Video games are often cited as one of the factors in childhood obesity. Well, there's a new game in town that promises to combine the virtual thrills with some real activity.
The system is called Xavix and the company behind it calls this an alternative to couch potato games where players move nothing more than their thumbs and eyes.
Best Buy's Bill Wentworth says, "It's definitely a neat little system. Parents don't have to worry about blood and violence."
Kary See is a personal trainer at 24 Hour Fitness and she says that while Xavix won't replace a gym, it's better than nothing.
She says, "Anything is better than sitting on the couch moving your thumbs back and forth. There may be better choices as far as getting a little more intense doing certain things but any amount of exercise or movement is a great decision for kids."
See says video games are typically a hindrance to children and exercise but this could be a step in the right direction. And Xavix could be just the first step in a whole new kind of home video game.
Bill Wentworth says, "This is how games of the future are starting to be. You're getting up and doing things. In my opinion, in the next five years you'll see more games that are actually an aerobic workout."
The Xavix system costs approximately $80. The games are around $50 each and feature bowling, baseball and tennis.
This is obviously not as much of a workout as you'd get in an actual gym but it could be a bridge for kids to show them there are more ways to have fun than being parked on the couch.
