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PE teachers are replacing medicine balls and tennis racquets with televisions and Nintendos in an attempt to curb childhood obesity.
Five schools in the central English region of Worcestershire have been trialling the use of the popular Nintendo Wii console to encourage students to participate in physical activities, the Daily Mail reported.
Children who had a habit of missing PE classes began turning up to play virtual tennis, baseball, golf and ten-pin bowling, the report said.
A Droitwich and Worcester City School Partnership spokesman told the Daily Mail that students went on auto-pilot once they picked up the controllers.
“The use of computer games to increase physical activity levels and raise attainment to some would seem contradictory,” the spokesman said.
“But with rigid structures in place and by using specific games, students soon found themselves being active and engaged almost without realising it.”
The British Government said it was encouraged by the scheme.
A spokesman for the Department of Health told the paper the use of Wii should lead to further activity in “real” sport.
“We welcome the positive impact that innovations like these can have as an important first step towards getting people to participate in a broader range of physical activities and to enjoy the many benefits of a physically active lifestyle,” the spokesman said.
Studies have shown that playing Wii games is not a substitute for real exercise.
The Wii console was one of the world’s most popular Christmas presents last year.
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