Videogames do give couch potatoes a workout

A man plays a PlayStation 3 video game at an electronics shop in Tokyo April 13, 2007. Some videogames provide players with the same fat-burning benefits as a brisk walk, British researchers said this week.

LONDON, July 13 (Reuters) - Some videogames provide players with the same fat-burning benefits as a brisk walk, British researchers said this week.

Recent developments in the videogames industry have resulted in a variety of novel game controllers which require the use of body movement in order to play the games, said Alasdair Thin, who conducted research into the effects of videogaming at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.

"As excessive videogame-playing is so often blamed for increased childhood obesity, our research reveals some very positive results for body movement controlled gaming," Thin said in a statement from Heriot-Watt's School of Life Sciences.

Thin said players can burn up to 300 calories in half an hour of gaming.

"This equals the same amount of calories as taking a brisk one-hour walk," Thin said.

Thin studied 16 gamers playing two different games on Sony Corp's Playstation by measuring the heart rate and oxygen consumption of young adults.

"We were interested in measuring the levels of exertion from an exercise physiology point of view and compared the average heart rate that each subject was exercising at to the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) recommended exercise heart rate range," Thin said.

"Our findings reveal that playing these videogames can provide an effective workout."

Sony spokesman Jonathan Fargher welcomed the research and said some of its games were designed to spur activity.

"We welcome the findings and have developed and published a number of PlayStation titles, such as 'EyeToy Play' and 'EyeToy Kinetic' which encourage and promote active consumer participation," Fargher said.

Thin said videogames, which require active participation could also be viewed as a stepping stone towards exercise for overweight and underactive children.

"This is a great way for them to start exercising", he said.

Researchers have also looked into the health benefits of the handheld Wii console which is made by Nintendo and is designed for players to mimic the real-life actions of the activities on the game's screen.

Professor Tim Cable from the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University found that Wii can contribute to the recommended daily activity of children.

Cable said research showed that motion sensor technology used with Wii can accurately simulate real movements in sports like boxing and tennis, which can consequently provide positive health benefits for activity over a prolonged period.

"Through our testing it is clear that the motion sensor controlled console can make an impact on a child's heart rate, energy expenditure and the amount of calories burned," Cable said. "However, parents should encourage other physical activities and outdoor pursuits in order for their children to lead well-balanced lives."