Be Fit With Biray

Who says you can’t meditate to a video game? The Wild Divine is offering a series of multi-media meditation products that focus specifically on healthy relaxation techniques. The Journey to the Wild Divine Series is an interactive computer game equipped with biofeedback sensors that monitor heart rate variability and skin conductance through your fingers. As you develop these techniques (as determined by your physiological responses), sections of the game unlock to advance your journey or game play.

Here’s a demo:
[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=OvnN7kQTjv0]

Biofeedback sensors are a reliable measurement tool designed to heighten your awareness of your physiological responses to specific stimuli. Using these data in video games to enhance or impact the outcome of game play – well, that’s when things get interesting…

In the past, studies have demonstrated the physiological responses to game play (increased blood pressure in PacMan, heart rate response to DDR, etc.), but these hardly impact the design of the game. In other words, PacMan doesn’t decrease or increase its difficulty based on your heart rate. But as games become more interactive and program designers enter the health and fitness arena, these variables will be explored and manipulated. Cool, huh?

I came across this recent study published in the proceedings from the Digital Games and Research Association (2007): “Please Biofeed the Zombies: Enhancing the Game Play and Display of a Horror Game Using Biofeedback” A. Dekker, E. Champion (Note: the biofeedback device from Wild Divine was used as the measurement tool.)

Here is an excerpt from the abstract:
“During game play, [Half-Life 2] was dynamically modified by the player’s biometric information to increase the cinematically augmented “horror” affordances. These included dynamic changes in the game shaders, screen shake, and the creation of new spawning points for the game’s non-playing characters (zombies), all these features were driven by the player’s biometric data.”

“While the evaluation results indicate biometric data can improve the situated feeling of
horror, there are many design issues that will need to be investigated by future research, and the judicious selection of theme and appropriate interaction is vital.”

Granted, this research didn’t come to any health or fitness-related conclusions. But, as games evolve, the scope of research will, too.

I spent some time at Barnes & Noble yesterday browsing through the new arrivals (Steve Martin’s new book “Born Standing Up” looks promising). Anyway, this particular store was located inside one of those mega-(should-have-its-own-zipcode)-malls. As I was leaving, I had to walk through the mall – which (this time of year) is the equivalent of playing dodgeball, except you’re dodging kids instead of balls. On this insanely crowded day, I came across a giant white pad on the floor just outside the food court. Kids were all over it, jumping and screaming deliriously. As I observed their chaos, I discovered the source of their addiction: Reactrix “a network of interactive and immersive media displays.” Basically, a physically engaging advertisement campaign.

Here’s the jist of how it works: each 30-second ad is designed with its own game objective to which a ‘player’ can jump, hop, kick, stomp on the ’screen’ (floor) in order to interact. For instance, a popcorn ad entices a passerby to jump on the kernels and pop the corn with their feet. (Photo: a young girl kicks the ball to another player).

Here’s what I find interesting: Although anyone can jump on this ‘game’ – those who tend to be most attracted to it are the kids. Meanwhile, it captures the parents attention as they stand on the sidelines watching, in essence, a 30-second commercial for popcorn on a sticky food court floor. In terms of advertising, I suppose it’s ingenious. But when you consider that this technology could be applied to exergaming development, creating the potential to elicit longer bouts of physical activity, well… then you’re only left with disappointment.

Check out this YouTube video – it demonstrates the range of this technology:

[youtube=http://youtube.com/watch?v=QzsQKULMbiU]

My favorite Reactrix demo was the soccer game – the equivalent of Nintendo’s Wii Bowling. How cool would this game be on a rainy day (or that 122 degree afternoon in Arizona – since we don’t get much rain here)? Maybe ‘wii’ exergaming advocates should send Reactrix letters suggesting they design sport-specific games for the health and fitness industry. Who knows, maybe Reebok or Nike will endorse the games.

Hi, everyone! Kix here (most of you know me as Biray’s alter-ego or Second Life avatar) . Well, I’m just as real as you ‘real-lifers’ (or as I like to call you RLers or ‘reallers’). I’m definitely more uninhibited and free-spirited than my RL-counterpart. I mean, c’mon – after all, I can fly!!

Biray has invited me to be a guest blogger on all things health & fitness-related in Second Life. So, if I come across things I think you ‘reallers’ might be interested in, I’ll post it.

I’ve been on SL for over a year and I’m still amazed at the places I discover and events I participate in (you can follow my SL adventures on my personal blog.) You’d be surprised at how positively the health, fitness, and wellness communities have responded to SL.

This morning I discovered the SL Wellness Center! Powered by TechnoGym, StreamZilla, Fitness.com – the SL fitness center is equipped with everything you would want in a gym – group exercise schedule, a stretching area, cardio equipment and weight training machines. They even offer indoor cycling classes via streaming video three times a week. I’m definitely planning on going back for a ‘real’ cycling experience.

I took a quick tour of the studio and found the design to be very spacious and user-friendly. There were posters on the walls around the gym to educate members on body mechanics, as well as, give them options for different exercises.

With the stair machines, ellipticals, and treadmills around, I couldn’t resist getting on one for some cardio. (You know what that Surgeon General says about getting those 30-minutes of physical activity in your day! It’s no different for us ‘avies’ here in SL. We have a heart, too). Though, I’ll have to remember to avoid wearing jeans and boots next time…

The strength training equipment were more limited in their function – meaning, when I sat on the machine, the animation that controlled my moves were not exactly physiologically correct. But there were plenty of different kinds of equipment to get a comprehensive upper and lower body workout.

Now I know what you ‘reallers’ might be thinking. This is crazy! It’s virtual – it’s not real. Yeah, yeah, yeah… shut up. Let’s see you come here and break a sweat…

But in all seriousness, let’s address some of possible advantages that RL health and fitness professionals might have by utilizing these Second Life resources. An immediate response of a real lifer might be, “How can watching an avatar run on the treadmill translate in one’s performance in their physical world?” A valid point (even I can see that). But let’s back up one step – whose to say that the benefits of SL have to be physiological?

Think about connecting with an audience (the video-gamer, computer-savvy, techno-driven individual) who is looking for ways to improve his/her health and fitness, but has no clue how to start a program or what to do inside a gym. Well, by being present in SL, you might have the opportunity to communicate with a different type of client who might benefit from your expertise. Here are some ideas:

* Educate SLers on health-related topics – create an event and invite SLers to your lecture and communicate in their environment. I often see health and fitness professionals encourage people to come to them (their gyms, their offices, their websites, etc.) If you want to target this new net-generation of individuals, you have to be present on their turf.
* Demonstrate and Discuss Equipment Use – these SL-gyms are great for showing SLers how to use weight training equipment and cardio machines in real life! Discuss machine advantages, give tips to consider in strength conditioning, and answer any questions in real-time. These virtual gyms are great visual references for SLers to then translate into their real gym facilities. After a few sessions with you, they may not be as hesitant in entering a gym with their new-found knowledge.
* Design exercise prescriptions for a SL-clients – Now, take it to the next level – train clients through SL! You’re not training the avatar – you’re training the person behind the avatar. Just like online personal training interacts with ‘real people’ via websites and emails, you can interact with real clients via their avatars. Service the next generation!

Also, don’t think this is all done for free – YOU CAN MAKE MONEY DOING THIS. Yes… this is real… You can charge SLers for your services and expertise. Already there are health facilities, nutritional advisers, and organizations in Second Life exploring these options. There are over 9 million residents in SL – so get in there and be innovative!

Unfortunately, I didn’t spend as much time at the gym as I would have liked. However, I did complete my workout with a cool-down and stretch sequence. It would be nice to have training buddies to challenge and accompany me during my workouts. But because SL is still an experimental platform for health and fitness professionals, most of these virtual gyms and wellness communities are still light in traffic.

Anyway, if you are a SL’er yourself and have a few moments, the Wellness Center is definitely a landmark worth checking out. (In SL, search for ‘gym on chase island’ or type in these coordinates: 62, 197, 21).

Logging Off…

Once again, exergaming and games for health research continues onward with more momentum (and now more grant money). Open call for proposals has been announced on the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation website. If you know of anyone who is seeking funding for research on health-relate games, this might be a great opportunity. This is an $8.25-Million Research Program to Investigate Design Strategies and Benefits of Interactive Games to Improve Health and Health Care. Good luck!!

Recently I read in Game|Life that an old video game Samba de Amigo (previously on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000) is coming back to life in Wii form (which means more physical activity for the player!)

According to wikipedia: “Samba de Amigo is played with a pair of maracas. As a song plays, the player (guided by on-screen graphics) must shake the maracas at high, middle, or low heights with the beat of the music, or occasionally must strike poses with the maracas held in various positions. The player is represented on-screen by “Amigo”, a grinning monkey with a square head and a sombrero. If the player does well, the scene around the monkey (usually a concert or a dance) will attract more people and become more vividly animated; if the player does poorly, characters leave and eventually all that’s left is the monkey alone, looking sad.”

Not only does this sound extremely entertaining, but I can just see its potential in fitness centers and health clubs around the world! Traditionally, dance-based group exercise classes (like jazzercise, ZUMBA, salsa fitness, hip-hop aerobics, etc.) build on familiar rhythmic beats, repetitive choreography, and fantastic music! They are generally very popular and prove to be successful across a wide demographic – young/old, fit/unfit. So why not add a dance-based exergame class to your group exercise schedule? Create a stir in the club and differentiate your club from the rest!

Samba de Amigo will be available on the Wii this spring 2008.
Start planning your programming for ‘Cinco de Mayo’ festivities!!

Ernie Medina, CEO/Co-Founder of XRTainment Zone and better known as the “exergaming evangelist” (how cool is that?!) brought to my attention this article from the October 2007 issue of Fit Business Pro. This article basically states that commercial fitness clubs and health facilities should begin generating more programs to serve the video gaming demographic.

It states that, “the number of participants in gaming dwarfs the number of those who belong to health clubs. This trend will continue as games and technology become more ubiquitous.” If this is the case, why aren’t we seeing more gyms incorporating exergaming into their facilities? Could there be other variables (or barriers) involved in implementing exergames and other technologically-based equipment into commercial clubs?

Another good point mentioned in the article: “Consider drawing the gaming demographic into your club by having computers and games available, even if they are not yet incorporated into your exercise equipment.” I agree. Trade in a few empty treadmills for a few computers. If folks can afford hours at a Starbucks due to the wireless access, then why wouldn’t they spend those hours sitting at the gym. At least they’ll be around people who are exercising and the view could be nice… right? Okay, maybe not… or maybe…

Anyway, check out the article… it’s timely and brings these thoughts into discussion.

Last month I wrote a post about how the lines between virtual game play and the real world were starting to blur. We are seeing more games incorporate a physical dimension with their computer interfaces. Yesterday, CNN.com posted another article about exergaming. Although the article highlights the exercise trend that video games like Dance Dance Revolution have started, it also mentions the possibility of a fitness buisness surviving in virtual communities. Virtual worlds like Second Life and companies like Expresso Fitness and Island Worlds are at the forefront of this exploration.

(Also, the article includes a few quotes by yours truly!)

Second Life continues to amaze me! Check out this week’s article from the Washington Post discussing how SL is being explored for its health-related uses – everything from health education to medical application. Who knows how these virtual communities and services will impact our real life health in the long run, but for now, this type of experimentation is worth pursuing.

I’ve been venturing around in Second Life, as well. In fact, this October marks my one year anniversary in SL. I’ve done a lot of exploration, but certainly don’t consider myself an expert in SL. It’s time to officially introduce you to my alter-ego (or ‘avatar’) – Kix Kayamanu! She is a health-fitness journalist (or explorer), spending most of her time discovering new virtual destinations that focus on health, fitness, and wellness education and application in the virtual world.

I will document more of her journeys on this blog. (Picture: Kix sits on the patio chair at the Mystic Academy – a place for spiritual growth, wellness education, and mindful practices!)

According to the Entertainment Software Association, the statistics on video games state that the average video game player is 33-years-old. Well, today is my birthday and although I’m just shy of 33, I definitely fall within one standard deviation from that number. I guess that either makes me statistically significant or just your average game player…

I have played video games and computer games since childhood. Although the average game player has played for approximately 12 years, I exceed that by 7-8 years – at least. (Most of my friends don’t know this about me: my brother and I used to program computer games on the family CGA Compaq Presario and often played through lunch and dinner.)

Today, in order to celebrate my ‘geekiness,’ I have devoted part of my day to playing video games, discussing video games, and (dare I say) purchasing video games!

This semester at Mesa Community College, I’m instructing a class called Priniciples of Fitness & Wellness in the Exercise Science Department. Because a lot of discussion surrounds video games and their influences on our culture, I thought it might be an appropriate opportunity to focus on those physically interactive games (like Dance Dance Revolution – aka DDR – and Nintendo’s Wii-Fit) and their impact in the health and fitness community. Not only is this a great way to discuss the alternative ways technology is being used to promote healthful behaviors, but it is a legitimate excuse for me to bring my PS2 to class and set up the DDR play-offs for my students! (Needless to say, they LOVED it!)

Keep the spirit alive and be sure to “Get your game on today!”

The virtual world, Second Life, seems to be gaining more momentum, especially in the health and fitness arena. In fact, CNN featured an article on how Second Life is becoming an experimental platform for testing new ideas. Here’s an excerpt:

“In one YouTube clip a man is seen exercising on a treadmill in front of a large plasma screen that displays scenes from Second Life. Using the wireless controller from Nintendo’s Wii console, he appears to indicate which scenery he would like to jog “through” on the screen. If that’s a workable concept, the fitness equipment industry might like to know about it.” – Steve Mollman

Here is the YouTube clip the article references:

Similarly, Island Worlds is also exploring similar ideas of connecting fitness equipment with virtual worlds. I’ve ventured extensively in this world, as well, and to be honest, I’m not quite sure how it will translate into traditional health & fitness culture. Could this type of fitness delivery appeal to an entirely different audience than those we see coming to the commerical gyms and fitness facilities?