The results have been overwhelmingly positive. Schools have found significant benefits at all grade levels in physical engagement, improved behaviour and punctuality and improved academic performance. ExerGaming intergrates seamlessly as an adjunct to existing physical education classes. Typically used in P.E., ExerGaming also functions perfectly as an After schools and Breakfast club activity.

Machine Dance ExerGames such as iDANCE2 are already classified as a sport in several European countries and have the capacity to engage, challenge and mobilize any child of any school age to a highly vigorous level of physical activity. These ‘group’ ExerGames can have up to 64 active participants at any one time which make them a superior health and fitness solution whether it be conventional fitness activities or the new P.E. genre created by ExerGames.

Pioneers in this genre in the US are centres such as New Mexico State University and notaries such as Dr. Barbara Chamberlin. Barbara is a true innovator in the field of ExerGaming working at both ends of the health spectrum; Academic research and ‘in the trenches’ implementation. This video is a wonderful overview of how domestic ‘off-the-shelf’ exergames can be utilized in schools to great effect.

When I observed the positive effects our Exergaming lab had on our elementary school, I was convinced that every student should have access to this type of lab.  Nothing I had observed before motivated students to exercise with the enthusiasm and spirit that this lab created.  The lab had a remarkable impact on our student body’s commitment to exercise and physical activity.  Students couldn’t wait for their scheduled time in our Exercise 4 Learning lab.

How and Why We Started an Exercise 4 Learning Lab:

Any teacher will tell you that, for an ADD/ADHD student, sitting in the classroom can be incredibly difficult.  They are the students that daydream, intrude, interrupt, blurt out, and have a difficult time in social situations.  As a principal for over 30 years, I recognized a pattern that existed for nearly all of our school’s ADD/ADHD students.  Each year started with a parent/teacher conference where we discussed the best ways for the teacher and the school to support their child.

There was always a high level of commitment on everyone’s part to do their best in providing a positive environment for the student to learn and grow.  What happened next was an agreed upon set of interventions that would be employed if the child was off-task or behaved inappropriately.  Unfortunately, largely because of seat time requirements, the student would begin to struggle with classroom expectations around listening, paying attention/staying focused, behaving appropriately, finishing assignments, and getting along with others.  The downward cycle had begun!!

Unfortunately, the results became predictable because the same pattern happened time and time again.  Initially, everyone tried earnestly to make things work.  However, even with best intentions, the student/teacher relationship would suffer.  This was usually do to the demand for seat time, a heavy dose of corrective feedback, and the student’s difficulty to stay continually focused.  All types of issues began to surface because tension mounted around the student’s behavior problems.

The student began to dislike the teacher, the teacher felt she was not being supported by the parent(s), and the parent(s) often looked for someone to blame because discipline and academic problems were increasing.  Everyone felt a little helpless.  Too often the student’s impulsivity and poor behavior led to unfortunate labels, i.e., “lazy”, “stubborn”, or “spoiled”.   Some years, everyone was able to hang together and have a decent outcome.  But in many other instances, spring semester rolled around and discussions began about placement in another teacher’s classroom or another school in hopes of serving the child more effectively.  Everyone was exhausted just looking for answers.

Over all those years of observing the dynamic response of classroom teachers with students having ADD/ADHD, the common denominator was a prescription of more structure, stricter discipline, and/or increased medication.  More structure often included depriving the student from recess as punishment and/or time for incomplete assignments to be finished.

The main intervention goals typically included positive reinforcement, redirection, and removal of privileges.  Time-Out, or isolation without intervention, was the most frequently applied strategy in the attempt to manage and change behaviors.  Unfortunately, all of the strategies combined, even with the best intentions, never quite led to the desired changes everyone was wanting.  Sadly, over time, the negative impact on the student’s self-esteem was always fairly significant.

The good news is that there is a more effective intervention that should be added to the school’s repertoire in responding to the needs of ADD/ADHD students.  We now know that exercise can have a far more beneficial impact on ADD/ADHD students than many of the other strategies.  And it does more than just “burn off energy”.  Research demonstrates that exercise actually “turns on” aspects of the brain that affect learning uptake and retention (Ratey, 2008).  It also decreases impulsivity and increases focus, preparing the student to learn.

By doing 10-15 minutes of exercise every 2 hours, students:” Improve attention/focus/mood/behavior” Grow brain neurons for memory and learning” Improve cardiovascular condition” Fight obesity and help prevent type 2 diabetes John Ratey, M.D. Harvard Medical School

Time-In Versus Time-Out:

Knowing that research supported exercise as an intervention to decrease behavior issues, increase focus, and increase learning, our school began to review options that would optimize the learning experience for our ADD/ADHD students.  During this time, I was introduced to a new concept in exercising called Exergaming by Phil Lawler, considered the “Father of the New PE”.  At my elementary school, our first experience with Exergaming equipment occurred when we installed two game bikes and 2 Dance Dance Revolution pads in a small resource room, creating a mini-lab.  The equipment was used as a Time-In intervention for students with ADD/ADHD.

Xavix Exergaming Equipment provided by Exergame Fitness (USA)

Students would begin their day with 10-15 minutes on the Exergaming equipment.  Before afternoon academics started, those same students would go the mini-lab and work out for another 10-15 minutes.  In addition, teachers were coached to watch for student behaviors that reflected inattention and lack of concentration and sent them to the Time-In lab for 5-10 minutes to help them refocus.

The results were remarkable.  First, the students loved working out on the Exergaming equipment, even arriving early to school to exercise.  Second, we observed what the research had indicated–students went back to the classroom less impulsive and more ready to learn.  The intervention had a positive impact on the students, promoting academic success and increasing self-esteem.

A fourth grade teacher, who used this strategy with a particularly challenging student, said the following about her experience: ”I couldn’t believe the positive difference that 10 minutes of exercise made for one of my ADHD students who was previously off-task, unfocused, and created many disruptions in the classroom.” Terry Deniston, Ph.D.Classroom Teacher

Certainly, Exergaming as an intervention is a very powerful and proactive strategy that will help ADD/ADHD students be more successful in school.  The initial key was the students’ motivation to use the Exergaming equipment.  Eventually, the students were able to understand and correlate how a “turned on brain” improves focus and attention.  Students were excited to conduct their workouts and always looked forward to the experience.  That is why every school should have a lab or mini-lab to support these students who, for so long, have had such a difficult time succeeding in our schools.  Your parents, teachers, and students will applaud you for your new intervention and the positive effects it will have for these students.

Research findings indicate that nearly 7,200 students drop out of school each day (Wingert, 2010).  I would suggest that a segment of the 1.3 million students who drop out annually struggle with the effects of ADD/ADHD.   Schools can afford this intervention (I encourage you to contact Exergaming Australia for equipment information), and it can have a huge pay-off for the students, teachers, administrators, and parents.

References:
Ratey,  J.  (2008).  Spark:   The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company.  Terry Deniston  (personal communication, Sept 10, 2009)Wingert, Patrice.  ”The (Somewhat) Good and (Mostly) Bad News about High School Dropout Rates“. www.newsweek.com.  2010.  June 14, 2010

All Exergaming products mentioned are available through Exergaming Australia | 0418 146 818 | Email

In the category for Best Home Exergame of 2010, Microsoft’s Kinect Sports has taken the honours with the majority of the public vote. Nintendo Wii Fit and Sports achieved significant victories in awards for older exergamers and rehabilitation.

”The inaugural TEN Awards is a significant initiative to raise public awareness of the commercial grade Exergaming solutions available world wide and to honour the key pioneering manufacturers in this exciting health and fitness genre” says Brett Young, founding member of The Exergame Network and CEO of Exergaming Australia.

The full results of The Exergame Network Awards 2010 are as follows;
- Best Children’s Exergame – WINNER: Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves by Konami
- Best Physical Education Exergame – WINNER: Gamercize Pro-Sport for Wii
- Best Seniors Exergame – WINNER: Nintendo Wii Sports Bowling
- Best Accessibility Exergame – WINNER: Nintendo Wii Sports
- Best Home Dance Exergame – WINNER: Konami DDR
- Best Commercial Grade Dance Exergame – WINNER: Positive Gaming iDANCE2
- Best Exergame Fitness Avatar – WINNER: Wii Yoga
- Best Rehabilitation Exergame – WINNER: Nintendo Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus
- Best Group Exergame – WINNER: Positive Gaming iDANCE2
- Best Gateway Exergame – WINNER: Nintendo Wii Sports
- Best Competition Exergame – WINNER: Gamercize Pro-Sport for Xbox 360
- Best Brain Exergame – WINNER: NeuroActive BrainBike
- Best Music in an Exergame – WINNER: Positive Gaming iDANCE2
- Best Commercial Exergame 2010 – WINNER: Positive Gaming iDANCE2
- Best Home Exergame 2010 – WINNER: Microsoft Kinect Sports

”The first ever TEN Awards is a great step in helping both consumers and healthcare professionals know where to start when trying to select (or recommend) an exergame for their particular need. The voting was from a wide array of exergaming enthusiasts from around the globe. I believe this is a great start and hope that this will encourage game developers and exergaming manufacturers to continue to produce great products and raise the field of exergaming” says Dr. Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH, founding member of The Exergame Network, CEO of MedPlay Technologies, and the “Exergaming Evangelist/Interventionist”.

The full nominations and results are available on The Exergame Network website at http://www.exergamenetwork.org/ and an analysis of the voting data will be provided later this year through TEN member and Co-Director of the USF Active Gaming Labs, Dr Lisa Hansen. The Exergame Network can be joined or contacted via LinkedIn, Facebook, Wiki, Twitter or by email at info@exergamenetwork.org

Activity-oriented videogames can help users to become more engaged in other physical activities, according to a survey backed by the American Heart Association. The health organization allied with console manufacturer Nintendo to conduct the poll, which showed that 58 per cent of respondents have taken up a hobby such as jogging or tennis since playing games such as Wii Fit or Wii Sports Resort. According to data from the survey, users consider such titles to be good ways of remaining active when in the home, with men more likely to play the games than women.

Dr Barry Franklin of William Beaumont Hospital in Michigan, an American Heart Association volunteer, said: “As people get up off the couch to play Wii games, they’re likely to stay up and do more.” The American Heart Association grants Nintendo permission to display its logo on the packaging of Wii Fit Plus.

In the UK the NHS has endorsed ExerGaming, particulary rhythm dance games, as an option to increase activity in its Change4Life program.

Australia, now the most obese country on the planet would do well to follow the lead of the US and UK and embrace the tremendously engaging nature of exergames and begin similar initiatives here, what do you think?

You may be surprised to know that the two most powerful motivators in getting or keeping fit are FEAR and GUILT. Are you surprised? The times of the year when guilt and fear rear their persuasive heads is less surprising….*drum roll*…the end of Spring and New Years Eve!

FEAR: When our health deteriorates we instinctively seek to gain back control. Our anxiousness drives us to sign on the gym contract’s dotted line and we enter a 3 month period of fear-fueled determinaton.

GUILT: 70 – 80% of us never return to the gym for the duration of our contract, incredible figure! Those that do return often do so out of guilt! A re-awakening of the promise we made on New Year’s Eve or the guilt associated with wasted gym payments or our friends comments about redoubling their efforts to get back in shape – don’t confuse guilt with determination.

Does it really matter? Do we really care what propels us back into a mindset of health and fitness? It’s a good question, fear and guilt are certainly powerful motivators, but surely we can do better! There must be a way to create sustainable levels of health and fitness in our lifestyle that don’t involve bullying ourselves!

Well for some of us who love working-out, going to the gym, attending boot camp, running half marathons or playing competitive sports there is little need for badgering. These people seem to manage their personal or family wellness year after year. However, I would hazard a guess and say these people are in the vast minority. For the rest of us, we need to find powerful and frequent sources of inspiration or motivation to improve our lifestyle behaviours – welcome back fear and guilt.

Wow, that just seems so dire! Surely we can be inspired by people who have successfully changed their own behaviours; surely they can persuade us to improve our own?! Well of course they can, for a few days, weeks goodness maybe even months! But inevitably we need to find the trigger within ourselves.

Watch children play and ask yourself what’s their motivation? How do they play with such enthusiasm for such long periods of time? Think outside the obvious answer of “..they’re kids, that’s what kids do!”, true, but what motivates them? Could it be as simple as it’s just fun?

Okay, so kids play, that’s no revelation but think about it, they play to explore their imaginations, to socialise to investigate new possibilities and they have a LOT of fun doing so. Fun and Play are inseparable. So let’s link them together with a game and let’s control the game with our body. Now we have an extremely powerful combination of motivators:

Play + Fun + Game + Body = ExerGames

Exergames are unconcerned with age, ability or fitness levels. They are made to benefit everyone. So now Fear and Guilt can be removed from our list of motivators. We can now feed our willingness to improve our wellbeing through positive measures, brilliant!

Fun is a terrific word, unfortunately its meaning has been diluted through overuse and misuse. For adults, fun isn’t as ‘fun’ as it used to be. Media and advertising have adopted the word to sell everything droll and boring. TV Shop fitness equipment ads are a perfect example. The latest Ab machines are promoted as “the best ever”. They are all easily setup, hit every muscle group, get results in minutes and pack away in seconds and they are all fun – NO, THEY ARE NOT!
I was fooled by a slick TV Shop presentation years ago and went ahead and bought a Chuck Norris endorsed contraption. Did it work? Yes it did, badly. It was built poorly of low quality materials but it did what it said. Was it fun? Absolutely NOT! It was uncomfortable, it took up a lot of space and it was boring. The best workout I got was carrying it from the Post Office to my home over 1 km away, nearly killed me, that wasn’t fun either!

Promoters love using the word ‘fun’ to peddle their wares. Fun has become a lightweight, insincere and superfluous word indiscriminately thrown into any and all product advertising. It’s like white noise, we hear it but it doesn’t hold any value, which is a shame because it’s our best ally in changing our wellness habits.

So it’s time to give FUN back its true worth and power. Next time you embark on your journey to the gym for weights, treadmill running, rowing or a Power Pump Aerobic class, take note of:

• How many times you smile,
• How often you laugh (genuinely laugh)
• How much of the time were you immersed in the exercise, the world disappeared.
• Did the time just fly past
• Was the exercise easier than you expected

If you answered ‘not often’ or ‘no’ then you need to re-evaluate your fitness programs. Life is too short for ‘not often’, this is YOUR leisure time and you deserve more!

You must have fun to make these behavioural changes stick. Work doesn’t have to be fun, cleaning the house doesn’t have to be fun, but damn it, getting fitter to improve the quality of your life MUST be fun, otherwise you simply will not sustain the effort.

Challenge yourself to seek activities that are Fun. If you have trouble accepting this, introduce a second word to add credibility – Serious. A suitably adult word. Let’s put it together with our new favourite word and we get – Serious Fun.

What’s your immediate reaction? I would hope you are smiling and taking that smile very seriously. I want you to believe that fun is acceptable, in fact it is mandatory and further to that, we deserve it! So tomorrow, chose activities that make you smile, laugh and immerse you in that moment as if you’re watching an entertaining movie.

Some Tips:

1.      Perhaps you’re already doing step classes well try Zumba it may be more ‘fun’.

2.      Like to try dance classes but lack the confidence or time, get Kinect for your Microsoft Xbox 360 and play Dance Central, it’s much more fun with friends and family – great workout!

3.      Instead of running on your home treadmill, grab a friend and power walk to Hudsons coffee shop for a low fat latte, perhaps that’s more ‘fun’.

4.      If you’re in Hobart go to the Hobart Aquatic Centre and try iDANCE2 it’s the world’s best group fitness Exergame and a LOT of fun!

5.      Exergaming is very effective at stepping up the challenges while still remaining fun.

Don’t underestimate the power of Fun.

The true test of an exercise or fitness program is not feeling satisfied, pleased, nicely tired, suitably fatigued or utterly smashed you can achieve those results running on the spot or do endless burpees. No, the true worth of a fitness program is your willingness to do the program again and again, day after day and year after year. When an activity is fun, we do it willingly and we do it frequently.

Make your fitness fun and don’t accept anything less. If you’re stuck for ideas, send me an email and I’ll do my best to get you sweating and laughing in equal measure

The Exergame Network (TEN) has created a next generation rating system which is ready for world wide release. TEN’s ratings system evaluates the holistic experience of an exergame in it’s Exergaming Experience Rating System (EERS)
TEN is a non-affliated, non-profit Games for Health exergaming advocacy. Its website portal is http://www.exergamenetwork.org/.

TEN represents an international collaboration of dedicated health and fitness practitioners, exergame developers, researchers and clinicians, wellness entrepreneurs, all devoted to promoting an active and healthy lifestyle through Exergaming.

The peer-reviewed EERS results have been compiled by a panel of world renowned Exergaming experts. The system used to rate the exergame experience has taken a collaboration of over 12 months, driven by the previous lack of real world consumer information into the genre.

ERNIE MEDINA, JR., DrPH – Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of MedPlay Technologies

Exergames are not only scored on exercise and game play, including the physical interface between the two, but also on the interaction of seven further attributes including sustainability and intervention capacity. Six popular video games with an exercise component have been scored in the first results, including Wii Fit, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), Eyetoy Kinetic, Wii Sports, EA Sports Active and Rockband.

“With so many different games available on the market, a rating system for Exergames like the EERS by TEN, is a welcome tool for healthcare practitioners trying to help their patients make the most appropriate choices for their families.” says TEN contributor Dr Ernie Medina of MedPlay Technologies LLC.

The highest rated exergame, so far, is Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), which scored 63% with the popular Wii Fit making a mid-table position with 57%. TEN has a resource of over 40 Exergames listed that will be peer-reviewed and rated over the next 12 months.

STEPHEN P. YANG, PhD-ABD – Professor at Suny Cortland

“The EERS results compliment the research work being done in the Exergame Lab at SUNY Cortland. While there is no substitute for scientific research in PE, the thorough rating system is extremely useful to consumers when looking at which product to purchase.” says TEN contributor and exergame expert Stephen Yang.

The full Ratings table can be viewed at the TEN Blogsite

TEN – Social Networks:
LinkedIn, Facebook, Wiki,  Twitter, Skype: ExergameNework & email

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Scientific research supports physical activity as an effective approach to minimize mounting health concerns and Physical Education teachers are using this research and exciting new methods to re-define “what is PE”. PE teachers are the doing their part by rasing awareness that fitness can be fun, in a way that kids today understand – technology.

The technology skilled PE teachers of today are learning to use “exergames” in classes – exergames are video-games combined with fitness. Nothing engages today’s school children more than technology, so it is no surprise exergames dramatically raise interest in PE class by making the class fun, challenging and rewarding. Exergaming is advocated throughout the U.S. by The Exergame Network (TEN). TEN’s mission is to share information, success stories and act as a portal resource for exergaming via it’s education wiki and blog.

Pioneering PE teachers encountered early challenges, sometimes experimenting with games consoles, like the Nintendo Wii, as a format to drive a PE class. Leading PE teachers now eagerly share the formula for success by using a wide range of exergame implementations. Successfully trialed exergames meet recommended exercise guidelines and can be integrated into structured PE lessons to the enjoyment and benefit of all students. Many PE teachers have developed the skills to use exergaming in a developmentally appropriate way, according to guidelines from PE centers of excellence, as a tool which can motivate and energize today’s youth.

A Florida PE teacher spoke confidently in support of exergaming, “This is the first time in 11 years of teaching PE that I’ve had to kick kids out of class who don’t want to stop exercising.” One student summarizes the feelings of those involved in structured exergaming PE class “If the whole United States had a room like this, then this world would be a better place.” This evidence, supported by peer reviewed research, comes directly from the University of South Florida’s, Active Gaming Research Lab’s web archives and represents just two of the many success stories of research into all ages and different implementations of exergaming.

The support for exergaming has reached global proportions, demonstrated by quotes from the BBC News posted in the Gamercize web archives. A PE student talks about the immersive nature of exergaming “Sometimes when you’re playing netball or basketball you get a bit tired and then you say ‘Oh I don’t want to do this anymore’ but this is really fun and I think I could do it all day.” Her teacher is aware of how exergaming increases student involvement in PE, “Its certainly not physical education as we know it, but thats not what we’re looking for. Some kids want to take part in this who wouldn’t want to play football or other conventional sports.”

Educators, researchers and editors alike are encouraged to use exergaming technology in their classes by first visiting the TEN resource sites to participate, ask questions to the worlds foremost experts, share news and ideas on exergaming in PE and PA. Resource information from TEN includes the five major categories of exergaming implementations, from dance pads to dedicated “workout” games, at http://exergamenetwork.blogspot.com/p/types-of-exergaming.html. TEN has also listed exergaming products available in the US with a collection of nearly 40 different exergaming choices covering aspects of PE with many different modes of physical activity at http://exergamenetwork.blogspot.com/p/exergame-products.html.

The Exergame Network can be joined or contacted via LinkedIn, Facebook, Wiki, Twitter or by email at info@exergamenetwork.org.

The video below shows pioneering P.E. Teachers in the UK, why should it be any different in the USA or Australia? Feel free to leave a comment or contact Exergaming Australia directly.

The first two stages of our new national curriculum do NOT include a HPE component, it is not considered a priority by the Federal Education Minister, Julia Gillard or the current State and Territory Education Ministers, incredible!

Chair of the National Preventative Health Taskforce, Prof. Rob Moodie:

“..recent trends predict that the life expectancy of Australian children alive today will fall TWO years by the time they are 20 years old because of obesity. This is an awful legacy for us to leave our children. Schools are an essential part of developing a healthier and more active Australia. If health and physical education are not priorities then they won’t be priorities in everyday Australian life.”

Key Australian notaries from the Heart Foundation, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, Public Health Association, Cancer Council Australia, Australian Medical Association, ACHPER, The Nossal Institute for Global Health and PHAA have jointly petitioned Julia Gillard to consider the ramifications of  deprioritising the health of Australian youth. I truly hope their plea is taken onboard and our respective policy makers acknowledge and reprioritise HPE and institute a world class, modern day solution throughout Australia. I’m the eternal optomist!

A copy of the letter to Julia Gillard is included within this PDF.

I’ve reposted a blog showing the status of PE in the US. It seems hardly possible that Australia is in a worse situation. Thanks to Tommy at Exergame Fitness USA for the content below:

The Shape of the Nation Report provides a current picture of physical education (PE) in the American education system. Incremental improvements have been made in the last few years in the number of states that now require PE (17% increase) and student assessment in PE (26% increase). However, the Report shows that more states now allow waivers and exemptions from PE classes (77% increase) and no progress has been made in providing daily physical education in all grades K-12.

• The Shape of Physical Education in 2010:
• Only five states require physical education in every grade K-12.
• Only one state aligns with the nationally recommended 150 minutes per week of PE in elementary school and 225 minutes per week in middle and high school.
• More than half of all states (32) permit waivers and/or exemptions for students from taking PE, a 77% increase from 2006.
• Forty-eight states (94%) have their own state standards for physical education, but only 34 states (67%) require local districts to comply or align with these standards.
• Only 19 states (37%) require some form of student assessment in physical education.
• Fewer states (14 vs. 22 in 2006) require physical education grades to be included in students’ grade point averages.
• Only 13 states (25%) require schools to measure Body Mass Index (BMI) and/or height and weight for each student.

At a time when the First Lady is highlighting the obesity epidemic among our youth and the role that schools can play, physical education should be given a priority in public and education policy.

Download the full 2010 Shape of the Nation Report: Status of Physical Education in the USA from NASPE and the American Heart Association. Also, be sure to check out the Executive Summary and Table of Contents.

The iDANCE Wireless Dance and Step System was debuted at the Arbor Vitae – Woodruff School in Wisconsin, USA. After obtaining a School PEP Grant, Woodruff School was determined to keep Wisconsin school kids healthy, active and fit by using active gaming products that keep kids engaged and excited about staying fit during school hours. After consulting with Bill Abel, Exergame Fitness USA’s Gaming Consultant, they decided to purchase a 12 player iDANCE2 Wireless Dance and Step System.

Tommy Seilheimer Vice President of Exergame Fitness adds:

“During the initial installation and demonstration of the iDANCE2 system, the students were cheering as we brought it in through the front door of the school. They were expecting the arrival of the iDANCE2 which was really refreshing to see after traveling a long 6 hours to the location. We met the main PE teacher of the school and set the system up in under 10 minutes which impressed many of the faculty members and students excited to see the system in action.

The iDANCE2 created a huge draw with the other teachers throughout the school as they called over the main PA “for all faculty members to enter the gymnasium”. At a certain point we must of had every teacher in the school playing the system, laughing competing and taking pictures to show all the students for the upcoming year exactly what system they have at their school. It was a win-win for both students and teachers alike.”

The videos below show some of the fun the ‘teachers’ were having during their familiarisation period with the iDANCE2 P.E. solution.

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The iDANCE2 Wireless Dance & Step System is NOW available in Australasia right here at Exergame Fitness Australia.
Call us for a demonstration and quote | +61 (0) 400 80 81 65 | conan@exergamingaustralia.com

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What all school administrators are facing today is an increased demand for higher test scores, often times at the expense of reducing physical education or the amount of recess time elementary students receive each day. As a principal for over 30 years, I have to say that I certainly was victim to that pressure until I realized that the approach was fundamentally flawed.

We, as educational leaders, have moved too far away from the thought of a sound body and sound mind. In my former district, students received physical education only five times a month. In addition, the reduction of recess time and the increased seat time in the classroom mirrored what is happening nationally. We actually prescribed to the idea that if we worked harder at doing the same thing over and over, we would get better results. Thus, we had six year olds not receiving any physical activity for nearly three hours of morning instruction! It wasn’t that we were not well -intended, we just were not well-informed.

As a school we started to look deeply into the research on the effects of exercise and learning. It became very clear that we had not only lost balance in our approach to education, we were simply not putting students in the most advantageous position to learn. We began to realize that in this competitive world, the school system that wants to maximize students’ progress must provide a foundation of physical activity to prime cognitive functioning.

Beyond Exciting!!

As a school staff, we found compelling reasons to make changes in the amount of fitness our students were receiving. We decided to significantly increase the amount of fitness time for our students through innovative strategies. The most remarkable aspect of that change was the development of an Exercise 4 Learning lab that revolutionized our school. We implemented a 28-station Exergaming lab that changed almost every aspect of our school day. In 30 years as a school administrator, this was the most innovative and exciting intervention I had ever been a part of implementing.

The results were striking. The whole school experience changed when something so fun and so good for students was now embedded into their weekly schedule. The Exercise 4 Learning lab supplemented our current physical education program and enhanced the activity level of students by doubling the amount of exercise our kids were receiving each week. What was even more profound was the enthusiasm displayed by our students—they loved their new experience! When teachers listed their daily schedule on the board in the morning, their students would scream with delight when the schedule included a period of time in the lab. When students were surveyed about they liked most about the school, the lab was listed as their favorite activity. Furthermore, teachers reported a positive change in their students’ focus and attention levels after their students returned from the lab.

Why implement an Exergaming lab in your school? First, exercise fires up the brain for learning, making students better prepared for cognitive retention. Second, students who have daily physical activity demonstrate improved behavior and less disciplinary problems in the classroom. Third, Exergaming provides a new and exciting way to draw students into a healthy lifestyle by letting them experience the fun and confidence associated with being physically fit. Fourth, Exergaming is a powerful way to change the trend that reduces physical education in our schools and will actually enhance your current program. Fifth, from an efficiency point of view, our lab installation cost about half a staffing unit to create but serves over 500 students and will last a significant number of years. The Exercise 4 Learning lab is a very economical intervention for any school looking to improve academic achievement, student behavior, and fitness for all students. Finally, did I mention that we have an obesity and sedentary life style crisis in our country? Our Exergaming lab is the best intervention I have seen that counters both of these patterns while also improving school performance.

 

Dan Lawler, Ph.D.
Exergame Fitness Educational Consultant
www.exergamefitness.com
dlawler22@gmail.com