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Tag Archives: brain development

Mohonasen Schools Offer Brain-Body Exergames-Sportwall XerTrainer and XerPro

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When Mohonasen Central School District was awarded the Carol M. White PEP Grant in September 2011, they began the search for the latest solutions to engage their students of all ages and abilities in physical activities that are fun and motivating, meet or exceed NASPE standards, and also challenge and activate the brain to improve academic performance. After much research into different exergaming and other programing-based solutions, they decided on four Sportwall XerTrainers and three Sportwall XerPros for their elementary through high schools.

“One of the primary focuses of the PEP grant is to actively engage students who are not interested in the programs we are providing, as well as to continue to stimulate students who are engaged in the current curriculum.” said PEP grant administrator Marc Vachon. “Sportwall’s solution included the interactive walls, plus extensive programming for all ages and abilities designed to stimulate the body and the brain simultaneously, engaging hands, feet, ears and eyes. It develops not just eye-hand coordination but also visual-perceptual motor skills.” Continue reading →

Interactive Fitness/Exergames Good for the Brain – The Science

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XerTrainer cardiovascular workout in a game formatIn the conversation about the solutions to obesity crisis worldwide, including its health and economic impact, we believe that two significant things are often missing:

* The positive effect of exercise on the brain: how that moves the discussion from one focused on health and its related costs to one that also includes improved mental performance and productivity in schools, the workplace, and life.

* The “fun” factor, which increases the appeal of exercise to a much broader cross section of the population who would otherwise be less inclined to participate in an exercise program.

This blog post deals primarily with the first point – how exercise, and specifically Sportwall interactive exercise, affects the brain.

The Plasticity of the Brain – Physical Exercise Stimulates Cognitive Capacity

Brain science strongly supports the link between movement and learning. The brain and the body’s movement and learning systems are interdependent and interactive. For example, motor development provides the framework that the brain uses for academic concepts. Children who have developed fine motor skills through daily exploration and manipulation of a wide variety of objects also possess the cognitive foundations necessary to build academic success… Continue reading →

Brain-Body Solutions for Childhood Obesity

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XerTrainer Smiling BoyWhen the words “exercise” and “gaming” were combined to yield “exergaming”, the term was used to describe video games that are also a form of exercise. Beyond repetitive finger movement, these interactive video or electronic games PROMISE whole body player movement, similar to that of “real-life” exercise participation. Not all exergames products are equal and whether they can increase energy expenditure enough to be considered a viable adjunct to more traditional exercise is the question. This post documents how Sportwall products deliver on that promise.

Sportwall’s XerPro and XerTrainer are recognized as two of the original, most enduring concepts in the category of exergame fitness training, but they differ significantly from modified video games that promote physical activity. Instead of simulating play, they engage players in a real kinesthetic experience with dynamic, integrated, multi-planar athletic movement using actual sporting goods. The result is a powerful combination of both functional training AND sports specificity training in one multi-sensory system… Continue reading →