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While video games such as Wii Sports and Dance Dance Revolution can help get your ankle-biters off the couch and involved in physical activity, University of Michigan fitness experts say they should not supplant traditional exercise because they burn few calories.
"Virtual gaming is no replacement for real exercise," Greene notes. "It's a place to start, though. Kids can have fun doing it, they can feel a little better about actually trying the sport or activity," says Colleen Greene, M.A., wellness coordinator for MFit, the health promotion division of the University of Michigan Health System, in U-M Health Minute.
Although interactive games-which can require as little activity as a flick of a wrist to play tennis, or as much effort as an all-out dance routine-do require more activity than traditional stationary video games, they still do not qualify as aerobic exercise, she notes.
"Real calories can be burned during virtual gaming, although some studies have recently shown that it may be 60 to 70 calories an hour," Greene says. "This is nowhere near what an actual game or sport should be, which is three to four times that amount."
Virtual sports are not without their benefits, however. These games can help improve kids' confidence and hand-eye coordination, according to Greene.. "Active virtual gaming can have a role in a healthy lifestyle. It's a place to start and have some fun. It's a way to try something new in a non-threatening environment," she says. "But really, you ought to get outside, give it a try and have some real fun." ::University of Michigan Health System
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