Can Playing Video Games Burn as Many Calories as Walking on a Treadmill?
The answer is YES according to a new study conducted by the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. The Pediatrics journal reported that active gaming provided as much or more exercise than a moderate or intense walk. Boys and girls ages 10-13 were asked to perform activities including watching TV, playing Dance Dance Revolution and Wii Sports (boxing and bowling), and walking on treadmills. The results concluded that video game playing required three times the energy as watching TV and burned roughly the same amount of calories as walking on the treadmill. “An important feature of exergaming is the entertainment factor, which may motivate some users more than traditional exercise modes,” wrote the authors of the study. “Active games such as DDR or Wii may offer an alternative to sedentary screen games and could be incorporated into more structured exercise programs as a complement to activities such as walking and cycling.sFor young children and teens, the study good news for parents knowing their kids are burning calories while having fun playing video games. If you don’t enjoy video game playing, stick to getting your aerobic exercise on your treadmill to burn calories.
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