While it may be true that interactive games like those made for Nintendo's Wii console encourage players to get up and move, a study has determined that these games don't keep children active enough to keep them healthy. One example of research that was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine was the discovery that real tennis is 77 percent more physically demanding than the video version.

"The study authors calculated that in a typical week, a child who played Wii sports would use about 2% more energy than one playing sedentary computer games. They said the increase was 'trivial', and the activity was not intense enough to be counted in the recommended daily amount of physical activity."

Though Wii-like gaming may offer some benefit to a child's metabolic health, the research is inconclusive in this area. The bottom line, experts say, is that virtual tennis or boxing are no substitute for the real thing. Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Labels: exercise, sports, video_games

Ray McNulty from Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida was feeling nostalgic. In his column, he reminisces about all the time he spent with his dad when he was a kid. His dad taught him to box, play sports, and enjoy being active and healthy, but few of today's kids are getting that same experience.

"...kids need more activity than the P.E. they get in school. That's the only exercise some kids get. That's got to change. And it's up to you fathers out there to change it - the way your kids eat and play and think."

Turn off the video games, McNulty encourages. Pick up a ball and teach your kids that sports can be fun, even when they're not played on a screen. Source: Treasure Coast Newspapers

Labels: activity, exercise, sports

Soccer star Kristine Lilly and tennis legend Billie Jean King will be at the University of Massachusetts on Tuesday to launch an initiative titled GoGirlGo!. The purpose of the initiative is to raise awareness about the important role fitness should play in the lives of young girls.

"GoGirlGo! is the brainchild of the Women's Sports Foundation, which already has launched successful initiatives in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Antonio...The Women's Sports Foundation, which has done extensive research on the connection between successful young women and fitness, determined the health of today's girls is 'threatened by inactivity'. According to the Foundation, regular participation in physical activity during adolescence promotes self-confidence and a positive body image."

The GoGirlGo! Boston initiative will conduct workshops, report on the state of girls' physical activity and health, and provide grants for organizations that offer physical activities for girls.

Girls who struggle in a co-ed school environment often prosper in an all-girls setting. Visit BoardingSchoolsforGirls to find girls schools.

Labels: athletes, exercise, sports

Because May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, it's a great time to get your kids involved in some kind of sport or physical activity.

"Although some parents try to avoid youth sports until their kids are older, like 9 or 10 years old, because they want to avoid what they think is a competitive environment for their younger children, it is important to remember that most youth sports for younger kids are noncompetitive."

Even so, some kids don't like team sports. But parents should encourage their kids to try individual sports like swimming or tennis. Read more at Pediatrics.About.com.

Labels: exercise, fitness, sports