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Video Games Aren't Just for Couch Potatoes

Summary & Participants

Video games are getting people off the couch and into action.

Webcast Transcript

MARK KLION, MD, SPORTS MEDICINE SPECIALIST: You’re in the privacy of your own home. You know, so what if you hit the ball into the net? What’s the big deal? You know, it’s not as if the person, you know, at the court next to you is looking at you. You don’t feel embarrassed.

ANNOUNCER: Video games aren’t just for couch potatoes anymore.

MARK KLION, MD, SPORTS MEDICINE SPECIALIST: The Wii system involves active participation utilizing a hand control that picks up your body’s response, specifically your arm, to simulate activities that are on the TV screen.

ANNOUNCER: Now players are able to feel like they’re really part of the action as they bowl, golf, play tennis and baseball, and even box in their living rooms.

KEIKO: It’s really good exercise and I don’t have the time to go outside.

MICHAEL: You can just sit there and move it very little and get the response out of the system, but it kind of defeats the purpose – it’s encouraging you to get up and do that.

ANNOUNCER: An academic study found that players spent an average of more than 12 hours a week on the system, burning more than 18-hundred calories. Still, Dr. Klion hopes players take the games outside.

MARK KLION, MD, SPORTS MEDICINE SPECIALIST: Maybe that’s the beginning of where they say, “Hey, this all feels very good. Maybe I will go out and play tennis. Maybe I will go play soccer. Maybe I will go do something else.” And if that’s the sheer motivation behind it, then, you know, I think that that’s great. But I don’t think anything really replaces, you know, a basic exercise program.

ANNOUNCER: Thanks for joining us on today’s Once Daily!