Protandim

Playing video games and getting exercise generally do not go in the same sentence. Those who play video games are generally seen as couch potatoes or drains on society. They are assumed to be overweight, have acne filled faces, and survive mostly on hot pockets.

Now, a lot of “gamers” (as they are referred to) seem to fit that stereotype, but a new generation has been born. You can no longer assume that since someone is a gamer, they are overweight and do not interact with society. A new class of games and systems have been developed to keep individuals in shape and entertained.

Many believe that this revolution or paradigm shift started with the Nintendo Wii. The Wii has moved exercise through entertainment forward, but it was not the first mover. It started in an indirect way through dancing arcade games. Most people have heard of Dance, Dance, Revolution. It was the first popular game in which the player actually got exercise while playing. It was more of an after thought than the games primary purpose, but it got people thinking.

Nintendo Wii was the first system that was designed to have a fitness element to it. Games such as Wii fitness tracked players’ stats and measured their body weight and body mass index. Practically every game for the Wii requires players to stand up and move. It may not be intense exercise, but at least you won’t be sitting on the couch eating Cheetos.

The Wii isn’t merely for children either. It has games that encourage people of all ages to participate. The way the controls are set up helps anyone with no experience playing video games get started and accustomed quickly. Adults and children alike can get exercise through entertainment now.

The future of exercise through entertainment is bright, too. Every major video game console company is designing some sort of virtual reality aspect and motion control to increase the physical activity of playing video games. Many times it isn’t the primary purpose of the console, but the incremental increase in energy expenditure can do wonders for young children and adults.

The sun is the most important part of our solar system. You cannot spend too much time in its light, otherwise you will put yourself at risk for skin cancer. However, you do need to spend a minimum amount in it as well. Most people have heard of seasonal affective disorder, which is depression caused by too little exposure to sun, but few people understand just how severe it can be, and how it can still affect people during the summer.

Bright light has been shown to positively affect the mood of anyone who is suffering from depression or any other mood disorder. During the winter months, people often become irritable, depressive, put on weight, and avoid social scenes more often. This is caused by a reduction in UVB rays.

So as the summer months approach and the daylight get longer and longer, most people who are affected by seasonal affective disorder suffer much less, as well as people who are suffering from other mood disorders. In fact, there are many less reported cases of depression in the summer months than there are in the winter months.

In addition, people who have never experienced any sort of psychological problems or mood disorders on average report being happier during the summer months as well. People often report higher levels of motivation, happiness, and energy during the summer when they are being exposed to prolonged sunlight.

However, the exact reason why people are happier in the summer remains to be seen. Many studies point to the fact that a person’s sleep-wake cycle is thrown off during the winter months. People report a longer time lying in bed and being tired, but also report less time sleeping and having very poor quality sleep. During the summer, it is easier for many people to wake up in the morning because of the rising sun, whereas in the winter, it can remain dark for a few hours after you have been up.

Overall, the summer months seem to make people happier because of the extended time in the sunlight. As more research is done on this correlation, hopefully we will be able to use our knowledge to help those who suffer in the winter, and help those who wish to be equally happy in the summer and the winter.

There is a type of music for every mood. There is music that makes you feel excited; music that makes you feel hopeful; music that reminds you of someone; and music that reminds you of a moment. But is there such thing as music that makes you healthier?

Most people will try anything in order to become healthy. There are thousands of diets, books, and exercise routines you can try, but maybe you should try listening to a new type of music. Changing your music genre can make a change in your overall health and outlook on life.

In recent studies, dissonance, or noises that are generally in conflict, can cause your stress levels to increase. On the flip side, when you listen to pleasing music your stress levels can decrease. Decreased stress levels make you healthier and you will live longer, and changing your music may be your first step to a long and healthy life.

Higher stress levels are also inversely correlated to exercise. In other words, the more stressed out you are, the harder it is to find time to work out. So in a round about way, listening to stress inducing music can make you more likely to suffer from obesity or or weight problems.

So what types of music reduce stress? It is different for everyone. Listening to Beethoven’s fifth can be a great way to reduce your stress levels if you enjoy symphonies, but not all of us do. Everyone has different tastes in music, and listening to what you enjoy is an important step towards reducing stress.

However, don’t we all listen to music we enjoy? So why would music ever make us stressed? The answer lies in your genre of music. Hard-core, angry, scream-o, hard rock, depressing or emo music can increase our tension and stress levels. Easy listening music really is easy listening, whereas hard rock really is hard to listen to.

Listening to those types of music will increase your stress levels, and in turn could reduce how much you work out or exercise. If that is your favorite type of music, you can still listen to it, but do it in moderation. That sort of music will have an affect on your outlook on life over time. So if you are looking to try something new and become a little healthier, perhaps you should try listening to a new type of music.