Maybe persuading people to get outdoors and play real sport is just too much hard work – the American Heart Association has announced it’s to work with Nintendo to promote ‘the benefits of active-play video games’.
The two organizations say they’ll work together to provide information and hands-on experiences, and arrange a summit of representatives from different backgrounds to discuss the benefits of active-play video games.
“howing people accessible ways to stay active has been a part of our mission for decades, but our research tells us nearly 70 percent of Americans are getting no regular physical activity. As an organization we are looking for ways to change this,” said Clyde Yancy, president of the American Heart Association.
“Nintendo has demonstrated clear leadership in active-play video games with the popularity of the Wii system, and I’m confident that together we can encourage Americans to become more physically active.”
A December 2009 poll by the Institute for Medicine and Public Health found that the average person spends more than eight hours of each day sitting down. Apparently the reasons were ‘lack of time’ and exercise not being ‘fun’.
“Nintendo has been helping people get up off the couch and get playing since the Wii system launched in 2006,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo’s US executive vice president of sales and marketing.
“By joining forces with the American Heart Association, we further our commitment to bringing fun and accessible active-play video games to a broader audience.”
It’s certainly quite a coup for Nintendo, which is by no means the only company producing games designed for exercise. Electronic Arts, for one, has EA Sports Active, released last year.
