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).

Sedentarianism linked to cancer!

11-4-11: More proof that not only should we get our 50-60 mins. of moderate exercise per day, but we should decrease our sedentary time as welhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifl!

A new study that was presented today shows how being too inactive (sedentary) throughout the day is linked to increased cancer! You can read more about it here.

So think of how you can decrease your sedentary time. I have a pedalar I picked up at Wal-Mart for $25 and whenever I am reading or talking on the phone, I sit back and pedal on it. (My desk is not quite high enough for me to pedal while I'm typing on the computer--like right now, but am working on that).

Some people are able to set up a treadmill or stationary bike in their office and walk/pedal while they are surfing the Net or on their laptop/computer. I don't have that space in my office so do the next best thing.

Also taking breaks during every hour and going out for a quick walk or something is a good way to break up the sedentary time.

In summary, while exercising for 60 mins. is good, being sedentary the other 23 hours is a big risk factor, despite that hour of exercise!

So work on doing both and reduce your risk of cancer!!!

Ford car to check on your health!

Read about what Ford is working on here. A car that will check on your health while you're driving! Since being sedentary (sedentarianism, hypokinetic disease) is one of our major risk factors, will this car check to see if you've been sitting too much and stop the car, force you to get out (eject-a-couch-potato?), and then make you walk or run after it as it drives off?

If all cars did that, imagine the positive impact on the health of our nation!!! We would save BILLIONS of $$$ in healthcare costs, costs associated with hypokinetic disease!!!

I hope someone at this Ford project reads this...but I'm not holding my breath. ;-)

Sitting just as deadly as not exercising enough?

7-22-10: More research supporting that being physically inactive during most of your day can be just as deadly as not getting your minimum recommended amount of exercise per day. Read the latest research here:

http://shexbenupdates.blogspot.com/2010/07/more-time-spent-sitting-linked-to.html

This supports the NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) theory that it is good to get low intensity physical activity throughout the day.