Screen time parents can feel good about
Exergaming helps kids get the physical activity they need, Erin O’Loughlin writes.
This oped is part of a series by participants in the Concordia Public Scholars program, a partnership between Concordia University and the Montreal Gazette.
In terms of health damage, sitting is the new smoking. Youth are spending an average of 8.6 hours per day, or 62 per cent of their waking hours, being sedentary. Even if a child is physically active for an hour a day, increased sitting is associated with obesity, as well as increased fat mass, higher body mass index (BMI) and decreased academic achievement.
But, with summer break looming, how can we limit our children’s “couch time” when screens are so alluring?
What if there was an activity that was just as alluring as video games, but that parents could feel good about? What if screens could break up those three-hour binges of Paw Patrol?
Breaks from sitting are important: Standing at least once an hour strengthens muscles, burns calories, increases focus, boosts circulation, combats fatigue and activates metabolism. Brief activity breaks are important to balance the time spent playing video games. This is where active video games can be a tool to help break up sedentary time, as well as get a little more active.
Active videogaming or exergaming (think Pokémon Go or Dance Dance Revolution) can help kids get off the couch and reap some of the health benefits of physical activity. Exergaming can be played outside using mobile phones (mobile exergaming), but also inside using traditional video-game consoles. As so many kids have cellphones and game consoles anyway, the investment is minimal.
Kids report enjoying exergaming over and above traditional types of physical activity, such as treadmill running, and some like it even better than non-active gaming. The key is to keep kids interested by switching up the games before they get bored. Parents love exergaming because they can play with their children or have their children play within the home if supervision is required.
If you are exergaming just for fun, no “prescriptions” are needed. If you are a parent looking for your kids to get more active through exergaming, encourage games that use the whole body (such as dance games).
Kids should be active at least 60 minutes a day. Break down that 60 minutes into exergaming as well as other types of activities to strike a balance, or use exergaming in addition to that 60 minutes of current physical activity. Even use exergaming as a way to practice non-virtual sports. Wii soccer skills may build confidence in kids so they try these skills on the soccer pitch. Not sure you want to shell out the money for karate lessons? Try it on the Wii first.
Critics argue exergaming may increase screen-time, which is not recommended. However, instead of trying to fight the allure of the screen, we advocate using it in a healthier way.
Critics also argue kids will get bored and stop exergaming. The key is to find games that keep kids immersed, and to encourage them to play a variety of games. No one argues that video-game lovers stop playing because of boredom — they find new games and challenges. No one argues that kids will become bored playing soccer — with every skill learned, kids become more motivated to play. It’s the same with exergaming.
No one is saying kids shouldn’t play sports or go outside, but the “old” ways aren’t getting kids active enough. Kids just want to have fun. It used to be more exciting to be outdoors than indoors; but the current appeal of screens means kids would rather sit indoors — in front of a virtual world — than play outside.
If your kids love sports, great. But if they don’t, exergaming might be just right for them.
Active videogaming or exergaming (think Pokémon Go or Dance Dance Revolution) can help kids get off the couch and reap some of the health benefits of physical activity.
Erin O’Loughlin is a research project co-ordinator at the Centre de recherche du CHUM and a Public Scholar and PhD candidate at Concordia University.