13/7/2009

Ref: FG001

If we are to tackle childhood obesity effectively, schools need to look beyond the realms of traditional sports and make physical exercise truly inclusive and engaging for all, says fitnessgaming ltd (www.fitnessgaming.co.uk). Following a Foresight report, published by the Government Office for Science, predicting that 90 per cent of the UK’s young people will be overweight by 2050 , fitnessgaming is highlighting the need to introduce new activities which are more appealing to young people and which will help raise the levels of fitness across the UK.

A key part of involving all young people in sport and PE is engaging with those who do not currently want to take part in traditional physical activities, such as cross-country, hockey or netball. fitnessgaming argues that sport needs to move with the times and embrace activities that are more suited to today’s youth, making sport and fitness something they enjoy and not something to be avoided. Although advances in technology and computer games are often blamed for children staying indoors and avoiding exercise, there are new and innovative ways of using this technology to engage children in sporting activities. This change needs to start in schools so fitnessgaming is introducing the Cobalt Flux ‘Just for Schools’ and ‘Blufit Wireless Multiplayer’ dance mats and working with the School Sports Partnerships (SSPs) to develop PE and sport opportunities for all young people.

Ben Bulleyment, Partnership Development Manager and champion for fitnessgaming, Tamworth School Sport Partnership in Staffordshire, commented: “We are introducing the Cobalt Flux ‘Just for Schools’ dance mats in our schools to engage those pupils who do not currently enjoy PE. Feedback from pupils has often been that they don’t like the activities in PE, or that they don’t like being directed by a teacher, so we needed an activity where they could feel more in control and something which is more in line with their out-of-school interests. The dance mats are perfect because the pupils can keep active while having fun. For them it’s just a game and they are getting fit by default. In addition we’ll be using the new Cobalt Flux Blufit wireless system to host inter-school competitions across Tamworth which the pupils are all really excited about.”

The Foresight report notes the effect behavioural patterns have on obesity and the importance of developing a healthy routine from an early age. To improve the quality of PE and sport undertaken by young people, the Government launched the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP) which aims to create a new ‘five hour offer’ for 5-16 year olds - two hours of PE and sport at school and a further three hours of after-school sport each week.

Duncan Black, Director at fitnessgaming, commented: “To engage young people in sport it is important to embrace all forms of physical activity. Some children cannot relate to traditional sports for many different reasons but will jump at the chance to have a go on a dance mat. This type of activity is perfect for School Sports Partnerships because it crosses all ages and genders, there is no discrimination so all pupils can play against each other regardless of their abilities.”

The Cobalt Flux ‘Just for Schools’ dance mats can be used with the Playstation 2 and Nintendo Wii, which makes them easy to set up and a more affordable alternative for schools compared to other expensive proprietary systems. A three-sided frame and a hand-controlled mat are available for pupils with special needs so the whole class can get involved. The new wireless system, called the Cobalt Flux ‘Blufit Wireless’ dance mat, records pupils’ data as they play and uploads their performance onto an interactive website so pupils can compete with other schools and pupils regionally, nationally and even internationally.

For more information on fitnessgaming and Cobalt Flux Just for Schools dance mats visit www.fitnessgaming.co.uk, call 0845 459 4460 or email info@fitnessgaming.co.uk.

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