Targeting Sedentarianism with exergaming!

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).

The best medicine...by Dr. Mike Evans

1-9-12: Saw this on someone's FB page and loved it! It's in that "new" format of drawing on a whiteboard while giving a talk, though this one is the first one I've seen sped up and the artist is very good! Enjoy!

"23 and 1/2 hours: Single best thing to do for your health" by Dr. Mike Evans

New Year's Hike makes Grand Terrace newspaper!

Our hike made the Grand Terrace newspaper! Hopefully, I uploaded the PDF ok...;-)

2012 off to a physically active start!!!

Jan. 3, 2012: Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you had a chance to do some physical activity during this holiday season, not only to burn some excess holiday kcals, but to have a better life and enjoy the holidays more. ;-)

Most of you know things were rocking for us here at Team Medina. We had our traditional New Year's Day hike up Blue Mountain on Jan. 1, and then I had a great game of paintball (another very physically active fun!) on Jan. 2 since the clinic was closed yesterday. If you want to see some pixs of all of these, check out the following URLS of these albums on Facebook:

Sunrise hike

Noon hike

Paintball

Also, I joined and started an account on MeetUp (meetup.org) and started the groups, "Physical Activity Evangelists and Trainees" and "Team CycleFit". Will see how posting events there will go. If you're on MeetUp, join those groups so I can grow my numbers there.

Stay tuned for more PA related stuff in 2012!!!

Fitness more important than weight - San Bernardino County Sun

Fitness more important than weight - San Bernardino County Sun

Check out this article that just came out on the front page of the Sun newspaper. Dr. Sallis is the former president of the American College of Sports Medicine and the founder/creator of the Exercise is Medicine program. The other exercise prof. they interview in there is someone from Beaver Medical Group that you may know. ;-)

Have a happy and physically active 2012!!!