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Stop playing with yourself

Fitness Programs, Video Games No Responses »

May 032010

So, it looks like those brain-stimulating games may have had #include <hot.air> as part of their marketing source code. I know, it’s shocking – advertizing claims might be divorced from reality! But, unfortunately for the creative minds behind the brain-training game industry, a recent study of the field suggests that they’re not actually making folks smarter.

Modest effects have been reported in some studies of older individuals and preschool children, and video-game players outperform non-players on some tests of visual attention. However, the widely held belief that commercially available computerized brain-training programs improve general cognitive function in the wider population in our opinion lacks empirical support. The central question is not whether performance on cognitive tests can be improved by training, but rather, whether those benefits transfer to other untrained tasks or lead to any general improvement in the level of cognitive functioning. Here we report the results of a six-week online study in which 11,430 participants trained several times each week on cognitive tasks…. Although improvements were observed in every one of the cognitive tasks that were trained, no evidence was found for transfer effects to untrained tasks, even when those tasks were cognitively closely related.

- Adrian M. Owen, et al

However, all is not gloom, doom, and more money to spend on power-leveling services new sneakers.

Michelle Obama is looking for health oriented applications

Fitness Programs, Health and Fitness Tools, Health News, Video Games No Responses »

Mar 162010

While the First Lady of the United States of America has no official title or responsibilities, it has become tradition for the women in this arguably influential role to associate themselves with a humanitarian cause during their husbands administration. In the past few decades we have seen examples of this in Laura Bush’s efforts in support of womens’ rights and childhood literacy, Hillary Clinton’s push for Health Care reform, and (perhaps most famously) Nancy Reagan and her Just Say No anti-drug campaign. First Lady Michelle Obama is no exception to this tradition, and she’s taken up the fight against what many feel is an increasingly dangerous threat to our overall health as a nation – childhood obesity.

According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control, the number of children who are overweight to the point of obesity has increased dramatically since 1980. The percentage of children aged 12 to 19 who fell into this extremely unhealthy weight range (generally considered to be 50 pounds or more overweight) increased from 5% to a stunning 17.6% in 2006, more than tripling the 1980 numbers. Unsurprisingly, research has shown that nearly 80% of children who are obese between the ages of 10 and 15 continue to hold that unhappy distinction into adulthood. With obesity being linked to serious life threatening diseases such as Type II Diabetes and Heart Disease, it is clear that this trend is not only bad for our well-being as a nation but that it is also puts a strain on our already financially strapped health care system.

EA SPORTS Active gets an upgrade

Health and Fitness Tools, Video Games No Responses »

Mar 112010

EA SPORTS is at it again. Last year they released the highly acclaimed EA SPORTS Active, and interactive fitness game for the Nintendo Wii that used the various motion detection equipment available for the platform to offer a wide array of physically challenging workouts in a convenient 30 day program. In the same year they came out with EA SPORTS Active More Workouts, expanding the already excellent game with a broader focus on core exercises and “leveling up” the challenge to last for six weeks. The franchise seems to be working out very well for EA SPORTS (no pun intended), so much so that they even expanded their advertising push to include the Sports Authority fitness equipment chain.

On Tuesday, EA SPORTS announced that they are expanding the line yet again. EA SPORTS Active 2.0 (working title) is currently in production at the Vancouver headquarters of EA Canada.

Keeping in step with the Nintendo Wii

Video Games 3 Responses »

Jan 202010

Back in July of 2009 Krystalle wrote up a review of the game Personal Trainer : Walking for the Nintendo DS. Having used the product myself I can say it’s a really neat way to motivate yourself to go out and walk if you like video games, and the ability to communicate with your Nintendo Wii to download an avatar was an awesome feature. The only real “criticism” I had of the game was that all of the motivation took place after you were done walking. There wasn’t really anything built into the game itself to make your walks interesting and you are only entertained for the few minutes it takes you to upload your step records every night.

Games like EA Sports Active and Wii Fit are fine ways to get exercise indoors, but they can be very daunting for people who haven’t been doing any kind of exercise. Walking is really the best way to get going when you’ve been sedentary for a long time, and Konami has come up with a new way to get you walking and entertain you at the same time.

Win a free copy of EA SPORTS Active More Workouts

Video Games No Responses »

Jan 192010

Free is good. I’m a big fan of free stuff. Especially free food. Heck, it’s one of my biggest weaknesses when it comes to the whole “eating right” thing. If you put me in an all-you-can-eat scenario that I don’t have to pay for you bet your sweet bippy I’m going to go out of my way to make sure I eat until I’m so full I can’t move anymore.

Hey, I’m aware of my weaknesses.

Free food isn’t the only thing I like that. I also like free stuff. Like video games.

See where I’m going with this? If you haven’t already figured it out from the title, that is (and really, if you haven’t? I’m willing to bet you’re the type of person who asks where Mankirk’s wife is).