Dance like nobody's watching ... even if they are

There are several video games out there that involve actual human movement in order to activate the players who appear on the screen. Nintendo's Wii system is a gaming phenomenon, especially with its tennis and golf games (both requiring the player to hold onto the joystick controller and swing it like a real racket or golf club). Video games are becoming virtual sports, making this once sedentary activity a bit more physical. In fact, researchers from West Virginia University not that long ago found that one video game in particular is actually helping kids improve their heart health and fitness levels.

The game is called "Dance Dance Revolution," and yes, if you've ever stepped foot inside a Dave & Buster's (basically, it's a Chuck 'e Cheese's for adults, with wall-to-wall video games and cocktail-serving barmaids), this is the game where people bounce around a light-up dance floor and make utter fools of themselves. Fortunately, there's a home version, so you can still reap the calorie-burning and heart-pumping benefits of dancing around like a crazy person, only you can save yourself the public embarrassment. More or less, it's the perfect thing for self-conscious kids who may want to lose weight, but aren't really comfortable enough to exercise with friends (or for the adult who simply wants a new, fun way to exercise).

The game is played on a dance pad, with arrows pointing forward, backward, right, left and diagonally. The players use their dancing feet to follow the arrows that appear on the video screen, all while jamming out to some bass-driven techno song. In a day and age when childhood obesity is on the rise, a game of this kind can be a great way to make exercising fun again -- unlike so many other games, which promote living a virtual existence in cyberspace over actually going outside and playing.