if we could get the US Surgeon General Regina squaring off against 1st Lady Michelle in an exergaming tournament playing Makoto, racing each other on a Gamebike, or competing head on with their fave video game while on a Gamerciser?

Thanks to Pam Sampson of the Dept of Public Health, County of San Bernardino, for the following:

Information regarding the Surgeon General’s Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation 2010. For the full 21 pager visit… http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/obesityvision/obesityvision2010.pdf

The Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, M.D., urges that “child care programs should identify and implement approaches that reflect expert recommendations on physical activity, screen time limitations, good nutrition, and healthy sleep practices,” all of which were key actions at the Healthy Kids, Healthy Future conference in September 2009. Action steps to support the Surgeon General’s goal of standardizing state regulations on physical activity, nutrition and screen time, are being addressed by the HKHF Steering Committee. Through changes in policy, dissemination and implementation of best practices, and continued development of the evidence base in research, the child care environment will become a healthier place for kids to grow and develop.

1st Lady to try exergaming???

2010-02-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

2-11-10: Will we soon see 1st Lady Michelle Obama try out an exergaming game? That might not be as far-fetched as it sounds, given her new campaign, "Let's Move".

1st Lady Michelle Obama unveils a new initiative as part of her campaign to fight pediatric obesity: "Let's Move". Check it out and join for updates!

One of my goals is to get her to see how exergaming can be of value to her "Let's Move" campaign, especially for the intended target audience--kids who are sedentary (and probably avid videogamers!)--and let her see that exergaming can be a tool to get them to be more physically active. Call it FUN SWEAT!

Feds get into gaming!

2010-02-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

2-11-10: Check this out! Feds are getting into gaming for kid's health! Also announced: a contest for game ideas using the USDA food database. Stay tuned for more on that as it beomes available!

http://www.bisnow.com/washington_dc_tech_news_story.php?p=7047

Feds get into gaming for tween health!

2010-02-05T05:32:00.000-08:00

2-5-10: Federal CTO Aneesh Chopra hosted a workshop with 31 experts (including Digitalmill's Ben Sawyer and Beth Bryant, and UCSB's Debra Lieberman) to gather insight from leading experts in the fields of gaming and technology to inform the development of a nutrition game-design challenge. The Feds will be launching a challenge to come up with videogames that can get "tweens" (ages 9-12) eating better and moving more! Wow!!!

I wonder if Duke's Dr. David Katz and Nuval will be involved with this challenge. That is a great metric for nutrition games. Also, Dr. Roy Vartabedian's Nutripoints would also work as a great metric for a nutrition game. Both consist of databases of food ratings.

You can read more about it at Office of Science and Technology blog. Stay tuned for the official announcement of the challenge, said to be coming out in a couple of weeks!

ACE's 2010 health predictions!

2009-12-31T13:18:00.001-08:00

12-31-09 Check out ACE's Cedric Bryant's health predictions for 2010. Two of them are things I've been promoting all along! Can you guess which two they are??? It was in today's San Bernardino Sun newspaper. Here's the link:

http://www.sbsun.com/health/ci_14095829

Happy New Year to all and looking forward to a great 2010 in Games for Health!

Ernie

Brainbike now available!

2009-12-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

12-20-09: Exergame Fitness is now shipping the Brainbike. This is the latest in exergaming designed not only to give you a cardio workout, but stimulate brain development as well.

Read more about it and the science behind it at Exergame Fitness's Brain Bike.

Cool presentation on exergaming - exposed!

2009-12-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

12-20-09: Check out this cool "prezi" presentation created by the tech guru herself, Biray Alsac!

Find out more about this at The Exergame Network (TEN):

http://exergaming.pbworks.com/THE-EXERGAME-NETWORK-%28TEN%29-PAGE

New study on Wii...

2009-11-17T21:35:00.001-08:00

11-17-09: This study on the effectiveness of Wii to provide exercise came out at the recent American Heart Assoc. conf. You can read all about it at the link below. It seems that we still need to keep convincing regular healthcare the exergaming can meet the federal recommendations for physical activity. If they just tried it out for themselves, they would realize that fact!

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AF3AR20091116

APHA Day 2, Mon

2009-11-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

11-9-09: Presentation day! The day finally arrived. Our topic was on the use of exergaming in our pediatric obesity program called Family Fit Zone. I also covered some of the challenges encountered so far with utilizing exergaming, and some possible solutions. Robin gave an update on the latest research. Even though she was so wired, hyped, and tired after not sleeping a wink the entire night, she did fine!

The other two presentations showed very innovative technologies being developed. Dr. Carol Boushey (Purdue University) presented work on their automated food assessment software for pictures taken with a cell phone while Dr. Stephen Intille (MIT) presented work on mobile phones and sensors to identify physical activity type in real time.

I can see how these technologies can be incorporated into a cool game!

The rest of the day was a blur, ending in our Physical Activity Special Interest Group's social.

And so ended Day 2!

APHA, Day 1

2009-11-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

11-9-09: The first day of the American Public Health Assoc.'s annual meeting, where over 10,400 attendees from all over the world are here in Philadelphia. Our exergaming presentation is tomorrow!

Can you tell Robin Mellecker is nervous giving her presentation on the latest exergaming research?

Naw, she was just practicing before our presentation on Mon. AM. Stay tuned for the actual presentation!

The recently formed PA Special Interest Group (SPIG) within the APHA. Working on getting exergaming and games for health more into APHA. Hey, they have over 10,400 attendees here! All exergaming evangelists should join the APHA and the PA SPIG. ;-)

UCLA Tech & Aging Conference

2009-10-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

10-30-09: Had the privilege of being part of a panel, speaking on exergaming, games for health, and seniors at this conf., held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The theme was "Living Longer and Better Through Technology" so the topic of exergaming fit right in!

Besides presenting, had the chance to network with other folks interested in gerontology and hopefully, will be collaborating with some of these researchers in the near future on exergaming studies in seniors, since there is hardly any research in this area.

Fitbit, a future device for getting in the game?

2009-10-29T17:48:00.001-07:00

10-29-09: Check out this Fitbit (www.fitbit.com). Could it be a future device to help credit your actual physical activity into a video or online game? Hmmm, stay tuned!

Most unique panel in Reno!

2009-10-13T18:09:00.000-07:00

10-13-09 Last Friday, the most unique panel in exergaming was assembled. On this panel, we had research, education, healthcare, and video game represented! From all the panels I've been on, this is a first, as far as I can tell.

This was for the Western Kinesiology Society meetings, where faculty and students present on various exercise science related topics. Thanks to the program chair, Dr. Robert Thomas, of LaSierra Univ. (LSU) in Riverside, CA, we were able to get this exergaming session in the program.

Besides myself speaking on exergaming in healthcare, we had Dan Lawler, a former principal in CO, spoke on how exergaming is being used in his schools to help rehabilitate "behaviorally" challenged and ADD kids. Exergaming is a "positive intervention" rather than a negative one.

Bryan Haddock, one of the leading exergaming researchers from Cal State San Bernardino (CSUSB), gave an update on his various research studies.

And finally, Carrie Tice, of Ubisoft, gave the industry's perspective of games from health, what Ubisoft was unveiling the end of Nov (Your Shape, a workout game with a camera for the Wii!), and the need for research to help validate this field.

One of the points I closed with is the "next wave" of games for health and exergaming--that soon, the game will be tied in with the "EMR" (electronic medical record" so that while the patient plays the game, it will update their EMR and should they drop below certain set parameters (eg. not playing it enough), the EMR will send me (or their fitness provider) an e-mail alerting us to this, so that we can then contact the patient and see what's happening, thus catching it early before it turns into a full lapse in exercise behavior. The game can be part of a feedback monitoring loop which will hopefully increase compliance and outcomes. That's where I see this field heading towards, and we need specific games for health that are FUN and compelling.

Anyway, enjoy some pictures of our panel! You'll hear more about this if you attend the American Public Health Assoc. meeting in Philly in Nov. I'll be speaking there and elaborating more on this trend.

(L-R) Bryan Haddock, Dan Lawler, Carrie Tice, Ernie Medina, Jr.

The panel just before we were about to present. Dan looks relaxed, but Bryan and Carrie looked serious. Well Carrie only got 30 mins. of sleep the night before since she was working on work, poor thing!

First time for Dan to present on this topic for a conference, so it was a great first-time for him since he has 2 more conference talks coming up.
Carrie did a great job, running on adrenaline!
We had some student and faculty competitions on the Xavix Dash.
This is Laura Fenton, currently one of the newest faculty at La Sierra Univ.'s exercise science dept. Before this, she was a top-ranked pro r-ball player on the women's tour. Before that, she taught at Andrews University, where back in the late 80's, guess who was her TA? Yup! We go that far back, so it's great to see her again and have her teaching so close to us here in Loma Linda. We look forward to doing exergaming with her kid's sports academy she is working on.
Back in the early 90's, Dr. Bill Napier was on staff at Loma Linda Univ. and I knew him when I was a grad student. Haven't seen him in over 20 years, so it was good to see him again.

After the stress of presenting, Dan let's off some steam and pretends to win at the slot machine! (FYI, he really didn't play, just held up his hands like this for the picture. ;-)

Dr. Abel's proposal for Wii Fit balance research

2009-10-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

10-13-09: Abel Rendon, DPT, PT, is working on his 2nd doctorate (DSc) and his dissertation is looking at the effects of a balance training program using the Wii Fit for fall risk individuals. I have the privilege of being one of his committee members. Here are some shots of Dr. Rendon giving his presentation, and pictures with him, along with the chair of his comm., Dr. Everett Lohman.

Exergaming inspires kids of all ages to get fit

2009-08-03T16:04:00.001-07:00

Exergaming inspires kids of all ages to get fit

Shared via AddThis

B Active Forum video!

2009-07-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a video clip of the forum yesterday. Couldn't stop the music during the Zumba music, so bear with me...it was edited on Flip's editing software. ;-)

For the "Be Active Resource Directory", go to SB County website and go to the "Things You Can Use" section. Enjoy!

B Active Forum

2009-07-31T00:23:00.000-07:00

7-30-09: DSHN held it's annual physical activity forum today. There were a lot of great speakers and the audience did a LOT of physical activity--this was the least sedentary conf. most of us have attended!

Great job by Pam, Erin, and Brianna, who organized this conf. and working through all the last minute glitches and snafus!

Check out some pixs from this AM. Video clips to follow soon--the activity looks much better in video!

Sneak preview of PA Directory Intro Video!!!

2009-07-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

7-26-09: Hot off the iMac! Here's a sneak preview of the video clip introducing the new Be Active Resource Directory for Desert Sierra Region including San Bernardino, Riverside and Inyo Counties. This vid will be played on Thur. at the PA Forum.

Game Changer

2009-07-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Just rec'd in the mail my hard copy of "Game changer: Investing in digital play to advance children's learning and health". This is a very comprehensive look at the games for health field by the Joan Ganz cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. Authored by Ann My Thai, David Lowenstine, Dixie Ching, and David Rejeski.

I highly recommend you download the electronic version of this document at:

www.joanganzcooneycenter.org

Be sure to read p. 27 carefully! ;-)

Cool gadget for tracking PA!!!

2009-07-02T14:48:00.000-07:00

7-3-09: Check this out! A cool looking accelerometer that you can wear in various places on your body. Very cool!

Now if we can get it to interface with a videogame...or Summer's healthy virtual world (My PowerPals)...yeah!!!

Ernie

http://blog.fitbit.com/?p=89

Latest obesity stats...and how exergaming can help!

2009-07-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

7-2-09: Yesterday, the sixth annual edition of F as in Fat: How Obesity Rates Are Failing in America 2009 was published by Trust for America's Health and the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation and it doesn't look good. Check it out for yourself at this URL:

http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=45050

I believe that this is a prime opportunity for exergaming to help all those kids in Mississippi! We can get them playing and moving again. Imagine if Oprah sponsored a large exergaming tournament in her homestate....with scholarships for the winners. Think of the buzz it would create!

All it would take is some major bucks and a marketing firm to kick this off. I bet that if this were done, and done right, Mississippi could cede the #1 ranking to another state.

Oprah, have your people call my people and let's save the kids of Mississippi!

Your Shape: Ubisoft Fitness Game via Motion Sensing Camera (Wii)

2009-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Check out this report by Dr. Steven Yang on Ubisoft's new workout game with a motion camera!!!

Exergame Lab @ SUNY Cortland: Your Shape: Ubisoft Fitness Game via Motion Sensing Camera (Wii)

My first workout on EA Sports Active....

2009-05-19T23:54:00.000-07:00

5-19-09: Having just completed my first workout on the EA Sports Active that came out this AM, it's too early for me to rate the game on the whole, but I do have some initial observations....

While there were some components on it that were fun, like the kickboxing and punching section, running in place around a track was not that fun. Running around a track in real life is just as boring in the virtual world as well!

Now if they had me running thru a minefield, or avoiding things, or trying to get things, whatever--if it actually was a GAME, then running in place in my living room might actually be fun.

But my sense is that all the various workout "games", starting with Yourself Fitness, doesn't seem to really make it fun just because it's a workout in a virtual setting and I can choose the look of my avatar and the virtual trainer can give me compliments like, "You're poetry in motion."

I hope that these workout games, with their celebs promoting them, aren't just a new version of their DVD workouts that is totally not interactive. Being interactive does not automatically mean it's fun.

So if we're designing games for health to reach those folks who find running around a track boring, I think these game companies will have to really think outside of the box and come up with truly FUN and interactive games to reach the sedentary masses.

Maybe I'm being a bit too rough after just the 1st day of working out on it, so I'll stick out the 30 day challenge I entered and see how it grows on me. Stay tuned!

BTW, if you're in FB, I'm posting updates on this workout on my "Dr. Medina's We Wii Against Diabesity" group, so feel free to join us in there!

Games for Health Conf. just around the corner!

2009-05-12T06:11:00.001-07:00

5-12-09: Greetings Exergaming Evangelists!

I am writing to let you know that the 5th Annual Games for Health
Conference is taking place June 11 and 12, 2009 in Boston,
Massachusetts. I am attending the event myself and the organizers
asked me to pass along basic notice of the event to people I felt
might be interested.

Games for Health is a conference which explores how videogames and
videogame technologies can help with health & healthcare.

Registration for this event is now open at:
http://www.regonline.com/gfh2009

15% OFF DISCOUNT CODE: dmgfh09
(enter this during registration for 15% off our current price)

This will be the events biggest content offering yet. Over 55 session
summaries are already available to browse online and more is to follow.

On June 10 the conference hosts its second set of pre-conference
events which includes Games Accessibility Day and Virtual Worlds and
Health.

Full details on the conference including travel and lodging
information are available directly at:
http://www.gamesforhealth.org

The Games for Health 2009 conference will be hosted in partnership
with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Pioneer Portfolio, which has
served as a major sponsor of the conference since 2004. The Pioneer
Portfolio supports innovative ideas that may lead to significant
breakthroughs in the future of health and health care, providing Games
for Health with the opportunity to become the leading professional
community in the growing health games industry.

ps. Here are some other useful links:

Games for Health Schedule (June 11-12)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p9ekyWGoKP7oLryMizeugTw

Games Accessibility Day (June 10 Pre-Conference)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p9ekyWGoKP7oJbqar0v4zAg

Video from Last Year's Event
http://www.gamesforhealth.org/video-2009.html

Here we go again!

2009-03-13T00:29:00.000-07:00

3-12-09: My first post for 2009! It's been a busy first couple of months in 2009, but I'm finally posting something here that's worth posting! We just finished up our Healthy People Conference: Lifestyle Medicine for Obesity and Diabetes, here at Loma Linda University.

Bryan Haddock and I presented a session on exergaming. He presented the latest research as well as the research that we have done together, while I presented what it is, how it can increase PA, how it is used in healthcare, research opps., and how the attendees could start incorporating it in their practice or facility.

There were a lot of SPH grad students there as well, so I tried to plant seeds to encourage them to consider doing their research in this area. We'll see if it worked!

I also had a chance to hear Dr. Toni Yancey, of UCLA. I always enjoy her presentations (we get to do some physical activity!) and we see each other a lot at various conferences around the country. Last saw her at the APHA conf. in San Diego last Oct. We're hoping to collaborate on some exergaming work with the LA youth that she does so much for, so stay tuned!

Also got to meet in person Dr. David Katz, the lead developer of the ONQI system, a rating system for food. It will be marketed on food and store shelves as NuVal, and he has come up with some game ideas to utilize it, so I'm helping to see what can be done in this area.

It was great to see so many former classmates from my grad school days, and many of them are interested in learning more about how to incorporate exergaming and games for health in their work.

All in all, a great time networking and getting the world of exergaming out to this group of healthcare professionals!

LA's Exergaming Evangelists!

2008-12-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

12-15-08: No, I'm not talking about the city, LA, I'm talking about the STATE, Louisiana! Had 3 nurse practitioner students from Loyola Univ. in New Orleans, fly out for a day of brainstorming on exergaming research and to tour the Zone.

Imagine, they flew all the way out just to talk in person! They are really gung ho about this, and that is why they have earned the title, "The 3 Louisiana Exergaming Evangelists"!

They presented their powerpoint they gave for a class, and I must say, in just a short time, they have vaulted right up there with the rest of us in their thinking about this field. I look forward to future collaboration and research from these 3 newest Exergaming EvangelistsHere are the first 3 Louisiana Exergaming Evangelists (L-R): Tiffany, Amy (my initial contact), and Melissa. We welcome these 3 nurse practitioners into our exergaming family!

APHA gets into exergaming!

2008-11-30T11:25:00.000-08:00

Nov. 30, 2008 - Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving holiday! As I was preparing my powerpoint for the last conference I'm speaking at this year (Medical Fitness Assoc. in TX on Dec. 5), I realized I didn't update my blog from the last conference I attended, the American Public Health Assoc. down in San Diego at the end of October, so here it is!

After 16 years of having my masters and doctorate in public health, this is the FIRST time for me to attend my profession's assoc. conference, mainly because I do more clinical work and attend other conferences that deal with clinical health and promotion and of course, exergaming--like American College of Sports Medicine, Healthy People, Games for Health, etc. APHA tended to be more focused on policies and public health, such as sanitation issues, epidemiology, population-based public health, etc

However, I noticed a trend towards lifestyle-related diseases and interventions, enough so that I finally joined the APHA and since this year's conference was just a couple of hours away, I decided to go and check out how receptive they would be to exergaming.

What I found was that the APHA is ripe for games for health and exergaming! This is a picture of a session put on by the newly formed Special Interest Group (SIG) Health & Technology. Guess what the topic was? Games for Health! So even though it was in one of the surrounding hotels and not at the main convention center, it was well attended. They are very interested in having more games for health, exergaming, etc. sessions next year, so I joined this SIG to stay in touch with them.

At another session, I heard about the new physical activity guidelines that just came out from the DHHS in Oct. This is the first time our federal government has issued official guidelines for physical activity. I'm here with Rear Admiral Penelope Royall, who was key in pushing this through the DHHS for the last couple of years. I introduced her to the idea of exergaming, which she seemed very interested in.
Another speaking on this session's panel was Toni Yancey, MD, from UCLA. She is a very dyanmic speaker, and I thanked her afterwards for mentioning exergaming in her talk! We bump into each other at various obesity conferences here in CA so she knows all about exergaming and XRtainment Zone. ;-)
If you're in one of Dr. Toni's sessions, you don't sit the whole time! She gets the whole room up and moving! Interestingly, a lady I was sitting next to wanted a copy of this shot, and we exchanged contact info. Turns out she is involved with the formation of a new SIG for Physical Acitivty! (Imagine that APHA doesn't have this yet, given the impact exercise can have on public health). We got to talking about games for health and exergaming, and I told her I would definitely be interested in joining the PA SIG as well.
A special thanks to Beth & Games for Health for helping to sponsor my trip there. Since Beth was manning the booth all by herself (they, too, were wanting to test the waters there for games for health), she asked me if I would check out the sessions, network, etc. so I was happy to help out in this capacity.
There were other contacts made, and quite a few sessions on physical activity, obesity, etc. There was even a poster on Second Life and AIDS prevention. Overall, it seems that the APHA community is ripe for games for health and exergaming, so I look forward to seeing us represented there in the conferences to come!

XRTZ & Exergamefitness partner up!

2008-10-15T14:27:00.001-07:00

10-13-08: Check out the press release by Exergamefitness on a new partnership between our two companies. We're looking forward to working with Tommy and Ed to spread exergaming to families who need it!

XRTZ officer lands spot on Oprah

2008-10-15T08:34:00.001-07:00

10-15-08: Sheila Hodgkin, Development Officer, made it in the news this AM with her selection in an Oprah-sponsored women's leadership contest. You can read all about it in the San Bernardino Sun online article.

It mentioned her work with Andre Agassi, and here are some pictures from our recent trip to his gala for his schools.

Here's Sheila, hard at work with Andre, telling him how his school can benefit from having exergaming in it. Notice the XRTZ business card in his hand...great job, Sheila!

Also got to meet some other celebs there, like Dr. Knowlton here with David Foster....
Sheila and Judy Peterson (wife of COO Joel Peterson) with Nick Cannon and Mariah!
Sheryl Crow was very nice...
I was able to get in one picture with Steffi, one of my fave female tennis players...
Coach K was very friendly, shaking our hands and asking our names. I asked him how it was dealing with all of those NBA-sized egos and he said it wasn't hard at all because, "...they really wanted it (the gold)."
This was for Kim's 3 sons, who love watching Emeril on TV.

Lisa Hansen visits XRTZ!

2008-09-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

9-1-08: Lisa Hansen, co-director of the XRKade Research Lab at the Univ. of South Florida, was in town to speak at the Int. Conf. on Physical Activity. This was her first time in the Loma Linda/Redlands area, so she just had to visit the 2 locations of XRTZ! It was great seeing here here on my "home turf", hearing her present, and touring her around.

Trying out the Gamercize

Exergaming Researchers gather in New Mexico

2008-08-26T07:23:00.001-07:00

Aug. 21 & 22 - From Maine, we went to New Mexico State Univ., where a group of us our part of a 4-year CYFAR grant that started earlier this year. Headed by Barbara Chamberlin, of NMSU's Gaming Lab (what a cool place!), this was our first in-person get-together as a group. Over the next 2 days, we brainstormed the details of our grant and charted the course for the next 4 years.

Like Maine, it was great to meet everyone in person and deepen relationships that are difficult to do when you're rushing to and fro at conferences.

Thanks to the gang at NMSU for being such great hosts! You guys are the best!

Here we are, hard at work delving into the exergaming research.

Of course, we had to take breaks and play the exergames! Increase blood flow to the brain, of course!

For some of us, it was our first time to NM so we had opps to check it out.

Maine Exergaming Summit

2008-08-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Aug. 14 & 15, 2008 - Ben Sawyer and Beth Bryant, thanks to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, convened the first-ever Exergaming Summit, bringing in exergaming gurus and evangelists from various industries, to discuss the state of exergaming in beautiful Portland, Maine. Results from this summit will be published in a white paper and presentations at the upcoming Games for Health conference in 2009.

While many of us knew each other by name or e-mail, it was nice to actually meet in person and get to really know each other (not the brief meeting we sometimes experience at conferences!).

It was neat to have representatives from various industries related to or interested in exergaming: healthcare, fitness, insurance, academia, business, foundations, and videogames. You can see the various participants and their companies below.

It wasn't all work and no play! We got to enjoy some of the tastes, sights, and sounds that Portland, Maine, has to offer. Sailing, lobster, and beautiful weather was enjoyed by all.

Thanks to Ben and Beth for organizing and putting this on, and for RWJF for helping to fund this so we could all attend. Stay tuned for results from this summit in the near future!

Exergaming gurus hard at work!

What a great bunch of exergaming gurus and evangelists! Though we're all into tech, it was nice to be able to interact in person and get to know each other better. That will just make our tech communication experience better!

Of course we took time to enjoy beautiful Portland, Maine.