Game+ Bike = GameBike?

Image source: http://www.robbinssports.com/sporting-goods-store/fitness-and-exercise-exercise-bikes-c-24_272.html
The news titled as “Gamers get off the couch and onto bikes” reports an interesting pilot study at University of Victoria. The researchers invited 27 “couch-potato males” to play on a “GameBike” connected to a Playstation 2 for six weeks. Each week, the participants play for half an hour three times. The GameBikeis described as “a bike set up to be a video game controller” (see the image on the top).

The researchers found that the participants’ heart rate during 30 minutes of the GameBike ride was higher than the target heart rate. This finding was attributed to the participants’ involvement in playing the games. After six weeks, the participants’ fitness was improved and their affective attitude turned to be very positive. The researchers asserted that affective attitude or enjoyment was a predictor of one’s willingness to exercise. “Dance Dance Revolution and Nintendo Wii games” are another two kinds of physically interactive games mentioned by the researchers. At the end, it is said the retail price of the CatEye GameBike without any gaming systems is $400. The Website is www.gamebike.com.

I checked another Web, Robbins Sports, on which the image above is found. The Cateeye GameBike sold there is $1,467.97. It is much more expensive than the price mentioned in the news. Maybe the model is different.

It is amazing to integrate video games in sports. I played Wii in my friend’s house and some kind of dance machine before. It is really fun. But, it is the first time that I know the GameBike. I have read some materials before saying parents complain that video games keep children sitting for a long time. Thanks to the physically interactive games, playing video games is no longer a sedentary activity and taking exercise is never drudgery any more. What a great innovation!

Note: One piece of news about video games and children’s health:
“Adding Activity to Video Games Fights Obesity, Study Shows”