Blog Articles

Case Study on Exergaming for Kids with Behavioral Issues – Preliminary Report

by Dan Lawler, Ph.D. on May 6, 2013 at 3:43pm

In schools today students who engage in antisocial behaviors are a real challenge for teachers and administrators.  Too often these behaviors diminish a student’s ability to learn and often interrupt the education of others.  Many times teachers and schools apply restrictions to privileges, more seat time, anger management strategies, and suspensions as a remedy for these behaviors.  A few months ago I assisted a middle school with initiating an alternative to...

AAHPERD Driving Toward a Healthier Generation Through Technology and Exergames

by Jeffrey Dammann on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:28am

The 2013 AAHPERD National Convention and Exposition being held in Charlotte, North Carolina, is coming up fast!  The convention takes place April 23-27th and over 5,000 health, physical education, recreation, dance, and sport professionals are expected to attend the show. AAHPERD, which stands for the American Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance has over 20,000 members and is the largest organization of professionals involved in physical...

PEP Grants, What Are They And How Do We Get One for Our School or Facility?

by Parker Johnson, Relationship Manager on Mar 12, 2013 at 5:02pm

ON PEP GRANTS (Carol White Physical Education Program) The Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) provides grants to local educational agencies and community-based organizations to initiate, expand, or enhance physical education programs for students in kindergarten through 12th grade to help students meet their state standards for physical education.  Money from PEP Grants may be used to purchase physical education equipment, provide support for students, provide...

Exergame Fitness Educates the World at the Exergame Education Workshop 2013

by Ashley Staley on Feb 26, 2013 at 1:02pm

On average, children spend three to seven hours a day parked in front of a television.  Whether it’s watching after school cartoons, the Disney Channel, or playing video games, the rate of child obesity has had a drastic increase throughout the course of the past 20 years.  Let’s Move!  a campaign launched by First Lady Michelle Obama, has an ambitious but important goal: to solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.  This nationwide...

Case Study on Exergaming for Kids with Behavioral Issues

by Dr. Dan Lawler on Feb 21, 2013 at 5:07pm

In schools today students who engage in antisocial behaviors are a real challenge for teachers and administrators.  Too often these behaviors diminish a student’s ability to learn and often interrupt the education of others.  Many times teachers and schools apply restrictions to privileges, more seat time, anger management strategies, and suspensions as a remedy for these behaviors.  A few months ago I assisted a middle school with initiating an alternative to...

The ExerGaming Lab As an Effective Tool to Help Students With Behavior Issues

by Dan Lawler, Ph.D. on Jan 17, 2013 at 11:27am

The ExerGaming Lab As an Effective Tool to Help Students With Behavior IssuesSocietal and clinical concern of antisocial behavior in school-aged children is significant. Students engaging in antisocial behavior represent a major challenge in the school system (Cihak, Kirk and Boon, 2009) and account for a large proportion of placements in special education classes (Knitzer, Steinberg, and Fleisch, 1990). Despite significant support and interventions, issues involving anti-social behavior...

First Care For Then Educate

by By Dan Lawler, Ph.D. and Bev Bachman, M.Ed. on Nov 26, 2012 at 3:50pm

Peter Senge, in his 1990 book entitled The Fifth Discipline, talked specifically about well-intentioned goals and aspirations often leading to unpredicted outcomes that even the best leaders and thinkers could not have anticipated.  Certainly a 1981 government document release called “The Nation at Risk” intended to bring attention to the need for education to improve for all kids.  What evolved over the years was a tightening of curriculum, the development...

Suffolk Zone 2012 NYS AHPERD Professional Development Conference

by Jeff Dammann on Oct 30, 2012 at 9:48am

The state of New York is facing some serious weather right now, but next week if the state survives the New York AHPERD will be hosting their annual Suffolk Zone conference where over 800 physical education teachers, school administrators, and fitness industry personal will get together and showcase the latest methods at bringing children into healthy active lifestyles.    This year you will find the Suffolk Zone event at Sachem School District which has made some huge...

Sierra Vista Jr. High Physical Education Demonstration

by George Velarde on Oct 29, 2012 at 2:23pm

As the Physical Education Department Chair at Sierra Vista Jr. High School, our PE program hosts PE Demonstrations for educators, principals, superintendents, and community leaders from all around the country to come and see the “New PE”curriculum in action. The demonstrations are designed to get them excited about the possibilities on how a comprehensive curriculum is implemented on a daily basis and the variety of equipment that is used to increase...

Integrating ExerGaming with Instruction: One Model

by By Dan Lawler, Ph.D. on Oct 9, 2012 at 12:12pm

By Dan Lawler, Ph.D. This school year a Title I teacher in Colorado will be integrating into her teaching both effective practices in literacy instruction and current research on how exercise prepares the brain for learning.   She is a strong literacy teacher, long grounded in strategies that have been supported by research in reading instruction.   This year she is excited to add this new dimension to her literacy lessons by having her classes participate in 5...

Model Physical Education Program Demonstration Days

on Sep 18, 2012 at 1:31pm

 One of the long standing professional strengths of educators is their willingness to share ideas and programs that are working with other teachers and principals.  This professional courtesy has helped thousands of other schools and children to benefit from the original school's hard work and success.  For example, if a school is getting great results in reading the school and teachers invite people in to hear how they constructed their success or present at state...

Motivation Through Exergaming

by By Dan Lawler Ph.D. on Aug 14, 2012 at 10:07am

By Dan Lawler Ph.D. Every teacher in every classroom eventually faces the dilemma of how to motivate the uninspired student.   Often teachers look to utilizing positive rewards as a means to increase desired behaviors.  Some traditional strategies, especially at the elementary level, include longer recess, special seats, positive phone call home, lunch with the teacher, and positive verbal feedback.  Extrinsic motivators, in the form of rewards, can encourage...

BrainBike: Exercise for the Brain and the Body by Dan Lawler, Ph.D.

by by Dan Lawler, Ph.D. on Jul 24, 2012 at 1:28pm

Most often wellness programs focus on improving employee fitness levels along with emphasizing good nutrition.  Seldom is any specific attention given to retaining and improving the functions of the brain. “A life-long commitment to stimulating brain activity contributes to quality of life, especially in the later years. Exercises that promote brain health vary widely and include physical activities such as walking and intellectually stimulating activities....

Exergaming Vitamins

on Jul 13, 2012 at 7:17pm

In the July issue of Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, researchers provide further evidence that exercise is good for your brain.   As we age, blood flow to the brain decreases and oxidative stress increases. Both of these normally occur in the brain and lead to reduced cognitive function. This can also lead to more serious brain problems such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.   Exercising regularly increases the blood flow to the brain, keeps the blood vessels...

What Makes Early Morning Physical Activity Helpful for Students

by Dan Lawler, Ph.D. Education Consultant on Jun 7, 2012 at 1:57pm

Several schools across the country have adopted early morning physical education classes in order to assist students with learning.  In Naperville, Illinois, District 203 has been conducting a Learning Readiness Physical Education program for years.  Their approach has received national attention because of the positive impact it has had on literacy scores.   More and more evidence points to the reasons why this intervention is so successful.  Primarily, when...

Doctor Ernie Medina Jr. Exergaming Study

on Apr 15, 2012 at 8:20pm

Research on Xavix Last year, we were involved in a research project examining Xavix's Jackie Chan Run to two traditional tools for assessing fitness in middle school kids ( 1 mile run and PACER shuttle run). Here's the abstract for this study: Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a correlation existed between the scores of the Jackie Chan Action Run active video game, the one-mile run/walk and Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) aerobic...

DuPage County Institute Implements Technology into Physical Education

on Feb 28, 2012 at 11:35am

Physical Education at the Naperville School District has always been about providing every student with a variety of challenges that will contribute to the development and maintenance of their physical, cognitive, and affective well being.    At Naperville they believe physical education is a lifelong process, which is the primary responsibility of the student, shared by home, district and community.  Students at Naperville are provided with the foundation for...

"Plugging" into Physical Activity by Dr. Ernie Medina of MedPlay Technologies

on Jul 23, 2010 at 1:41pm

Exergame Fitness advisory board member Ernie Medina on "Plugging" into physical activity through the means of Exergames... These days, it seems that every where you turn, someone is talking or writing about pediatric obesity. While there are many factors for this epidemic, physical inactivity is one that is often stated, and technology is often blamed for this. Well unless an alien race comes and blasts us with EMF (electromagnetic field) weapons, knocking out everything...

Active Gaming Consultant Dr. Ernie Medina Jr.

on May 16, 2011 at 2:56pm

As a precursor to the upcoming Games for Health event in Boston we sat down with Dr. Ernie Medina Jr. to discuss the potential benefits of exergaming and why he see’s it to be such a valuable tool. 1.      What made you choose to work with Exergaming? My day job as a preventive care specialist (think combo exercise physiologist/nutritionist/behavior counselor) in a medical group, I'm always looking for ways to motivate our patients to be more physically active. I came across...

BrainBike® as Part of an ExerGaming® Lab

on Apr 6, 2011 at 9:50am

By Dan Lawler, Ph.D. Education Consultant Exercise4Learning™ As an elementary principal one of the most exciting interventions I have ever experienced was the implementation of our Exergaming® lab.  Our school, not unlike many across America, had a minimal amount of minutes that students were receiving physical education.  As a community, because of financial reasons, we saw little opportunity to increase fitness time in our school by adding more physical...

BrainBike™ - An Innovative Brain and Fitness Option

on Jul 26, 2011 at 11:46am

By Dan Lawler, Ph.D. Education Consultant Exercise 4 Learning     The NeuroActive BrainBike™ is an exercise bike that trains the body and brain for fitness. The BrainBike™ was engineered by Dr. Stephane Bergeron, MD, president of Brain Center America (BCA), and a team of international brain specialists. It is designed to improve user’s memory, concentration, multitasking, and a complete range of mental abilities while providing a cardio...

Childhood Obesity: The Educational Cost

on Sep 15, 2008 at 12:18pm

A Message from Phil Lawler - PE4LifeMany people argue that childhood obesity is not a school issue and it is not the responsibility of the school to be concerned about children’s health. Schools are designed to teach reading, math, science, English, now foreign language, and history. No Child Left Behind as made sure core academics remains the focus of American Schools.These same people argue children’s health is totally the parent’s responsibility. I agree the...

Congrats to Phil Lawler - Lifetime Achievement Award

on Feb 4, 2009 at 10:57am

Madison Junior High School commemorated its 30th anniversary Monday with a celebration that often focused on the lifetime achievements of Phil Lawler.Lawler is a member of the original Madison faculty, a retired District 203 physical education coordinator and the director of education and training for PE4life, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the development of quality, daily physical education programs for all children.Madison Junior High celebrated its 30th anniversary Monday...

Exergame Fitness at Sierra Vista Jr. High - Canyon Country California

on May 12, 2010 at 3:58pm

Physical Education Department George Velarde has transformed the school’s traditional physical education program, introducing students to the “New P.E.” Rather than focusing on traditional team sports, his program stresses individual student fitness. He has received numerous accolades for his achievement. George Velarde was recently awarded a Gold Medal by the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness in a Sports Spotlight Awards ceremony in Sacramento. This...

Exergames: Interactive Video Games to Boost Fitness

on Jun 13, 2011 at 11:23am

BY Lynn Langway • POSTED June 10 2011 AT 12:00 pm A new generation of digital gadgets may soon be as essential for fitness as sneakers. That was the word from Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH, a preventive care specialist from Redlands, CA who uses interactive video games—“exergames”—and digital devices to monitor and motivate his sedentary patients. Medina, who calls himself “The Exergaming Evangelist,” gave a rundown on cool new digital tools at the recent Health and...