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Active gaming heads for South Derbyshire

9 January 2008

The concept, known as Gamercize, aims to get children active by using computer games as an incentive, and will be piloted at Hilton Primary School in Derby later this month.

Gamercize encourages children to get moving, by linking equipment such as an exercise bike or stepper machine to a games console such as an Xbox or Playstation 2.

As a child starts to step or cycle their control pad becomes activated, and they can start playing the game.

But if they stop moving then their control pad is de-activated and the game is paused until they begin stepping or cycling again.

The concept is currently being used by School Sport Partnerships elsewhere in the country, and will be introduced to South Derbyshire on Tuesday, January 15 to see if it could also be used here.

Around 100 children from Hilton Primary School will be given the chance to try out the equipment during the day, and anyone else working within school sport in Derbyshire who would like to find out more is also invited to go along to a demonstration, which begins at 1.30pm.