Dancing their way to fitness

Video games and couch potatoes. The two used to go hand in hand, but some health experts say that is slowly changing.

For years, video games have been one of the leading culprits blamed for childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles among young people.

But in the past few years, some of the most popular video games make players sweat and get the heart rate up and are just as addicting as those that exercise only the thumbs. And some schools have been using the games in their physical education curriculum to get students fired up about fitness.

"It's a huge positive," said Shelly Allen, P.E. teacher at Midvale Middle School. "A few years ago, if a child was playing video games it meant they were being sedentary, but now with things like DDR ("Dance Dance Revolution") and the Wii, video games are getting a better reputation among health advocates."

And Frank Wojtech, P.E. specialist for the State Office of Education, said anything that gets students moving, period, would be welcome in the schools.

"The real key to get kids active is the activity, whatever it is, should be fun. Video games are fun for kids, so it seems like a natural marriage between fitness and video games — getting the kids to actually burn the calories and have pleasure in doing that."

School leaders said that in the past few years so much emphasis and resources have been directed to making sure students read, write and do math well that P.E. funds are tight.

Even so, P.E. teachers say the investment in programs and equipment that successfully encourage kids to be active is just as important.

"What good is it to be a genius if you are going to sit on your couch, be a couch potato and die of heart attack?" Cindy Lloyd, secondary physical education coordinator in Jordan School District, asked.

Allen purchased two PlayStations and the popular "Dance Dance Revolution" game last summer.

The game is simple and often "addictive," according to students. There is a platform with four arrows — up, down, left and right — and a player is required to step on whatever arrow corresponds with the screen.

Allen said at first, students couldn't believe they got to play it and were lining up for the chance.

But Allen said aside from just being a popular activity, it is able to involve students that aren't as athletic and traditionally don't like P.E.

"This hits a different group of kids in P.E" Allen said. "A lot of the kids that like dodgeball or playing basketball excel at it, but there is another group of kids that aren't really as athletically talented and may have had more experience with the video games, so they can excel in that aspect of it."