DDR: Exergaming to Lose Weight

The next time your child wants to turn on the game system you should join in the fun. Plug in a dance mat for Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution. It’s a music game that will give you an aerobic workout. The dance pad has four or six arrows: up, down, right, and left (sometimes adding left and right diagonals). Arrows on the screen prompt you to follow the rhythm of a song. There are various levels of intensity. You can calculate the amount of calories burned or calculate your total running distance when the game is in workout mode. In addition, … Continue reading

A Type II Diabetes Journey: Introduction

My name is Julie Gentry. I’m 44 years old and I’ve known I was diabetic for almost five years now. I say “known” because, looking back, it’s likely that my problems started a little further back than that. When I first got the diagnosis of Type II Diabetes, I was surprised. Wasn’t that something older people with poor nutrition or morbidly obese people got? I wasn’t even forty, grew up eating healthy food, and played sports in college. Sure there were some extra pounds around my middle, but that was pretty common in women with children, wasn’t it? It’s taken … Continue reading