A recent study says that playing games is a workout.
According to a study done by Dr. Arlette Perry from the University of Miami, playing videogames can be a physical workout. Dr. Perry gathered together 21 boys between seven and 10 years old and had them play Tekken 3 competitively against each other. The study reports that as the boys played the game their heart rates went up as well as their blood pressure. The level of exertion was compared to brisk walking or cycling.
Don"t cancel your gym membership just yet. While the competitive game playing apparently showed an increased rate of calorie burn, it reportedly did not effect glucose and lactate levels. Dr. Perry stresses in her report in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine that, "Videogame play... should not be considered a substitute for regular physical activities." Still, Dr. Perry says that "if (gaming)... is used to replace time spent watching television or simply resting, videogame play can serve to more positively affect energy expenditure."