“Riding a surfboard through gnarly waves or veering down a steep slope on a snowboard can be fantastic exercise for youth.But if it’s not convenient to get your children to the ocean or mountains, an alternative is using a board that simulates surfing or snowboarding. With the XR Board, riders navigate a course by moving their legs and shifting their weight to mimick boarding movements, and this can increase muscle strength and conditioning for the real sports. Electronic, video, and computerized devices and games for exercise, known as ‘exergaming’ or ‘exertainment,’ are becoming more sophisticated and gaining popularity as tools to combat childhood obesity. ‘I think they can be effective. Any time you get kids up and moving it’s a great thing, but it depends on how the equipment is used,’ said Venona Orr, a Santa Rosa Junior College instructor of yoga, Pilates, weight training and body conditioning. ‘If you’re doing exercise regularly two to three times a week, you can get a benefit. Not just weight loss, but toned muscles, and working the heart and lungs. But not if you only use it once a month. Form and safety are always a concern when you’re working out on your own, and you have to watch out for repetitive motion,’ said Orr, who also is a personal trainer. Petaluma Valley Athletic Club invested in a...
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100523/LIFESTYLE/100529724/1309&template=printart
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