A UT study published in the Games for Health Journal suggests that active video games may actually be a source of moderate or intense physical activity in children five to eight years old.
Justin Block, associate sports editor of the Huffington Post, profiled the study in a recent post on the site.
Children between the ages of five and eight years old were given three accelerometers—one for the hip and one for each wrist. The accelerometers on the wrists were placed to better assess upper-body movement, which may be very different in outdoor play compared with playing an active video game.
The study was led by Hollie Raynor, director of UT’s Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory and associate professor of nutrition.