Everyone knows that exercise has a host of health benefits yet a lot of people are still resistant to exercise regularly. Although, they consistently find excuses to avoid working out. Now, with the new revolution sweeping fitness centers across the Kingdom, exercise can be fun and thrilling for adults, teens, and children as well. The revolution dubbed as “exergaming” uses the latest technology; the player is immersed in a highly interactive virtual game and to play he/she must progress through a series of physical challenges and activities: running, jumping, climbing, kicking, stepping, and dancing. It provides vigorous cardiovascular exercise and a complete work out for the whole body. Some benefits of exergaming in a group setting promotes a healthy lifestyle by making exercise fun, improving reflex and memory skills, boosting self-esteem, enhancing social interaction, and stimulating both physical and mental abilities. Recent studies have found that today's children in the Middle Eastern region spend as much as a total of six hours a day watching television, using computers, playing video games, and downloading music. Kids in this technology age rarely run around and get the physical exercise that their bodies need. More and more children and teens are battling weight gain and suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes — all as a result of a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits. The first fitness center for children to introduce the concept of exergaming in Saudi Arabia, “In Motion Club,” decided to transform the problem into the solution. “In Motion” aims to draw on children's addiction to video games and watching television to attract them to this new form of exercise, making them to do something they want to do rather than a boring routine that is forced upon them. One of the founders and the CEO of In Motion Club, Osama Al-Othman, said: “We searched for a solution to get the youth engaged in games that will promote mental and physical fitness, a solution that will bridge the gap between traditional exercise and fun. We want to spread the message that exercise is for life and not something you just do for a month or two and then abandon. Exergaming is a phenomenon and it is changing the face of fitness and family entertainment.” The equipment at this unique fitness center does not look like the typical large, domineering, metal exercise machines that seem complicated, dull, and uninteresting. “In Motion is an exergaming health club for kids between aged between 6 and 13. Exergaming takes a big leap in making electronic entertainment a healthy option. The In Motion gym for kids is the first place in the world where digital interactivity meets humanity for the sake of one's own health and physical well-being. It is a lifestyle change, not simply an arcade game. It is an adventure, not a program,” said Heba Taktak, marketing officer of In Motion Club. Parents, members, and fitness trainers at the club have witnessed a positive impact on the lives of the children who are enjoying exergaming and have become more physically active. “We have noticed that working out at the club has helped children in socializing, overcoming shyness or social phobia. Since exercise burns calories overweight children have lost weight. Other children have improved karate and self-defense techniques, strengthened and shaped their biceps, triceps, and leg muscles. Children here are more confident, they work cooperatively with their peers, they discovered what sports they are good at, and they are not ashamed of losing a game,” added Taktak. In Motion Club is located in the heart of Riyadh above Localizer Mall on Tahlia Street.
