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MDM Feburary 2011 issue - featuring cover girl Eleanor Richwood. Also presenting our first "Chod to Mod" male makeover section. See if YOUR Facebook tagged photos got published!

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FEATURES

MDM, Issue #170 FEBRUARY 2011 • Entire contents copyrighted 2011 by Glimpses of Guam, Inc. MDM is published monthly by Glimps-es of Guam, Inc., 492 N. Marine Corps. Drive Tamuning, Guam 96913. Telephone: (671) 649-0883, Fax: (671) 649-8883, Email: [email protected]. All rights reserved. No material may be printed in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher.

MDM IS ONLINEFlip through our latest issues on your computer.www.mdmguam.com

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ALL THAT GLITTERSEleanor Richwood

plan the perfect dateSweep her off her feet

local amorePlanet Kyle

on the roadReaders and events photos

postseason playbookSuper Bowl highlights from past years

chod to modStyle Transformation

indie earbuds2010 Year in Review

26 break a g-sweatAddicted + Fitness

publisherMaureen N. Maratita

AssisTANT eDiTOrJessica Peterson

FEBRUARY2011

04 18 23

repOrTerJude Lizama

prODuCTiON superVisOrNerita F. Enderes

seNiOr DesigN mANAgerMatt Wright

grAphiC DesigNerVikki Fong

sAles mANAgerAnnie San Nicolas

ACCOuNT mANAgerJoshua Mendiola

ADmiNisTrATiONJanice CastroJessica Leon GuerreroCarmelita McClellanBernard (Mr. B) Leonen

mANAgiNg DireCTOrMarcos Fong

CONTribuTOrsJoseph RyderAllan CadawasRay LimuacoCarmen RojasKyle Mandapat

Iridescent Boutique:Kiki printed satin

gown ($88)

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Intrepid newbie, Eleanor Rich-wood, may never have modeled before, but she shook the dirt off her sky-high heels and just let it shine in her premiere photo shoot. Photographed in the textural red dirt of the grounds outside LeoPalace, Richwood never teared up, lost confidence, or even complained. In the blaz-ing heat of late afternoon, she didn’t even ask for water. The woman just worked it, all the while maintaining a serene coun-tenance and a certain sweetness. Richwood was totally void of any diva cockiness. “Jump, pout, climb!” our crew shouted to the model. And she did.

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Photography: Joseph Ryder, josephryder.viewbook.comArt direction and styling: Jessica PetersonAssisted by: Vikki FongHair: Andrew Hernandez, Oceans Beauty & Barber ShopMakeup: Erma Riley, Oceans Beauty & Barber Shop

eArTh ANgel eleANOr riChWOOD shAKes The reD DirT OFF her sKY-high heels

“I was so excited, I couldn’t wait to get started,” says Rich-wood. “It definitely wasn’t the easiest set, but that was a big plus for me. I love a challenge. I think my only concern was how hot it was gonna be out there. Surpris-ingly, the heat didn’t bother me one bit. Over all, the photo shoot was a complete success, thanks to the combined efforts of everyone who was there.” As hikers on foot and four-wheelers passed by gawking, the mocha-skinned model just kept posing… and posing. It’s no wonder photographer Joseph Ryder brought a baseball bat to the shoot.

Take a look behind the scenes and you’ll see why we too are enamored with this 21-year-old natural beauty of Ponapean, Kos-raean, and Caucasian descent. The oldest of three, Richwood was born on Pohnpei and lived there until she was four years old. Her siblings consider her their biggest role model, and though her family lives in Florida, according to the model, she’s “keeping it together out here on my own.” In a bold step for such a young woman, Richwood plans to visit Kosrae for the first time and meet her father — another first. She’ll bring along her boy-friend Derrick (sorry guys!) for moral support.

So, what masculine qualities impress this knockout? “He must be smart, confident, but not cocky. I like a guy who is funny and has a good sense of humor — an all-around good guy,” she says.

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Macy’s:XOXO leather ruffle jacket ($69) Surf Beads:Capiz shell necklace ($6)

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Macy’s:INC sequin tank dress ($99) and Style Lab gold earrings ($10)

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Iridescent Boutique:Kiki printed satin gown ($88), fringe slouch bag ($40), Bamboo crocodile pumps ($38)Ross:Butterfly trunk ($27.99)

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Macy’s:ECI jeweled shift ($69), American Rag satin cargo pants ($29.99), and Material Girl studded belt ($15)

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RELATIONSHIPS

mAKe her heAD-OVer-heels bY ThiNKiNg OVer-The-TOpBy Jessica Peterson

• Think outside the box when planning the date• Always have a back-up plan• Set the mood and keep it upbeat but intimate• Dress up to let your date know she’s special

Dating checklist

Like the perfect Manhattan (whisky plus strong Bourbon in the presence of sweet and dry vermouth), the perfect date should satisfy both romantic partners. Dinner and a movie is just too passé for your loved one or loved-one-to-be this time of year. Shoot for the stars, because if this is your initial date, there’s no second chance to make a first impression. Follow these suggestions, get it right, and there will be many more.

When’s the last time you really planned a date as if it were a special event? Instead of settling for the boring standby — dinner and a movie — find inspiration for something over-the-top. Find out your date’s favorite romantic movie and steal a scene from it, with a personal touch, of course. (See the sidebar story to read about a clever cad who was inspired by the movie Hitch.) The rugged outdoor date is a great form of relationship mainte-nance, but only for couples who are aware of their partner’s limitations, such as sun exposure, toleration of insects, vermin, and other people. Choose a final location that allows for private conversation. Women cherish intimate moments, so the perfect date is a huge opportunity to cre-ate a memory. Your date should feel refreshed, not exhausted, afterwards.

Planning is key to pulling off the right atmosphere without the moment seeming staged. Still, you should always have a backup plan. Who is the wiser if an abort sequence is initiated? So the burgers never make it to the grill and the cork on the chilled white Zinfandel doesn’t get popped? A true romantic in love is not thwarted by the weather. Gusty wind may put your partner at a disadvantage with hair issues or the wrong outfit; heels may not work on the gravel path to the beach. Alleviate the anxiety of the all-or-nothing date by giv-ing your date a clue — what to wear and what to bring — so she doesn’t feel irritated or embar-rassed. Think ahead and try to think like a woman. Reservations can be cancelled if needed; there is nothing worse than the serious date pushed through, botched, and the relationship damaged be-cause of it. Even if a backup plan is as simple as movie rental and take-out, it can save emotional energy that no one has to spare.

Greet your date with a warm smile and upbeat mood. Even if you are nervous, take a deep breath and let her know you have everything under control. There is only so much daily emotional energy available to an individual. Often it is used up on children, the job, and or clients with nothing to spare when it comes to soul mates and partners. High- anxiety venues should be avoided as a surprise. Fancy events require days or weeks of advance preparation. Anticipate the mood whenever possible and have built-in alternatives. When ten-sions are running high, shorten the evening by eliminating or replacing activities to make the situation more bearable.

1. be iNspireD 2. plAN AheAD 3. seT The mOOD

A clean appearance and good personal hygiene tell your date she is special. Be a sophisticated man, not a sloppy boy. Jeans are not necessarily the anti-date apparel for the serious romantic, but choose a crisp dark wash instead of your tattered gansta denim from ‘96. The goal is to look as memorable as possible without creating a spectacle. This is not an opportunity to show off. If you are style-challenged, ask a trusted, fashionable friend to inspect your date night wardrobe.

4. besT DresseD

planning the Perfect Date

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told by my peers that the first date should always be the best and something that should be remembered. So, I reserved the Sky Deck exclusively for us that evening. The food was great and the Zinfandel was delicious. I was on cloud 9. After dinner the boat cruised through Tumon Bay for a couple of hours, which was a perfect opportunity for deep conversation. We laughed at each other’s jokes, stories, and embarrassing moments of the past. She was open with me as I was with her. We were

smiling back at each other for no apparent reason (you know, that goofy, in-love face) and that’s when we embraced in our first kiss. I thought she would back out, but she didn’t. Adrenaline rush! Our cruise was coming to an end and we were dropped off 15 feet away from the Outrigger Hotel shore, where my Jeep was parked. I took her back to her car and she told me she had the best night ever and that she had never done anything like this! I was glad that I was her first. I kissed her goodbye and told her I would see her tomorrow. She replied, “Of course.”

— Anonymous

feb 2011 / 11

I was at a political rally when I met a beautiful, attractive young woman with long black hair, a sexy body, beautiful legs, and an amazing smile. So, I stopped what I was doing and approached her. I asked what she did, where she worked — you know, the seven-question rule (I learned it from a relative). I asked her out and prom-ised she would have a good time. She was a little hesitant because she had not gone on a date in years. The day of our date, I called her and told her to meet me at the East Hagåtña Beach, next to Alupang Beach Towers. It was 5:30 p.m. and everything was right on schedule. My cous-in dropped off two jet skis at the beach, fuelled up, and ready to go. My heart skipped a beat when I saw my lovely date exit the car. She looked gorgeous! She was wearing a pearl white dress with four-inch heels and diamond earrings. She is a true natural beauty. Her eyes lit up with curiosity; I could tell she wondered why we were meeting here. I told her to trust me. She put on a life vest, removed her heels, swung her dress to the side and jumped on the jet ski. She was afraid to ride it by herself, so I told her to jump onto my jet ski. In my head I was thanking God for that wonderful day. There was no rain at all, just clear skies with a tropical breeze. She was a little scared, but she loves taking a risk any chance she gets. I started up the jet ski and away we went, cruising through the small waves splashing from left to right. I could hear her screaming in a low voice when the waters hit her from the side. During our ride from Hagåtña to Tumon, she looked to the left and saw the sunset going down. She loved the scenery. It was very beautiful — a Kodak moment. After a short ride, we arrived at our destination and cruised slowly next to the boat, where dinner and cocktails were served. She was amazed that I did all this on the first date. Well, I’ve been

She was amazed that I did all this on the first date.

First Date + Jet Ski = Magic

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Happy February and what’s up to the peepsquad! I hope 2011 is treating everyone great and if you’re off to a slow start, don’t worry, we have ten more months! Okay, so here’s the deal. No matter who you are, or who your favorite Kardashian is, there is only one thing you are going to be thinking about this month — Valentine’s Day! On this day, flowers will crowd desks everywhere, and the blood going through your veins will be replaced by chocolate, if that isn’t already the case, as it is with my buddy Vince Leon Guerrero and me. This day is about showing the world how much you love your lady or your dude. Obviously, the majority of us are going to have to be romantic on a budget, but earlier this month the question was posed to me: What would I do on Valentine’s Day for my lady if I had one million dollars to spend? Now keep in mind, the challenge would be to spend the entire budget on being romantic. It is with that in mind that I present the Planet Kyle Real Life Guide to Things I Would Do to Be Ro-mantic on Valentine’s Day If I Had $1,000,000 to Spend!

PLANETKYLE

Local AmoreBy Kyle Mandapat

Okay, this would be the coolest thing ever for a girl, right? In the States, someone might get a star named after their special someone a la Walk to Remember, but this is real life and this is Guam. What is more romantic that getting the street you used to walk home together on named to com-memorate your love? Can you imagine the glimmer in her eyes when she tells everyone that she lives on “Chalan John Love Jesusa” at the third house? Picture her Google Maps’n it every day just to show off to her co-workers. At the same time, with the million bucks you can also pay to get that road paved with sidewalks, and even build a wall to make your own “We Are Guam” mural. Imagine that!

Along with the chocolates, the flowers and the cards, it is usually the norm for one to be given a stuffed teddy bear for Valentine’s Day. That’ll run the buyer anywhere from three dol-lars to forty-five bucks. How-ever, if I have a million dollars to blow on being romantic, why go with stuffing? With a million bucks I wouldn’t buy a toy bear, I would buy a real grizzly bear! Nothing says, ‘I love you’ like a carnivore that chows on other animals. If you’re lucky, you can grab a fluffy one with dull teeth.

The last thing I would do with a million big ones to be romantic may come as some-what of a surprise. I would want everyone on Guam to know that I loved this woman and I would want everyone to know her name. With that purpose on the top of my list, the easiest way to get that ac-complished would be to name a business after her. Not just any business, a business that plenty people would go to, a business that sold something everyone needed. I would open a gas station and name it after her. The whole island would flock to fill their cars up with Delfina’s Gas! It would be the ultimate ode to love.

The best thing is, with a million dollars to

start up with, we could get enough

gas so that we would never run out. People

would know that Delfina’s always has gas!

There you have it, friends, from the most romantic canals of my brain. Hopefully, you can go forth and use these tips in the event that you want to be romantic and have a million chachis with which to do it. Have a great Valentine’s Day everyone and don’t forget to tune in to The Morning Blender with Kai and me every morning on Power 98. See you guys on Facebook. Shooots.

GET A STREET NAMED AFTER THEM THE TEDDY BEAR WITH A BITE

KEEP HER NAME AT THE TOPOF EVERYONE’S MIND

MONEY MIGHT BUY YOU LOVE

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New Year’s Eve Toga Party at Sheraton Laguna Resort Guam

Photos by Allan Cadawas

on the road SPONSORED BY

New Year’s Party featuring celebrity DJ Girl 6 from Las Vegas, live at The Globe.

Photos by Allan Cadawas

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New Year’s Eve party at LUSH Nightclub

Photos by Zack

MDM TAGGED!We asked you to tag MDM on your New Year’s celebrations on Facebook and here they are!

I-Connect Appreciation Party on Dec. 2010

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SPORTS

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STYLE

Before After

Ironically, our first “Chod to Mod” guy is a former MDM “Dream Dude” from back in the day (see our January 2008 issue for proof). Arthur Hameister III goes by Art, but his appearance was less than artistic when he came to the MDM offices one fateful afternoon. The 23-year-old describes his style as reggae and he enjoys shopping at DNA Evolution. “People say I look like a rebel. I am a Scorpio, so that’s like a bad attitude,” said the Army Reservist. MDM editor Jessica Peterson wasted no time ridding Art of the famous faux pas footwear that is Crocs. “Only children playing in the jungle should be wearing these things,” the fashionable editor said. Ouch. Well, no one said change is painless. Art answered “negatron” when we inquired about his girlfriend status. Well, Art, let us help you with that. Fortunately, the Dededo resident was willing to lose the brow piercing and update the faded brown hair for our feature (will not use the word “makeover” in order not to scare away the guys).

If you have a loveable but oafish, style-challenged friend, brother, uncle, dad, or boyfriend, send us his picture and we’ll take him from Chod to Mod. Email to [email protected].

Thanks to Katherine Shambach at Rosy Rouge, Art’s hair is now hip and sleek. Art requested a Japanese Mohawk (longer in the back), so we compromised with a tousled spiky look that is still fit for a job interview, but has that rebel edge Art so adores. During the hair cut and color, Art told us, “I feel like it’s my birthday — no, my birthday and Christmas.” Art’s new look is polished but still cool. We kept him casual because this man doesn’t need a finely tailored suit. Still, athletic cuts flatter Art’s physique, so out with the baggy, in with the slim. Since Art serves in the Army Reserves once a month, we gave him a trendy digital Die-sel watch. “This watch is exotic and flashy. I like big watches,” he said. Everything about Art’s style update is practical for him. So, how did Art feel about the new look? “I’d wear it on a date, maybe a candle-lit dinner on the beach.” Ladies, get in line.

JP Superstore:Chrome Hearts Sunglasses ($695)

JP Superstore:Diesel Watch ($120)

JP Superstore:Diesel leather belt ($125)

JP Superstore:Diesel Viker Denim Pants ($170)

JP Superstore: Palmer Cash “Love Hate” t-shirt ($35)

JP Superstore: D&G Mauve “Brad” shirt ($170)

Photos by Jessica Peterson and Vikki Fong

Macy’s:Sandro Moscoloni shoes ($109.99)

style transformation

CHODTOMOD

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MUSIC

By Jessica Peterson

JóNsiGO DOListening to Jónsi’s Go Do is like OD-ing on ice cream and simul-taneously discovering you can fly. Like Sigur Rós’ music, Jónsi’s first solo album Go Do exists on those impossible falsetto arias and twinkling harps, chimes, and bells. Gone are the depressing, throbbing eight-minute lullabies that made me more suicidal than sleepy.

gOrillAzPLASTIC BEACHGorillaz has always been Damon Albarn’s vanity project, so the ship is sometimes un-wieldy, but the nautical-themed Plastic Beach has its catchy moments. Case in point, the giddy hip hop of “Superfast Jellyfish” featur-ing Gruff Rhys (from Super Furry Animals)

vens tries his hands at the mixing board for what was promised as an electronic album, the end result is a hot mess. Check out his landmark 2005 album, Come on Feel the Illinoise to hear the real Sufjan.

Like a female James Brown, Monáe raps, croons, shouts, and sings her way through the irresistibly funky and fun robot-themed album. This is the perfect marriage of old school and the Dirty South. All that android kitsch is kept in check by infectious hooks, fat boom box beats, and Monáe silky smooth vocals. Just try not to dance.

futuristic update it demanded. This movie wouldn’t be nearly as impacting without the French duo’s mad skillz on the boards. Strap on your high-top sneaks and bust your best robot to “Derezzed.”

sChOOl OF seVeN bellsDISCONNECT FROM DESIRESOSB still begs the My Bloody Valentine comparison. This is the uptempo version of the ‘90s shoegazer movement — droning guitars, infinite loops, and ethereal female vocals. SOSB rarely strays into the depressing dissonant realm of the genre, veering towards

2010 Year in Review

Like countryfellow Múm, Sigur Rós’ music was weird, ethereal, and cinematic. The songs were so layered and elaborate they felt like an audio documentary about being Icelandic. I mean, we had Björk laying eggs at the Grammy’s, so we knew that Iceland must be a special place. You could almost hear the ice crushing under foot and see the frosty windows when you threw on a Sigur Rós disc. Throw in some North-ern Lights and you started to love the depressingness of snow, ice, and darkness because it was as if the music was piercing through like stars in the pitch-black sky. “Around Us” is a triumphal victory parade (after all Sigur Rós means “Victory Rose”) with those pulsating marching band beats, fluttering piano, and Jónsi leading the procession like a drum line captain. Jónsi slips into new age territory with “Grow Till Tall” in all its pipe organ glory and choral harmonies filtered through enough reverb to make Enya jealous. But the song surprises you when at three-and-a-half min-utes the band pulls in the snare and bass and steers that ship to heaven Phantom style. “Animal Arithmetic” takes the same stairway to heaven with a full string and horn section led by propulsive drums. “Boy Li-likoi” opens with symphonic instruments and builds up to a full-blown power ballad with fluttering flute. Favorite line: “Your Antarctic hair, off with the crown.”

siAWE ARE BORNSia is an Australian blonde with a voice as illustrious and soulful as any thick black chick. Witness Sia’s brooding raspy turn with lounge superstars Zero 7. On her second standout solo album, Sia takes a page from Cyndi Lauper’s diary and channels

‘80s girl pop without an ounce of irony. “Be Good to Me” is a rousing ‘60s-style ballad with the rich crooning of this vocal angel. There’s even a cover of Madonna’s dysfunctional family ode, “Oh Father.” I’ve got goose bumps.

and De La Soul. The whole album reads like a who’s who list of music all-stars with cameos from Lou Reed, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, and Snoop Dogg. It’s enjoyable Casio pop. Nothing more, nothing less.

suFJAN sTeVeNsTHE AGE OF ADZI hate to say The Age of Adz didn’t live up to the indie hype. Steven’s past albums were brilliant capsules of marching band folk pop. They were fragile, quirky, and slightly dishev-eled. Age of Adz starts off just fine with the pretty “Futile Devices.” Sad to say, when Ste-

JANelle mONáeARCHANDROIDArchAndroid is damning proof that commer-cial radio is deaf and dumb. Why isn’t Monáe’s tight hip pop blazing the airways as did OutKast’s “Hey Ya”? Monáe was discovered by Big Boi and was eventually signed by Sean Combs then twice nominated for a Grammy!

DAFT puNKTRON: LEGACYHearing Daft Punk score Tron begs only one question: Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Daft Punk has been syndicat-ing ‘80s synth since the mid ‘90s. The movie soundtrack is hot and sinister and cool and dark; only Daft Punk could give Tron the

happy synth pop instead. Though Disconnect from Desire is not as memorable as ‘09’s Alpinisms, it’s a good introduction for any newbie.

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BREAK A G-SWEAT WITHINTERACTIVE FITNESSBy Raymond Limuaco and Carmen Rojas

SPONSORED BY

Hafa Adai MDM gamers! It’s February and already the island has experienced its first power outage. What does this have to do with gaming you ask? When the power went out I heard a faint sound coming from down the street. At first I was apprehensive… then I was interested and had to investi-gate the unfamiliar sounds. I got off the couch, put on my scotts, and quickly ran outside. To my surprise there were chil-dren playing on the streets of my neighborhood. They were running after each other play-ing freeze tag, street football, and street soccer. The children were also glistening with this thing called sweat. They were exercising! This inspired resident fitness expert Carmen Rojas and me to look at another aspect of gaming: virtual fitness. Carmen played EA Sports Active for the Wii and found that it far exceeded her expectations. The game proved to be a challenge and even surprised our Queen

FITNESS/ADDICTED

gAmiNg

of Fitness. In order to utilize the game to its fullest extent, you will need the Wii Fitness balance board and the resistance bands that come with the game. At the time of its release, it was an origi-nal concept and an exceptional game. Since May 2009 there have been many more games designed to get you off of that couch and moving. The most talked about and most innovative motion control system of 2010 has to be the XBOX 360 Kinect. The Kinect hardware can be purchased as an add-on for $149.99. There are also packages available that include a 360 console with a 250 GB hard drive and Kinect for $399.99. The reason the Kinect has the most potential of all of the motion control systems avail-able is the absence of a controller. With the Kinect, your body is used as the controller. This means no accidental head shots with a flying Nunchuck and no LCD screens that suffered “Death by Nunchuck.”

In November, Kinect Sports was released to compete with the various Wii and PS3 Move fitness games. It was the first Kinect game dedicated to creating G-sweat (gamer sweat). Although still in its infancy, the release of Kinect Sports proved the un-matched capability of the Kinect System. The Kinect’s quick re-sponse to a player’s movements, and untamed range of motion proved beneficial to elevate heart rate, thus creating G-sweat. Ki-nect Sports is comprised of mini volleyball, soccer, bowling, table tennis, and boxing party games. The coolest thing that demon-strated the sensitivity of the appa-ratus happened during my table tennis matches. In this mode, your hand is the paddle and with a swift motion downwards you can give the ball some backspin. It’s a small detail, but I was blown away that it could recognize this movement. For $54.99 you cannot go wrong with this game if one of your goals is to break a sweat.

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Zumba Fitness, Dance Central, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, and Zumba Fitness: Join the Party are some other noteworthy titles released for the Kinect that all run about the same price. Even though these video games are designed to help you break a G-sweat, Carmen and I agree that nothing beats actual real life exercise. The sun in your face while taking a brisk walk or run by the shore is still the ultimate mode of virtual fitness. And though I support video gaming, I feel I must express my personal opinion to all parents reading this article. Please, get your children out of the house. Demand that they experience actual physical play outside like we once did as children. I do not find joy in YouTube-ing 200-pound four-year-olds crying because they cannot play their video games. Encourage them to get up and get out, and then reward their actions with video game play. This should help to keep all of us undeniably ADDICTED to video games and fitness!

FiTNess

In the last five years or so, the world of virtual fitness has become a reality. The futuristic stuff of dreams — comput-ers that can “see” people and respond — is here. These physically engaging games are popular with adults and children, and even have some clinical uses as well. But do they really live up to the hype? I will jump into the virtual fitness world and give you my take on this gaming trend. From the fitness standpoint there are more trends and fads than you can shake a control-ler at. Everyone wants to lose weight and be healthier and not have to work hard at doing it. And if we do have to work hard, at least let us have fun doing it! That’s the essence of the virtual fitness game — a workout that’s fun. These games are perfectly fine if you are realistic about the results. Do they help you lose weight? Do they lead to injury? The first key to success with these games is to have reason-able expectations. Will you turn into Ocho-Cinco if you play the new NFL training game? Of course not. And you will not win “The Biggest Loser” if you buy that game ei-ther. These games are great for improving eye-hand coordina-tion, and can burn some extra calories, but so does traditional exercise, which has other ben-efits that are not possible with virtual games. Games like EA Sports Active come with resis-tance bands and take a more strength-training approach to the game. So, if you look at it from the perspective of calories in vs. calories out, these games

do raise the amount of calories you expend. But there is a catch. Many of us like to play video games with some handy finger food around. Of course, eating while jumping up and down on the Wii balance board can have obvious risks, but doing some of the less vigorous games while munching on Doritos defeats the purpose of raising calorie expenditure. I like the EA Sports Active series for getting into shape. I have tried it and found it to be

challenging at multiple fitness levels. Even the fittest among us could find an exercise or move that provides a greater challenge. The game offers a ton of exercises at different in-tensities and allows you to vary your workout with ease. And it is fun to do. The game is en-couraging and does a good job of counting for you and finding fun ways to keep the player engaged. Remember that this is exercise at its purest level. So just like any other exercise, do the warm up, tutorials, and cool down. Don’t jump into the peak of the game and then click it off and go to bed just because you are pressed for time. You will be asking for an injury if you do this.

Speaking of injuries… as in any activity, before you begin, seek an evaluation by a professional if you are plan-ning to use these games as a fitness regimen. If you have old injuries to joints and/or spine, be especially careful when using these games. Wear the correct footwear and clothing to avoid injuries. Make sure you have plenty of space and that you are playing on a level surface. Something as minor as stepping on the edge of a rug

can cause a twisted ankle or sprained wrist. From a fitness standpoint, these games can be beneficial to your overall health and are a great way to get otherwise sed-entary people moving around. Be reasonable when setting expectations. And if you are planning on using these types of games as your preferred method of exercise, treat them as such. Talk to your doctor, read the instructions, get the right equipment, and pay at-tention to your body and what it’s telling you. Work in some rest, make sure you warm up and cool down, but most of all, have fun!

...from the perspective of calories in vs. calories out, these games do raise the amount of calories you expend. But there is a catch...

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