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Exergames Gain Momentum!

The field of exergaming and ‘games for health’ continue to grow. The momentum is strong and the scientists, programmers and health/fitness professionals have been rapidly pushing its research, development, and application. I’ve been following and even participating in some of these discussions, and I thought I’d share some highlights from the past few weeks!

Last month’s Games For Health Conference brought interesting topics to the table in the area of exergaming. Although I was unable to attend the conference this year, most of the powerpoint presentations have been made available on SlideShare for viewing. Check out the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) presentation which discusses how exergames and healthcare combine (they have been working together with Ernie Medina, Jr and XRTainment Zone). Another interesting note: Hope Lab’s motto “Lead with Fun, Health Will Follow” seems to be the attitude to have when developing games. Check out their presentation which also features the results of their mega-gaming contest Ruckus Nation. Also, although we hear about kids being the focus of most exergamming programs, DanceTown has designed an interesting game for ‘Gray Gamers’ (elder population). This is just the tip of the iceberg, 33+ other slideshows from the conference that have also been uploaded.

I also had a chance last month to meet with exergame physiologist Alasdair Thin, PhD. All the way from Scotland, his 3-week American tour included the Games For Health Conference in Baltimore and visits with fellow exergamers across the nation, with stops into Florida, California, and Canada. I was delighted to host the Phoenix leg of his trip. We spent the day talking about the G4H conference (check out his presentation on Designing Body-Movement Controlled Video Games to Maximize Energy Expenditure) and discussing various topics in gaming, technology, health education/promotion. (Our conversations were also inspired by the 2-hour hike up Squaw Peak Mountain - breathtaking!) Alasdair’s visit coincided with the US launch of the Wii-Fit (which was launched in the UK months earlier, so he already had one). One key question he left me with to ponder: “What makes a perfect exergame?”

I connected with the world’s first Exergaming Personal Trainer! Luke Pyper (from the UK) actually trains clients from their homes using various exergames! He has a group on Facebook “Keeping Fit with Video Game Consoles” and also writes various articles for GamePeople where he tackles various games and does exhaustive reviews of them - check out his verdict on Dance Dance Revolution.

And fellow group fitness instructor/trainer Raina Casarez (aka Penda), the Goddess of Virtual Fitness, launched a “Let’s Get Moving Community Fitness Day” in Atlanta located at ‘Welcome All Park & Facilities’. Group exercise instructors, personal trainers, yoga and dancers instructors gathered to showcase their innovative fitness classes to the community (for free!). Penda, of course, demonstrated her Wii and Dance Dance Revolution classes! Many instructors had not been exposed to video games, and for some, it was their first experience with these games. Although the event was to get the community moving, Penda’s goal was to get fellow fitness professionals excited about exergaming! Listen to her radio show episode that discusses details of the event here!

Innovation is everywhere, as you can clearly see! Exergames have arrived and are being incorporated into all aspects of health and fitness. This will advance our industry in ways we’ve never imagined and change the way we teach and train people around the world!

A Vegetarian in Turkiye

I am leaving today and taking 2 months off to live and play in Istanbul, Turkiye! I am dedicating a separate ‘Be Fit In Turkiye‘ blog to journal my travels. Please feel free to stop in on my adventures and drop me a comment there!

I will still maintain this blog and continue posting on my Second Life blog. I will periodically guest blog for Unleash the Power of Group Fitness, as well.

Although my text-messaging service and cell phone will be temporarily frozen, I still plan on providing Flickr updates and Twitter rants (just not as regularly). Anyone needing to contact me can do so via email (befitwithbiray [at] gmail [dot] com) or Skype (name: befitt).

Have a safe and pleasant summer to everyone - I hope to see most of you in Las Vegas at the IDEA World Fitness Conference or the National Wellness Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin when I return in July!

Future of Group Exercise (Post-03) “Micro-Classes”

Today, most group fitness classes are sixty minutes long. Some indoor cycling classes operate within a 45-minute format. In recent years 30-minute “power” or “express” classes have also become more popular. But in the future, class times will get shorter and shorter.

How short? Think anywhere from 10-minutes to the ‘30-second’ class.

Now, we already know that short bouts of physical activity throughout the day (however long) is effective in achieving health-related benefits. We hear fitness professionals talk about simple ways people can exercise at work, at their desk, while watching TV, at the grocery store while standing in line… and so on. So why not officially put similar classes on the group fitness schedule?

We are seeing the beginnings of these shorter formats on YouTube. On most video websites (such as YouTube), users are limited to a maximum of 10-minutes of video. Fitness professionals have already started to upload mini-classes and fitness workouts, accordingly. Granted, some videos are more effective than others, others just pure rubbish. But it won’t be long before the ideal 10-minute design is perfected. Les Mills where are you?

Exergames (video games + exercise), such as Nintendo Wii, have also shown that players can reach moderate levels of intensity by just getting their game on! In fact, games like Dance Dance Revolution and EyeToy: Kinetic have given a players a sufficient rise in heart rate within 3 to 10 minute bouts of game play!

A new concept is also inspiring the idea of shorter classes. Fellow fitness colleagues Scott & Angie Tousignant have recently created the format called Twittercise. As most of you know, Twitter is a microblogging platform where people write about what they are doing, at the time they are doing it, then submitting these thoughts to the web. (Think instant-messaging to the world.) Twittercise is based on the thinking that people who have a few seconds to ‘tweet’ something, must have a few seconds to exercise. The idea is still in its infancy, but it has certainly caused interesting convesations in the ‘Twitterverse’.

Whether it’s a 30-second class, a 3-minute class, or a 30-minute class, shorter classes will eventually prevail. The shorter design may inspire non-traditional ways of exercising, but the format will definitely reach newer audiences. It may not be for everyone at every studio (especially your hard-core fitness enthusiasts), but those whose time is inconsistently spread throughout the day will appreciate the guidance and support of these new kinds of micro-classes.

Twitter and Other Mobile-izing Tools in Teaching & Learning

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to present a session entitled “Twitter and Other Mobile-izing Tools in Teaching & Learning” at the Maricopa District’s Teaching and Learning with Technology Conference. I discussed a few quick examples on how mobile technology might be integrated with students in and out of the classroom setting. I was mostly excited to share my findings from a pilot study I did this semester where I implemented Twitter in my health classes.

Below you can find the session description and the slides from my presentation (which are also available to download at Slideshare).

If there’s one piece of technology available in the hands of most students, it’s a cell phone. Text-messaging is an effective way for people communicate within their social networks. This session will demonstrate how we can use tools like Twitter and other mobile-based technology to connect with our students and establish a community outside of the classroom, as well as, convey information beyond emails.

I welcome all questions and comments.

Express Your VoiceThread on Fitness

I’m always interested in how health instructors use web 2.0 technologies to educate about physical fitness and exercise. Here’s what I found on VoiceThread, an application where you can upload your pictures and let everyone make comments on it via text, flix, or audio.

This is how a health instructor used it to explain aerobic fitness:

It’s rather simple, but sparks ideas. VoiceThread allows the user to have multiple ‘personalities’ (hence the same voice w/ different character profiles). I haven’t figured out how I would apply it to my health course or use it with my fitness participants. I’ll need to find multiple applications before implementing it with my students or clients. Also, the free features have their limitations - you may have to upgrade to a $$ pro account to access all the features.

JediGym

I came across this video while doing my weekly YouTube rounds; following up on the latest fitness clips.

Although this video comically blends the Jedi lifestyle with traditional fitness culture, it actually hits on a concept that we’re seeing more regularly in health clubs around the world: fusion classes.

People are always trying to figure out ways to motivate people to exercise. And if integrating or fusing two interests into one gets folks excited to workout, I say more power to them! After all, pole dancers and strippers branded “StripTease Aerobics” - why not Star Wars fans?

I interviewed VanRoble, the production team behind this video, and discovered more about the inspiration behind JediGym:

Biray: How many months of training did Darth Vader have to go through to prepare for his role as a fitness master? (Was it as enduring as the Spartans in movie 300?) Does he have a six pack under that black robe?
VanRoble: We’re not sure how long he has trained. He just showed up as himself- he’s actually very scary.

Biray: Will you be doing any promotional campaigns in conjunction with NBC’s Biggest Loser or any other gyms? Will ‘LightSaber’ combat classes be the next big craze to follow Taebo?
VanRoble: Surprisingly, JediGym is real. Go to NYJedi.com and you will meet the real Master Flynn. People really do work out in Star Wars wardrobe. We’re thinking of starting a Harry Potter gym, or maybe Lord of the Rings. We’ve heard that a guy in Iowa just started up a Matrix gym- and that they workout in slow motion.

Biray: Where did the team get the idea for this movie?
VanRoble: The real world- NYJedi is real.

Biray: When will we expect to see the full feature?
VanRoble: No feature, but a tight 6-minute short film will be out soon. We’ve submitted to the Atomfilms Star Wars challenge so stay tuned to see it. I can promise a laugh- which I hear is a good workout.

True, laughing is definitely the best medicine. I’ll be looking forward to getting my dose of health in their upcoming JediGym flick.

The Future of Group Exercise (Post-02) “Branded Classes”

In my first entry in the ‘Future of Group Exercise’ series, I invited the online community to join in on a conversation about the next decade of group fitness. Kelly Coulter, fitness author and creator of the site FitClasses.com, was the first to jump in with this comment:

“The future of group fitness lies in pre-formatted, almost ‘franchised’ classes,” she says.

This idea of standardizing classes within the group fitness industry has always been a subject of debate in the instructor community. So I thought the topic would be a great second post in this series. Are branded classes really the wave of the future?

Branded classes (or sometimes referred to as ‘pre-formatted’ or ‘trademark’ classes) are designed to help group fitness instructors deliver consistent content to participants anywhere in the world. If you’re going to take a Spinning class from a trained Spinning instructor, regardless if you’re cycling at a club in Phoenix, AZ or in Guanajuato, Mexico, you will experience a ride based on the same basic design principles.

Over the years we’ve seen many examples of formatted classes that have found success by branding their style. Examples include: Bally Total Fitness’ Kwando (branded kickboxing) and Powerflex (branded muscle conditioning); YogaFit’s yoga certifications; Silver Sneakers senior programs; Zumba’s aerobic dance formats, and the most recent phenomenon, Les Mills fitness programs.

There is no doubt that pre-formatted classes are popular. Why shouldn’t they be? They are a turn-key fitness program coupled with recommended music or playlists; regularly updated exercises and choreography; and individual conferences or workshops. A one-stop shop for any instructor.

The question in this post is NOT whether branded programming is effective or if they are here to stay. This post is about HOW pre-formatted classes will evolve and WHY they will see more success.

The answers to these questions lie in face of our future group exercise instructors and fitness participants: the Millenials.

Let’s take a look at previous generations and figure out why branded classes may not have seen the success they are seeing today. Baby Boomers come from a generation that fought against institutional establishment, valued informality and independence. They worked hard to gain recognition in their jobs and among their peers. And believed in the “work now, play later” attitude. Let’s not forget their role in bringing life to the aerobics movement, at the time, in its infancy. Therefore, Boomer instructors may not have always been too favorable towards someone telling them what to teach, how to teach it, when to teach it, and to what music to teach it to.

Then there are the Gen Xers, living in the shadow of the Boomers. Full of creative energy, with unconventional or experimental attitudes. These are the MTV or the “me” generation, focused on self-discovery. Gen Xers value individuality. Branded classes are likely to put them in a box (which they’ll inevitably resent or break out of). However, Gen X instructors respond well to pre-formatted classes (at least, initially). Branded classes have given them a foundation from which to develop their own skills and drills. Isn’t it ironic, then, that it’s the Gen Xers who are now designing most of the branded classes we see today. (No wonder why they are pushing pre-formatted classes…LOL.)

But Gen Xers will not be the reason why branded classes will see exponential success in the future (although their enthusiasm may help). If you look at the generational trends of the Millenials, you will notice that they resent Gen X attitudes and don’t quite identify with Boomer values. In fact, they are much more sheltered than any other generation, and therefore more supportive of convention (social rules are respected). They are ‘team-oriented’, think in global terms, and are on track to “becoming the best-educated and best-behaved adults in the nation’s history.” Will they respond to pre-designed classes? Yes. Will they adopt the teachings of formatted classes? Yes. And the fact that they also outnumber the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers makes them the next powerful decision makers and trend setters of our industry.

Right now, Millenials have taken to the Zumbas and Les Mills of the health industry. But who knows if these are the formats that will make up the staple classes on future group exercise schedules. But whatever classes we’ll see in the future (a topic for another post), be it Avatar Abs or Cycle-In-Orbit classes, you can guarantee most everyone will be doing them the same way.

Earth Day 5K 2008

Earth day 5K 2008, Tempe, AZ.

I couldn’t have asked for a more crystal moment of clarity during the race: Watching the Arizona sun set behind the mountains. My heart beating out of my chest, as I tried to complete the race under 30 minutes. And listening the Beatles cover band echoing the chorus of “Imagine” as I crossed the finish line (3 seconds shy of my goal time).

I don’t know what came over me - if it was complete exhaustion or pure exhilaration, but I couldn’t help lying on the grass, gazing up at the sky, teary-eyed.

I hope Earth Day rejuvenated everyone’s spirits in dedicating their efforts to sustainable living. It certainly did for me…

[Photo Credit: H.E.A.T.H.E.R.]

FitnessFest Arizona 2008!

You are bound to find a health and fitness conference happening somewhere around the world at any given month. And in Arizona, April is the month for FitnessFest, the Southwest region’s biggest land and aqua convention! Top professionals from the nation share their expertise with group fitness instructors and personal trainers in the area!

The event officially starts this Wednesday (4/16/08) and goes through the weekend (4/20/08). And this year FitnessFest has asked me to be their official conference blogger! I will be bringing you the highlights from the conference each day as it unfolds *LIVE* on this blog! Photos, session updates, presenter interviews, comment polls, member feedback… it’ll be like you were here!

Check in regularly and become a part of the experience!

Joy of Tech’s “Apple’s Lifestyle Companion”

Every once in a while Joy of Tech comes out with a health-related cartoon that gives me a good chuckle.
But the recent “Apple’s Lifestyle Companion” happened to crack me up! Enjoy…

(click on picture for bigger view)

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