Exergames

A recent article in Time magazine details a new study that took a look at the role of exergames in helping children reach their daily recommended levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity. Scientists asked children ages 9-13 to play a variety of exergames that included Dance Dance Revolution, Wii Boxing, and Lightspaces' Bug Invasion. Researchers found that when children played with these games for ten minutes, the children expended at least as much energy as they did walking on a treadmill for a comparative length of time.



You can read more of the study, which was published in the March 7th online edition of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, here.

Study: Paying Cash, Not Credit, Leads to Healthier Food Choices

According to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, paying with cash instead of plastic leads to more careful spending and healthier food choices. Researchers followed the grocery shopping habits of 1,000 households for six months, tracking what they bought and how they paid for it. The study found that those who used debit/credit cards more frequently tended to make unplanned/impulsive purchases that included more unhealthy foods.

Study: Walking Is a Brain Exercise Too

In a recent Time article, a study published in Neurology has found that walking may improve memory in old age. The researchers tracked the physical activity of 299 healthy men and women with an average age of 78. Their activity ranged from walking 0 blocks to 300 blocks per week. Nine years later, the participants underwent brain scans and those that walked more had more brain mass than those who had walked less. Four years after this, the volunteers were tested for dementia. 116 people from the group had shown signs of dementia, but those who had walked about 7 miles per week (72 city blocks) had half the cognitive issues than those who had walked the least.