Video games as exercise at Forest Road School

The Forest Road School hosted a weeklong physical fitness event last month, with a night for families drawing scores of kids and parents to check out how video games can get a body moving.

More than 300 people turned up for the family fitness night on Jan. 13, said Principal Erin Malone. Fifteen screens displayed games that required continuous cardiovascular exercise.

“We want to make our kids cognizant of how much they are moving their bodies and how much they are not moving their bodies,” Malone said. She added that the format of the games was good because it was familiar to children who have grown up with video game consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox and the Nintendo Wii.

The event was facilitated by PTA member Kenroy Woodley, who met with the company iGames over the summer. The company specializes in “experiential and community building marketing programs for the video game and tech industries,” according to its website.

Malone said that the activities weren’t easy. “It was hard. You’re moving all these muscles that you aren’t ordinarily moving,” she said. “My arms hurt at the end of it!”