"Why we should incorporate physical activities into video games"

This is a very controversial subject in my opinion. When you were young, you probably enjoyed going outside, riding your bike, snow sleighing, or something of that sort. Maybe you joined a sport and played for a few years, or even still play today. Or perhaps, slowly but surely, your interest into sports grew out of sync and your life matured. You realized that there was no point in playing sports. Well, whatever your mind thinks, think again.

One of the worst problems in the USA is people who don't get enough exercise. The primary reason for people getting out of shape is no exercise, and eating too much food. Most people don't have the time to go out and take a jog or ride their bike at least once a day. You probably have a job you have to worry about, or a test the next day. Well, one of the things I never understood was why gaming companies didn't try to create some sort of a device that would allow you to get exercise and play a game at the same time. The first successful franchise to do so was Nintendo with their powerpad device.

The Powerpad was a simple plastic rug that you would lay on your floor and do various activities on. There were circular sensor pads in each of the circles that you would play games on by running, jumping, and other activities. While there were a few games that supported this idea, there were plenty of games that didn't support this option. The Powerpad allowed you to get a good cardiovalascular workout that could burn fat and calories. It took less than an hour to get a good workout, and it was the perfect solution to getting exercise during the Winter. So why wasn't it a big hit?

I'm guessing because most people got too tired after the first five minutes. No offense, but, I see way too many people giving up early on the powerpad. It's just that some people out there don't exercise enough. Maybe the world is purely lazy and doesn't like trying new things. It doesn't make sense. Gamers didn't have to run outside in the hot weather, instead they could run on the powerpad and play against your friends. If modern games had one of these devices, could you imagine the endless possibilites?

Imagine if GTA3 required that you'd run on the pad whenever you wanted your character to run. Or, you'd have to jump off the pad in 3D platform games or sprint against another character. You could have a boxing game where you would punch a virtual opponent and score a more powerful hit based on how strong your punch was. There are too many possibilities if we incorporated physical activites into video games. Not only would it make us healthier, but for once in our lives, we might actually be able to have fun and do good for the body at the same time.

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