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St. William students learn fitness through video games
Video games are not normally thought of as a way to exercise, but students at St. William the Abbot School recently learned that they can use their favorite electronics and stay fit at the same time.
For the third straight year, iGame4, a company based in Mount Sinai, visited the school. Last week, 15 video game stations were set up in the gymnasium, and students played these games during their regular phys. ed. classes.
Each station consisted of an Xbox Connect, projector, large screen and sensor bar. The sensor picked up the movements of the children and portrayed it on the screen. Children rotated through different games during their phys. ed. classes.
Just Dance allowed the students to move to popular songs while giving them a cardiovascular workout. Kinect Party had bunch of mini games where children could bowl, through snowballs, try to jump out of a Jell-O mold or step on building like Godzilla. A National Geographic game transformed the students into animals, and they used their arm and leg muscles to mimic the movements of those creatures. Those were just three of many games offered throughout the week.
“They’re actually exercising while they’re playing their video games,” said Jessica Butera, a fitness instructor for iGame4. “The kids love it. Gym is always everyone’s favorite, so now they add video games to it.”
Butera explained that by rotating through different stations, children would end up with a full body workout.
Rob Murphy, the school’s phys. ed. teacher, said that while he would never recommend these video games as a child’s only source of exercise, it is good for a rainy or snowy day, or for an occasional game night with the family. The interactive games are much a better alternative than sitting on the couch with a controller, he said, but nothing beats going outside and playing.
Murphy said the children look forward to iGame4 every year. Students in kindergarten through fifth-grade were able to visit it twice last week, and those in the upper grades went once.
“It’s something different,” he said. “These games, a lot of them don’t have at home.”
Third-grader Max Heller said he enjoyed the activity, particularly the National Geographic game where he got to be different animals. “I like that we get a lot of exercise,” he said. “It’s very fundamental. You get to move your body.”
Heller noted the importance of exercise in staying healthy and strong. He added that it’s unusual to have video games in school, so it was a welcome treat.
According to iGame4, the program is aligned with the Common Core and New York state health and physical education standards.
“In this day and age,” Butera said, “everyone is always on their phones or their iPads. This gets to them to move in a different way, gets them active.”
