Fitness machine for child gamers
Children must use the step machine to play computer games
A machine has been invented to encourage children to work out while they are playing computer games.
The Step2Play step exercise machine links directly to a child's computer games console.
The game's controller will only work if the child keeps up a constant pre-set rate of exercise.
Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of Weight Concern said the device would be "useful" but that it was "a terrible indictment on society".
Because the system only controls the game's controller, and not the game itself, it can be used with any Playstation game. The game pauses while the controller is inactive.
Two players can use different steppers and controllers to play two-player games. The machine also has a parental over-ride and is aimed at youngsters under the age of 12.
'Limit access'
Dr Campbell said: "We know children are not as active as they need to be.
"Anything that encourages them to exercise has to be helpful. However, how sad that we have to bribe children into physical activity. It's a terrible indictment on our society.
"I don't think this is a bad invention but I don't think it's ideal.
"It would be far better to encourage an increase in physical activity across the board, at both school and at home. And it might be an idea for parents to limit their children's access to the computer."
Dr Colin Waine is chairman of the National Obesity Forum and is in favour of the invention, claiming it could help prevent children becoming obese when they reach adolescence.
"Physical inactivity is one of the major causes of the rise in obesity so anything that means children will be more active is to be welcomed.
"Sport doesn't appeal to everybody and we have got to think beyond the playing field.
"This machine is a novel way of getting children to be more active. I don't think it's a bribe, it's just an incentive."
Rick Dalton is director of Gymkids, the company which has launched the machine.
He said: "Unfortunately, the reality is that I don't think we are ever going to totally convince children to put away the Playstation in favour of running around outside.
"Step2Play combines both activities and, whilst it isn't an alternative to outdoor play and exercise, it is one way of combining a previously sedentary activity with a bit of movement and exercise."
Source: bbc.co.uk
Fitness machine for child gamers
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BlindG
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AYHJA
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"Unfortunately, the reality is that I don't think we are ever going to totally convince children to put away the Playstation in favour of running around outside."
That's what I was thinking...Again, I'm not for the idea of companies trying to raise our children...A parent should know that they need to let their kids run outside, even if it means we have to get off our asses and go with them...I'm not planning on getting my kid a video game system for a long time, I'll be driving him to soccer practices, tee ball practice, football practice, drum lessons and so forth for a long time...
That's what I was thinking...Again, I'm not for the idea of companies trying to raise our children...A parent should know that they need to let their kids run outside, even if it means we have to get off our asses and go with them...I'm not planning on getting my kid a video game system for a long time, I'll be driving him to soccer practices, tee ball practice, football practice, drum lessons and so forth for a long time...
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raum
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like hell, get that boy a XBox 360, and you can lock him out.
Furthermore, if a kid is going to play sports, they can see a complete new dimension of playboards on some of the EA games out there.
So what you do is make em run drills for what they try on the game.
if you flesh out the gaming experience with some sound sports titles challenging puzzles some good writing or thought exercises, a few interactive ones like DDR or Karaoke, and make sure they ain't sitting with a bag of tootsie rolls all day, a few hours of video game play is infinitely more intelligent than the same amount of TV, which teaches basically, bullshit like "if you lie everything will work out in the end" (which is really the basis of every "family" sit-com there is).
At a younger age,..
Make the boy do something to earn his play time. Like "You wanna play some Mega-Man, Ok, get some paper, and draw out a level of your own, then, make a boss and some enemies for mega-man to beat." That's what I would do with my brother, who I baby-sat. He had to make Mega-Man enemies, and eventually, we made some of his stages into a board game, and we made the board and cards to draw, and even made the game pieces out of clay. I would make him write a story about the Ninja Turtles and read it out loud before he could actually watch it. I also made him sit with me while I did my math homework if he wanted to play nintendo with me later. Eventually, homework became something we suffered together, and he could do long division before first grade.
We also did other things, like we would go outside and wrestle, and he could watch wrestling for as long as we wrestled, so if he could only go 15 minutes, he got fifteen minutes of wrestling. (and by wrestling, i mean, we would grip hands, and he would try to push me back over a line, and I would (somewhat) try to stay in.
He wanted to play sonic the hedgehog, he had to race me down the driveway.
He wanted to play double dragon, he would have to practice Karate with me.
He wanted to play pacman, we'd have an easter egg hunt (with some penny candy in the eggs that he could eat while playing.) and if he caught me, he got to play. or maybe we'd make biscuits from scratch for breakfast.
that kind of stuff... As a result, my brother is one of the most imaginative people who follows his passion with no fear of failure.
In part, I got the idea from those video game cartoons on saturday. Tie the cartoon to the game by way of the player. Watch the episode, do something fun during the commercial, minimize what we mess up (hid the rest), and play the game later.
It is not video games that making kids intolerable today, it is the lack of discipline.
Furthermore, if a kid is going to play sports, they can see a complete new dimension of playboards on some of the EA games out there.
So what you do is make em run drills for what they try on the game.
if you flesh out the gaming experience with some sound sports titles challenging puzzles some good writing or thought exercises, a few interactive ones like DDR or Karaoke, and make sure they ain't sitting with a bag of tootsie rolls all day, a few hours of video game play is infinitely more intelligent than the same amount of TV, which teaches basically, bullshit like "if you lie everything will work out in the end" (which is really the basis of every "family" sit-com there is).
At a younger age,..
Make the boy do something to earn his play time. Like "You wanna play some Mega-Man, Ok, get some paper, and draw out a level of your own, then, make a boss and some enemies for mega-man to beat." That's what I would do with my brother, who I baby-sat. He had to make Mega-Man enemies, and eventually, we made some of his stages into a board game, and we made the board and cards to draw, and even made the game pieces out of clay. I would make him write a story about the Ninja Turtles and read it out loud before he could actually watch it. I also made him sit with me while I did my math homework if he wanted to play nintendo with me later. Eventually, homework became something we suffered together, and he could do long division before first grade.
We also did other things, like we would go outside and wrestle, and he could watch wrestling for as long as we wrestled, so if he could only go 15 minutes, he got fifteen minutes of wrestling. (and by wrestling, i mean, we would grip hands, and he would try to push me back over a line, and I would (somewhat) try to stay in.
He wanted to play sonic the hedgehog, he had to race me down the driveway.
He wanted to play double dragon, he would have to practice Karate with me.
He wanted to play pacman, we'd have an easter egg hunt (with some penny candy in the eggs that he could eat while playing.) and if he caught me, he got to play. or maybe we'd make biscuits from scratch for breakfast.
that kind of stuff... As a result, my brother is one of the most imaginative people who follows his passion with no fear of failure.
In part, I got the idea from those video game cartoons on saturday. Tie the cartoon to the game by way of the player. Watch the episode, do something fun during the commercial, minimize what we mess up (hid the rest), and play the game later.
It is not video games that making kids intolerable today, it is the lack of discipline.
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raum
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besides, this sounds like the same kinds of parents who are poisoning their 6 year olds with anti-depressants.
so, instead of unimaginatively dangling the playstation carrot in front of the ignorant jackass so he will walk, why don't you actually see what video games CAN offer and why home-schooling proponents advocate them as better tools that most give credit for.
http://sandradodd.com/videogames
and with some games like RPG maker, or even the soon to be released and FREE XNA studio devkit, you can make your own xbox 360 games and then for 99 bucks a year, you can play and share them in the community. tell me that isn't a great skill set to build? between image building, animations, sound production, and even level design for balanced game play and even file management... the kid will be a conceptual powerhouse!
despite what most people think, video games sap up TOY time, not exercise time. and calorific counts have more than demonstrated a kid playing video games is burning as much as a kid
so, instead of unimaginatively dangling the playstation carrot in front of the ignorant jackass so he will walk, why don't you actually see what video games CAN offer and why home-schooling proponents advocate them as better tools that most give credit for.
http://sandradodd.com/videogames
and with some games like RPG maker, or even the soon to be released and FREE XNA studio devkit, you can make your own xbox 360 games and then for 99 bucks a year, you can play and share them in the community. tell me that isn't a great skill set to build? between image building, animations, sound production, and even level design for balanced game play and even file management... the kid will be a conceptual powerhouse!
despite what most people think, video games sap up TOY time, not exercise time. and calorific counts have more than demonstrated a kid playing video games is burning as much as a kid
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BlindG
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hmmm Raum's plan looks too open minded for me /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> Besides, with that plan, you still lock the kid inside!
I think I'll stick with AYHJA's plan /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
Dude, your son is taking drum lessons ? Can he teach me ????? Please ? I need some of that !
I think I'll stick with AYHJA's plan /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
Dude, your son is taking drum lessons ? Can he teach me ????? Please ? I need some of that !
Good... Bad... I'm the guy with the gun...
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AYHJA
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I'm just going to do things that I can do with him, I'm not against video games, but he's not going to be one of those kids that won't turn on a fucking cartoon because they have to beat this level...He and I game together in moderation, he likes games, but will only play them if I'm with him...
Right now we're on that lego star wars... /:D" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt=":D" />
Right now we're on that lego star wars... /:D" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt=":D" />
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raum
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QUOTE(BlindG @ Nov 7 2006, 02:37 AM) hmmm Raum's plan looks too open minded for me /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> Besides, with that plan, you still lock the kid inside!
locked inside???
QUOTEWe also did other things, like we would go outside and wrestle,
QUOTEHe wanted to play sonic the hedgehog, he had to race me down the driveway.
QUOTEHe wanted to play double dragon, he would have to practice Karate with me.
in my momma's house, I DO NOT THINK SO... no power-up will recover you from that whippin'!!
BlindG, lemme splain somethin bout my growin ups... it was in Louisiana. part of lousiana between ANYWHERE on ANY MAP. look up Leonard Loop, Louisiana. it doesn't even exist anymore. Homework was done UNDER the porch table, because your granmama ain't letting you in her house to run up the lectra bill runnin in and out or ruin her sewing time. you just needed to be back by time the porch light was on.
The "nimtendo" was on the back porch when I spend the night with my cousin, in the screen door but not in the house cause it wadn' gone be in my auntie's hause wit all that damn noise and fuss messing up her new rug; cause we was playin on the porch, and sleepin in a tent in the yard. My papaw would make you dig a trench to keep the rains (that might never come) out of the barn and you had to pinch muskedine for offrins (the wine he mad himself, that still is made in my mom's kitchen), and my stepdad would wait until it was raining to make me dig out the one around the dog pen. and then whoop you for getting mud on you.
and, of course you have homework, personal problems with other family, dog raising, horse riding, tree climbing, weird and strange life events an suspicions you might be possessed so you gotta go to church, and you still would have to bring home enough quail with your .22 to feed bout 15 people come sunday night social (cause you're the oldest) when they came over to watch the "game". With my uncle, my summers were spent laying brick and learning the skills of masonry, and at home carpentry, cooking, gardnening, hunting, fishing, trapping; reading encylopedias, studying science, religion, civics and history and starting to see patterns emerging. and whoopin anyone who dared pick up that controller when I had my mountain dew and the big tv in the living room was finally free... after you did the dishes to earn your portion of the food and took out the trash EVERY NIGHT - with a gun in case a gator or snake came up off the levee. and there's a new readin bag, (everyone bought books and read them, and put them in bags, that you could trade in and out of... at one of my mom's jobs.) she would get me Stephen King and Dean Koontz, which I'd read in the tire swing cause reading and swinging made me feel light headed.
for reference, a picture of my childhood.
Dirt Road to absolutely NOWHERE
pasture | | cousin and family (nemesis in all you do, greatest friend)
pasture | | barn
home | | grandparents (and aunts)
garden | | garden
|
V
(This way to gas station, bout thirty five minutes at 55 miles an hour)
that was all there was for about 9 miles or so in some directions. all the rest was swamp to the south and east, and woods to north and west... and all the trouble you could want. you ever get so deep in the woods you can't find your way back home, and end up missing a day or so. happened all the time to me.
outside was and IS part of my life, but not near as large. but HOW you spend the few hours you get inside, is up to you...
most my family moved to sterlington after I left, where they have a few more neighbors,.. all who are family or old friends. and you got a few more stores and a few places to get something to eat. but the idea is the same. the dinner table is in the front yard at my momma's, and the "fancy table" is in the kitchen covered in bills until sunday, where it serves as a buffet so the flies don't get the food.
I am not a city boy, nor a rich kid, nor a product of alternative education. I am just "strange". /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
locked inside???
QUOTEWe also did other things, like we would go outside and wrestle,
QUOTEHe wanted to play sonic the hedgehog, he had to race me down the driveway.
QUOTEHe wanted to play double dragon, he would have to practice Karate with me.
in my momma's house, I DO NOT THINK SO... no power-up will recover you from that whippin'!!
BlindG, lemme splain somethin bout my growin ups... it was in Louisiana. part of lousiana between ANYWHERE on ANY MAP. look up Leonard Loop, Louisiana. it doesn't even exist anymore. Homework was done UNDER the porch table, because your granmama ain't letting you in her house to run up the lectra bill runnin in and out or ruin her sewing time. you just needed to be back by time the porch light was on.
The "nimtendo" was on the back porch when I spend the night with my cousin, in the screen door but not in the house cause it wadn' gone be in my auntie's hause wit all that damn noise and fuss messing up her new rug; cause we was playin on the porch, and sleepin in a tent in the yard. My papaw would make you dig a trench to keep the rains (that might never come) out of the barn and you had to pinch muskedine for offrins (the wine he mad himself, that still is made in my mom's kitchen), and my stepdad would wait until it was raining to make me dig out the one around the dog pen. and then whoop you for getting mud on you.
and, of course you have homework, personal problems with other family, dog raising, horse riding, tree climbing, weird and strange life events an suspicions you might be possessed so you gotta go to church, and you still would have to bring home enough quail with your .22 to feed bout 15 people come sunday night social (cause you're the oldest) when they came over to watch the "game". With my uncle, my summers were spent laying brick and learning the skills of masonry, and at home carpentry, cooking, gardnening, hunting, fishing, trapping; reading encylopedias, studying science, religion, civics and history and starting to see patterns emerging. and whoopin anyone who dared pick up that controller when I had my mountain dew and the big tv in the living room was finally free... after you did the dishes to earn your portion of the food and took out the trash EVERY NIGHT - with a gun in case a gator or snake came up off the levee. and there's a new readin bag, (everyone bought books and read them, and put them in bags, that you could trade in and out of... at one of my mom's jobs.) she would get me Stephen King and Dean Koontz, which I'd read in the tire swing cause reading and swinging made me feel light headed.
for reference, a picture of my childhood.
Dirt Road to absolutely NOWHERE
pasture | | cousin and family (nemesis in all you do, greatest friend)
pasture | | barn
home | | grandparents (and aunts)
garden | | garden
|
V
(This way to gas station, bout thirty five minutes at 55 miles an hour)
that was all there was for about 9 miles or so in some directions. all the rest was swamp to the south and east, and woods to north and west... and all the trouble you could want. you ever get so deep in the woods you can't find your way back home, and end up missing a day or so. happened all the time to me.
outside was and IS part of my life, but not near as large. but HOW you spend the few hours you get inside, is up to you...
most my family moved to sterlington after I left, where they have a few more neighbors,.. all who are family or old friends. and you got a few more stores and a few places to get something to eat. but the idea is the same. the dinner table is in the front yard at my momma's, and the "fancy table" is in the kitchen covered in bills until sunday, where it serves as a buffet so the flies don't get the food.
I am not a city boy, nor a rich kid, nor a product of alternative education. I am just "strange". /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
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