By Fabio Comana
MA., MS., ACE-CPT & LWMC, ACSM HFI, CSCS,
CISSN
Exercise Physiologist and Research
Scientist
American Council on Exercise
As surprising as it might sound, increased fitness and
stronger families could result from new video games
that require body movement, not just thumb-wiggling.
Looking at the popularity of game systems like the
Wii—which requires the actual motion of hitting
a baseball, tennis ball, golf ball, etc.—we may
have found a fun way to prompt our children to be
more active.
The American Council on Exercise (ACE) funded a
scientific study of people playing one intensely
popular video game—Dance Dance
Revolution, or DDR—and found stunning
physical benefits. A close look at the study’s
data finds DDR can provide the physical activity many
children lack.
The study conducted last year found that all subjects
(male and female, ages 12 to 25) showed a marked
increase in exercise intensity as they participated in
each increasingly difficult mode in the DDR game.
“In the ‘light’ mode, DDR is
probably suitable for a good warmup because
it’s just not that intense, but the
‘standard’ and ‘difficult’
modes gave the test subjects a tremendous
workout,” said exercise scientist John Porcari,
Ph.D., one of the leaders of the study. “When
you compare it to cycling, DDR is equivalent to riding
about 12 to 14 miles an hour,” he says.
“It’s also very similar to the benefits
people get with high-impact aerobics.”
DDR offers another huge benefit. In this age of over-
burdened schedules, parents willing to “shake
their booty” playing DDR will find they can
accomplish three things at once: help their child to be
healthier, exercise and enjoy quality family time.
DDR provides children and adults a combination of
cardio (both aerobic and anaerobic – so it
builds the energy pathways and fitness), muscle
endurance and motor skills (coordination, balance,
agility) and it burns calories to help fight obesity.
That’s great for adults, but essential for
children’s normal growth and development of
bones, muscles, and motor skills.
There are some less obvious advantages to
exercising using a game like DDR. It provides an
opportunity for parents to “exerplay” with
their children, fostering and strengthening family ties.
Each time a family does something that makes each
member healthier, it promotes a home culture that
values a healthier lifestyle and becomes a good
support system for all to promote activity.
Make it fun! For example, be sure the game-level played
doesn’t frustrate your child. Some level of motor
coordination and cognitive function are required, but a 5-
6 year old could feasibly use DDR if he or she has the
interest and program loaded is very simplistic.
The bottom line is this: for adults and children, when
exercising is fun and done while interacting with people
you enjoy, people are more likely to do it regularly.
Like any other exercise, don’t over do it. Even
with DDR, overtraining syndrome is a concern for all
ages. Potential overtraining problems include stress
fractures of the bones due to the stomping and muscle
fatigue and soreness due to insufficient recovery.
And, yes, much in the same way you would consult a
medical doctor before starting any exercise program,
you should make sure you are physically ready to take
on the DDR challenge (especially the older and more
de-conditioned you are).
While I would hope we don’t become a virtual
reality-gaming society, games and video game systems
that require full-body movement are certainly a good
introduction to getting all of us to become more active.
