Blog
ExerGaming in Primary Schools – Part 1
Australian schools are the very beginning of their venture to incorporate ExerGaming into the school environment. Over the last 5 years schools in the US, UK and Scandinavia have been trialing and implementing early incarnations of domestic off-the-shelf ExerGames such as Wii Fit, Wii Sport, Dance Dance Revolution and Xavix along with high quality robust commercial solutions such as iDANCE2 by Postive Gaming (Sweden), Gamercize (UK) and a range of ExerBikes, interactive walls and floors from the US. The results have been overwhelmingly...
read moreExergaming & the “Turned On” Brain – Dan Lawler, Ph.D.
Exergaming at the Tavelli Lab (USA) – Posted by Exergame Fitness Advisory Board Member Dan Lawler Ph.DDan is a pioneer in the genre of ExerGaming for schools and his observations and innovations set the standard in the US. ExerGaming Australia partners with Exergame Fitness USA to bring the best interactive solutions to Australia.Dan’s work would apply equally well to all Primary and Secondary schools across Australia. When I observed the positive effects our Exergaming lab had on our elementary school, I was convinced that every...
read moreKinect Wins Top International Exergaming Award
Microsoft Kinect has been awarded the top accolade by public vote in The Exergame Network Awards 2010. Fifteen categories covered the new generation of Active Video Games with nominations from industry experts and public votes from around the world. 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...
read moreHealth benefits of ExerGames backed by American Heart Association
Health benefits of active games backed by American Heart Association December 10, 2010. 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...
read moreHow to get fit, keep fit and love it!
What motivates you to get or keep fit? 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...
read moreExperts Rate “Exergames” for Consumers
Exergaming (Active Gaming) combines video games and exercise to provide a physically challenging but enjoyable experience. Traditionally, laboratory tests have been used to determine exertion levels and mainstream journalists review and rate a game’s game-play. 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...
read moreTeachers Demand Physical Education Overhaul
The article below was written and released by TEN, a modern day health and fitness global advocacy that is passionate about improving the physical education standards in our schools. This article was released for US consumption but I believe it’s views are just as relevant in Australia. Exergaming Australia is a proud member of...
read more2010 Shape of the Nation Report
Reading over this report reminds me of the abysmal condition of health and physical education (HPE) in Australia. The status of PE in the US is appalling, it hardly seems possible that it could be worse in Australia. How can the health and wellbeing of Australian children be relegated to a lower priority than English, Mathematics or the Arts? 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...
read moreThe Power of the New P.E. – Fun.
In the U.S., a Wisconsin school is Committed to Keeping Their Kids Active by iDANCE’ing. Original blog by Tommy Seilheimer at Exergame Fitness USA Arbor Vitae – Woodruff School in Wisconsin, USA \ IDANCE System 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...
read moreExergaming as a P.E. Solution
By Dan Lawler, originally released on the Exergame Fitness blog 02/06/10 Thinking on the Move 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...
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