The other night my husband and I went bowling with some friends. After a couple of strings, my friend challenged me to a game of Dance Dance Revolution. Dance Dance Revolution or DDR is a game where you jump on a small dance floor matching your feet to the movements being given on a screen in front of you. You see Japanese-styled dancers do the moves while you attempt to follow the arrows. It's like the game Simon that many of us played in the 80s - different colors would light up, and you attempt to repeat the pattern.

I realized at the bowling alley that as you get older your eye - foot coordination appears to degenerate. I was jumping like an elephant and quickly breathing heavily. I confess that I'm probably not in the best shape I've ever been, but it's also because DDR really does force you to move quickly. If you've ever been to an arcade and watched the real DDR pros at work (all whom are under the age of 18), it's pretty impressive.

I'm not the only one who discovered that DDR can actually get your heart rate up -- some P.E. teachers have, too, and the game is beginning to be used as another way to get our nation's overweight youth moving. The latest video games to buck the stereotype of keeping teens glued to the couch can be found on Nintendo's new Wii console. David Pogue wrote about how the Wii is giving kids a workout in his most recent blog post:

"I am not suggesting replacing real, outdoor, playing-with-neighborhood-kids exercise with Wii playing.

I am, however, suggesting that the Wii is infinitely better for our kids' health than any other video or computer game -- in fact, better than just about any other indoor activity."

The video game industry tends to be a favorite target of politicians, parents and the media for the sex and violence that is often rampant in the many popular titles. I think it's important to look at the positive effects of gaming whether it's boosting cognitive skills, challenging us to think about global conflicts or getting us off the couch.

Update Here's a great story from The Shifted Librarian about how one librarian is using Dance Dance Revolution as a way to settle library fee disputes:

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting a teen librarian who keeps Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) set up all the time so she can invoke it as need be. For example, if a teen has overdue books, she will dance-off against the person, and if the teen wins, the librarian will waive the fines.

In addition, when the kids get into squabbles amongst themselves, she tells them to take it to the mat and dance off against each other. It's a great way to channel some of their energy.