Who said video games promote laziness?

Contrary to their predecessors, the new breed of electronic games could help burn a significant amount of calories. In fact, game consoles like the Nintendo Wii require players to use body movements to control the action of the game. Therefore, without being the ideal solution, these new video games could incite gamers to perform at least a minimum of physical activities.

Researchers wanted to establish if the new game consoles requiring movement on the part of the players could contribute to increasing the amount of daily physical activities in children. To do this, they compared traditional game consoles that only require thumb movement to the new game console Wii. They noticed that the more active games increased energy expenditure so significantly they could actually contribute to weight loss. Kids spent twice more energy when they played games on the Wii console than they did when they played with a traditional game console. Their heart rate also greatly increased, indicating kids’ hearts were actually working hard.

Young Canadians spend an average of over three hours per day in front of the small screen. We might as well take advantage of this situation to make them move more, especially since the last 25 years have shown Canadian children are becoming heavier and less in shape.

The Nintendo Wii console and other similar models can be a complimentary way to motivate inactive children fascinated by video games to be more active. Although the new consoles require a certain amount of physical activity, it is important for parents to limit the time spent in front of a screen and encourage their children to play outside or to participate in various sports. Participating in a variety of activities will help children develop harmoniously and acquire the skills necessary to grow up to be well socialized individuals.