Dancing Your Way to Better Health and Fitness With Dance Revolution

The nation's raging epidemic of childhood obesity is losing ground to the unexpected benefits of a video game...Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). This video game is so effective as a weapon in the war against childhood obesity that schools are adopting it in ever increasing numbers, following the example set by West Virginia.

Video games have long been the whipping boy for a long list of health problems, including creating the bulging waistline and promoting lack of exercise among the nation's youth. Dance Dance Revolution is turning that perception around and backing it up with steady weight loss and exercise that is great fun for our children.

In the United States, childhood obesity has become a serious public health concern. The obesity rates, over the past 30 years, for have nearly tripled for children aged 2 to 5, rising from 5% to 14%. As the children grow older, the increased rates for obese children triples from 5% to 17% for ages 12 to 19 and quadruples for children aged 6 to 11. That's approximately 9 million overweight children risking diabetes and high blood pressure. Not a pretty picture.

Some states are battling this epidemic by replacing the usual exercise classes and team sports that kids don't like with this captivating Dance Revolution video game that appeals to media-savvy youths. They stand on mats in front of a TV that throbs with bright colors and move to the beat of some modern music. This up-to-the-minute video system gets kids on their feet and exercising without realizing it. They are having fun.

A couple of years ago, West Virginia created a pilot project and outfitted 20 public schools with DDR game machines. That project was so successful that the state is planning to eventually outfit all 753 public schools and get more than 280,000 students on their feet and moving to the beat. Other states are taking notice and planning to put their own program in place.

Originating as a party game, DDR can give adults a reason to get off the couch and improve their own health considerably. Those health statistics mentioned above are even more serious and possibly inevitable risks for adults who do not exercise. So, join your kids and live longer.

Want to incorporate Dance Revolution into your school or gym? Go to
http://www.fitnessandkids.com/group-dance-dance-revolution.html for group fitness packages using dance dance revolution.