XRKade uses electronic fun to promote exercise

By: MARIA HOWARD/Fitness | Times-Dispatch
Published: March 29, 2009

Who says exercise and video games don't go together?

Thanks to innovations in electronic gaming, they do now.

Some of you might have proof in your homes, in the form of Dance Dance Revolution or Wii Fit programs. Many area fitness centers have recently added stationary bikes with gaming screens attached to them.

But the biggest example of this technological advancement that I've seen around here is the XRKade at the new American Family Fitness Center in Short Pump.

The XRKade is an entire room dedicated to the use of electronic fun to promote movement. And kids of all ages are loving it.

"In here, you're playing," said Sarah Harrelson, an American Family youth activities instructor who sometimes runs classes in the XRKade.

She lined up with my daughter and me to take on the dance game, which was a huge version of Dance Dance Revolution, complete with a wall-mounted screen and multiple dance pads that were constructed sturdily enough so you could stomp on them with no worries.

Harrelson beat us resoundingly. In the first round, she mastered about 80 percent of her steps, while we were in the 40 percent range and below. But we got better in subsequent rounds, and we all laughed as we did it.

Meanwhile, my son stayed on the boxing and biking games, emerging from the XRKade about an hour later with a soaked, sweaty shirt and dripping hair.

"That place was fun!" he exclaimed as we walked out of American Family.

Typically, a room like an XRKade is going to draw the younger set. You have to be at least 6 to use it, Harrelson said. And for kids 9 and older, their parents can drop them there and go for their own workout.

But what's really great is that parents and kids often do the games together.

"We're trying to get the families in there," said Cheryl Dempesis, assistant general manager at the Short Pump center.

That's one of American Family's corporate goals: Get the whole family moving.

And as we've all discovered in recent years, interactive gaming appeals to all ages. Recently, there's been a boon in Wii sales to nursing homes and retirement centers. At American Family, senior groups are encouraged to check out the XRKade offerings.

"This isn't comfortable for them," but they get used to it and end up having fun, Harrelson said. "Anybody can come in here."

The concept of the XRKade, designed by iTECH Fitness Inc., is to provide "the most advanced active gaming and entertainment systems where people become a human joystick," according to the company's Web site.

There are more than 75 XRKades in fitness centers and schools across the U.S., and iTECH is continually designing more.

The one at American Family is the second XRKade in Virginia, and the only one in the Richmond area. Taking up about 1,000 square feet in the 95,000-square-foot club, the American Family XRKade has about 20 gaming stations.

Harrelson showed us how to move like Jackie Chan on an XRKade game. "The adults really like this one," she said. "It's a great cardio workout."

Her personal favorite? A boxing game in the back corner that lets you set your pace in "workout mode." Harrelson grinned as she said, "You're supposed to do 200 punches in 25 seconds. . . . The next day, you feel it."

Maria Howard is a group exercise instructor for the YMCA of Greater Richmond. Her column runs every other week in Sunday Flair. Contact her at flair@timesdispatch.com.

More information on XRKade

Nationally: Check out these Web sites: www.xrkade.com or www.itechfitness.com.

Locally: Call the American Family Fitness Center in Short Pump at (804) 364-1200 or go to the Web site, www.amfamfit.com.