News Archive
Real sport beats computer games in energy stakes
By Francess Sykes
SCIENTISTS have found that playing
active games on computer consoles
uses up more energy than traditional
computer games – but nowhere near
as much as real sport.
The researchers at Liverpool John
Moores University assessed a group
of six boys and five girls aged 13-15
years.
All of the participants were of a
healthy weight, competent at sport,
and regularly played sedentary computer
games. Before the study started,
they also had a chance to practice
playing both the active and inactive
games.
They played four computer games
for 15 minutes each while wearing a
monitoring device to record their
energy expenditure.
The first game was the inactive
Project Gotham Racing 3 game on
the XBOX 360. After a five minute
rest, they then played competitive
bowling, tennis and boxing matches
on the Nintendo Wii Sports for 15
minutes with a five minute rest
between each sport. Total playing
time for each child was 60 minutes.
The results show that all games significantly
increased energy expenditure
above resting rates, particularly
in the boys.
Postgraduate researcher Lee Graves,
added: "It is estimated that on average
children play computer games in
two hour long sessions twice a week.
While active gaming would only
increase their total energy expenditure
by just two per cent, this could
still contribute to weight management."
The highest energy expenditure
rates were recorded during active
gaming, with increases of 60 kcal per
hour compared to sedentary gaming.
However, this is still much lower
than if you were actually playing
bowling, tennis and boxing, and the
exercise was not intense enough to
contribute towards the recommended
amount of daily physical activityfor
children.
Gareth Stratton, Professor in paediatric
exercise science, said: “What is
good about active gaming is that it
gets children up on their feet, moving
in all directions and performing basic
motor skills not evident during seated
gaming.
“Given the prevalence of childhood
obesity, such positive behaviours
should be encouraged.”
The authors are now calling for further
research to investigate the energy
demands of active gaming across
sexes, ages and consoles.
By Francess Sykes
SCIENTISTS have found that playing
active games on computer consoles
uses up more energy than traditional
computer games – but nowhere near
as much as real sport.
The researchers at Liverpool John
Moores University assessed a group
of six boys and five girls aged 13-15
years.
All of the participants were of a
healthy weight, competent at sport,
and regularly played sedentary computer
games. Before the study started,
they also had a chance to practice
playing both the active and inactive
games.
They played four computer games
for 15 minutes each while wearing a
monitoring device to record their
energy expenditure.
The first game was the inactive
Project Gotham Racing 3 game on
the XBOX 360. After a five minute
rest, they then played competitive
bowling, tennis and boxing matches
on the Nintendo Wii Sports for 15
minutes with a five minute rest
between each sport. Total playing
time for each child was 60 minutes.
The results show that all games significantly
increased energy expenditure
above resting rates, particularly
in the boys.
Postgraduate researcher Lee Graves,
added: "It is estimated that on average
children play computer games in
two hour long sessions twice a week.
While active gaming would only
increase their total energy expenditure
by just two per cent, this could
still contribute to weight management."
The highest energy expenditure
rates were recorded during active
gaming, with increases of 60 kcal per
hour compared to sedentary gaming.
However, this is still much lower
than if you were actually playing
bowling, tennis and boxing, and the
exercise was not intense enough to
contribute towards the recommended
amount of daily physical activityfor
children.
Gareth Stratton, Professor in paediatric
exercise science, said: “What is
good about active gaming is that it
gets children up on their feet, moving
in all directions and performing basic
motor skills not evident during seated
gaming.
“Given the prevalence of childhood
obesity, such positive behaviours
should be encouraged.”
The authors are now calling for further
research to investigate the energy
demands of active gaming across
sexes, ages and consoles.
Traditional sport needs modern twist - expert
By Nicola Hyde
TRADITIONAL sport needs to be
given a modern twist to attract
more children, according to a
youth fitness expert.
Mike Diaper, project director of
the government’s PE, School
Sport and Club Links Strategy,
spoke at the Youth Sport Trust
School and Sport Partnerships'
Conference.
He said although a lot of great
work has been done to encourage
the take up of school sport, more
needs to be done to keep children’s
interest after they have left
in the evening. He added: “It’s
about taking traditional sport and
delivering it differently. I think the
best example I have seen of this is
Midnight Madness Basketball in
London.
“You just turn up at 11pm, you
can wear whatever you want, you
get to use cool Nike kit and there
is music blasting out.
“It’s not what I would want to do
on a Friday night but it is what
lots of kids want. I’ve seen the
same happen in boxing. I think
we also need some non-traditional
options as well, for example
dance and fitness.
“It’s really all about listening to
what young people want and
then providing it. Providing the
sorts of changing rooms they
want, the sort of kit they like and
so on.
“We have been good at doing
this within school settings but not
always as good when kids move
into club or community provision.
That’s why some clubs
remain uninviting places.
“That has to change. We need
just as much innovation within
club or community environments
as we have seen within school
settings.”
Mike said he was delighted
when he heard that 86 per cent of
schools were managing at least
two hours of sport – achieving the
PSA target a year early – and
praised the work of School Sports
Partnerships.
He added there was a 50 per
cent group of children which
could be encouraged to do more.
He added: “It’s about making
sure activities get delivered in the
right place at the right time.
“So running a session when the
youngsters wants it – so perhaps
Saturday afternoon – instead of
straight after school when they
are worn out and cheesed off.”
By Nicola Hyde
TRADITIONAL sport needs to be
given a modern twist to attract
more children, according to a
youth fitness expert.
Mike Diaper, project director of
the government’s PE, School
Sport and Club Links Strategy,
spoke at the Youth Sport Trust
School and Sport Partnerships'
Conference.
He said although a lot of great
work has been done to encourage
the take up of school sport, more
needs to be done to keep children’s
interest after they have left
in the evening. He added: “It’s
about taking traditional sport and
delivering it differently. I think the
best example I have seen of this is
Midnight Madness Basketball in
London.
“You just turn up at 11pm, you
can wear whatever you want, you
get to use cool Nike kit and there
is music blasting out.
“It’s not what I would want to do
on a Friday night but it is what
lots of kids want. I’ve seen the
same happen in boxing. I think
we also need some non-traditional
options as well, for example
dance and fitness.
“It’s really all about listening to
what young people want and
then providing it. Providing the
sorts of changing rooms they
want, the sort of kit they like and
so on.
“We have been good at doing
this within school settings but not
always as good when kids move
into club or community provision.
That’s why some clubs
remain uninviting places.
“That has to change. We need
just as much innovation within
club or community environments
as we have seen within school
settings.”
Mike said he was delighted
when he heard that 86 per cent of
schools were managing at least
two hours of sport – achieving the
PSA target a year early – and
praised the work of School Sports
Partnerships.
He added there was a 50 per
cent group of children which
could be encouraged to do more.
He added: “It’s about making
sure activities get delivered in the
right place at the right time.
“So running a session when the
youngsters wants it – so perhaps
Saturday afternoon – instead of
straight after school when they
are worn out and cheesed off.”
PE lessons outclassed
UK SCHOOL pupils are spending far
less time doing sport than their
European counterparts, a study has
revealed.
In a report commissioned by the
European Parliament, Britain’s
schools ranked 15th out of 27 countries in offering two hours of
timetabled PE a week.
The data – collected by the researchers at the Central Council of Physical
Recreation (CCPR) – suggests that
British secondary school pupils do
half has much physical education as
their French counterparts.
James MacDougall, European and
international officer at CCPR, said: “If
further progress in school sport is to
be made the case for equality for
school sport needs to be addressed.”
The report highlights research
showing that the UK also suffers from
participation drop-off, particularly
after school compared with the
Finnish population, which attains
very high levels of activity well into
old age, and Australia and Germany
having relatively stable participation
levels throughout adulthood.
James added: “Given the investment
currently being made in schools in
the UK, and the impact this investment
is having on the number of
children accessing up to five hours of
school sport a week, there is a worrying failure to convert childhood activity into active adulthood.
“It points to the fact that the correct
balance between investment in
school and community sport has not
yet been reached in the UK. Were
investment in school sport to be mirrored by that in grassroots clubs, this drop-off could be significantly
reduced.”
What do you think? Write to
Francess Sykes at Future Fitness, 47
Church Street, Barnsley, South
Yorkshire, S70 2AS
UK SCHOOL pupils are spending far
less time doing sport than their
European counterparts, a study has
revealed.
In a report commissioned by the
European Parliament, Britain’s
schools ranked 15th out of 27 countries in offering two hours of
timetabled PE a week.
The data – collected by the researchers at the Central Council of Physical
Recreation (CCPR) – suggests that
British secondary school pupils do
half has much physical education as
their French counterparts.
James MacDougall, European and
international officer at CCPR, said: “If
further progress in school sport is to
be made the case for equality for
school sport needs to be addressed.”
The report highlights research
showing that the UK also suffers from
participation drop-off, particularly
after school compared with the
Finnish population, which attains
very high levels of activity well into
old age, and Australia and Germany
having relatively stable participation
levels throughout adulthood.
James added: “Given the investment
currently being made in schools in
the UK, and the impact this investment
is having on the number of
children accessing up to five hours of
school sport a week, there is a worrying failure to convert childhood activity into active adulthood.
“It points to the fact that the correct
balance between investment in
school and community sport has not
yet been reached in the UK. Were
investment in school sport to be mirrored by that in grassroots clubs, this drop-off could be significantly
reduced.”
What do you think? Write to
Francess Sykes at Future Fitness, 47
Church Street, Barnsley, South
Yorkshire, S70 2AS
Bid to save playground kids' games
KIDS games like football and kiss chase are being banned in school playgrounds because of controversial health and safety rules.
Paul Cooper, of Give Us Back Our Game, has launched a campaign to increase the participation of football and assess the state of playground football in UK schools.
He said his research has even led to him being contacted by parents - one revealed that her son’s primary school, the same that George Best attended, had banned the game for children under four.
He said: “The facts are alarming this is where the UK's best ever player learned to play the game. Another school near Lincoln has even banned kiss chase.
“We are now living in a society where outdoor play for children is something done by a different generation - children are no longer allowed to even link arms. Simple changes like using a soft ball or having a dedicated space for ball games can solve a lot of problems.”
It follows a study from the education department at Keele University which has revealed that half schools surveyed have banned football as well as other ball games. Another study by the Institute of Education at the University of London shows that between 1990 and 2006 school lunchtimes have been reduced by 30 per cent and afternoon breaks scrapped in many.
Government ministers have now pledged to end the "no ball games" culture with the announcement of a multi-million pound plan to rebuild thousands of playgrounds. Over the next three years, £225m will be spent on building or upgrading more than 3,500 playgrounds and setting up 30 new supervised adventure playgrounds, designed for the 8-13 age group, in deprived communities.
*What do you think? Write to Francess Sykes, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS or email fs@whpl.net
KIDS games like football and kiss chase are being banned in school playgrounds because of controversial health and safety rules.
Paul Cooper, of Give Us Back Our Game, has launched a campaign to increase the participation of football and assess the state of playground football in UK schools.
He said his research has even led to him being contacted by parents - one revealed that her son’s primary school, the same that George Best attended, had banned the game for children under four.
He said: “The facts are alarming this is where the UK's best ever player learned to play the game. Another school near Lincoln has even banned kiss chase.
“We are now living in a society where outdoor play for children is something done by a different generation - children are no longer allowed to even link arms. Simple changes like using a soft ball or having a dedicated space for ball games can solve a lot of problems.”
It follows a study from the education department at Keele University which has revealed that half schools surveyed have banned football as well as other ball games. Another study by the Institute of Education at the University of London shows that between 1990 and 2006 school lunchtimes have been reduced by 30 per cent and afternoon breaks scrapped in many.
Government ministers have now pledged to end the "no ball games" culture with the announcement of a multi-million pound plan to rebuild thousands of playgrounds. Over the next three years, £225m will be spent on building or upgrading more than 3,500 playgrounds and setting up 30 new supervised adventure playgrounds, designed for the 8-13 age group, in deprived communities.
*What do you think? Write to Francess Sykes, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS or email fs@whpl.net
