Getting Kids to the Gym

There are times when I read the news and begin to wonder if people really want change or if they are simply looking for more excuses not to do what they know to be right. Case in point is the arguement about kids and reading. For years teachers and educators have been stating that kids are no longer reading as much as they should and that's hurting their educational process. Parents were in a quandry as to what to do or what to get kids to read. Enter Harry Potter and his literary adventures and suddenly kids who had scarcely picked up comic books were suddenly reading books that would put Stephen King to shame in terms of volume. Then there was the outcry over the fact that the books were promoting paganism and worship of magic and wizardry which was subversive and wrong. People called for the books to be banned and denied to kids. The arguement continues today and rather than looking at whether the books are truly subversive or not, some opponents simply argue the point because they want to. Same goes for kids and working out.

I grant you that as a kid growing up, I never used to work out as such. I used to play outside a lot and expend a lot of energy in a lot of normal 'kid' ways but there was never a consideration of going to the gym. I paid for that fact in my later years when I gained weight a lot faster than I was able to burn it off and with my rather sedentary lifestyle, my health began to suffer. When I got to college I began working out more routinely and it is now a part of my daily routine which when missed, makes me feel guilty rather than anything else. With growing numbers of kids suffering from obesity at a young age, not only is it affecting the health of these kids but setting a dangerous trend for the future. Enter the debate over whether or not it is healthy (and wise) to use video games to encourage kids to work out.

When I was growing up, video games consisted of sitting in front of the tv and vegging out. These days there is a rising trend in getting kids to work out is to make some video games more interactive. Gaming systems such as Nintendo's Wii are especially good examples of this. The controller eschews the usual hand held controller for something a bit more interactive. The motion of arms and such are then translated into the game and so if you perform a good forehand while playing virtual tennis, you have a good chance at winning the point. While it is obviously not a replacement for actually playing tennis, at least it is more activity than some kids ever otherwise get in a day. Still, many are worried about getting kids to exercise using video games simply because there is no guarantee that the results will stick with kids after they outgrow video games.

Now the influence of video games and the question of outgrowing them are two separate arguements. The influence of games is definitely something real because if games and their peripherals didn't affect kids and all, they wouldn't still be around. But as to whether it has a lasting impact, I think that is something that varies on a case by case basis. The arguement against the influence of video games on kids can be seen in the results of the US Army's attempts to stimulate recruitment through the use of video games. They worked with developers to make and release (free of charge) a series of video games that allowed players to create virtual soldiers who then progressed through the military. The game was meant to serve as a recruitment tool for the young and in the end, it didn't help recruit in the numbers that they military had hoped for. Strike one arguement in favor of video games helping effect change in kids.

As for whether kids outgrow video games? Perhaps it is true in the case of girls, but guys? Check out the number of older guy gamers you see in video game stores during lunch hour on the weekdays and at various times on the weekends and you'll soon realize that it is something that isn't quickly going away from males. Does this mean that kids will continue to use video games as adults for exercise purposes? Hard to say but there is always the outside chance. Still and all, nothing will ever be a good substitute for the real thing. The thing is to find a place that caters to kids without treating them as such. There is a growing number among kids to want to work out and get in shape but many gyms either talk down to kids or don't offer up adequate services. It's important to find a place that treats kids with respect and that will help them get influence to start working out and staying in shape. It's better than relying on Super Mario Brothers for the rest of their lives.