Xbox 360 and Boys & Girls Clubs of America Team Up for Inaugural National Family Fitness Day

Families nationwide encouraged to join the “DanceDanceRevolution” to promote healthy living.


REDMOND, Wash. — May 2008 — Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 is teaming up with Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) to celebrate the inaugural National Family Fitness Day on May 12. National Family Fitness Day is a free, fun-filled event designed to promote healthy and active lifestyles for children and families. The key fitness activity will be playing “DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE 2” on Xbox 360. To help encourage families to get involved, supermodel, health guru and mother of three Christie Brinkley and health expert and physician Dr. Carlon Colker will commence the activities at the Children’s Aid Society’s Dunlevy Milbank Center Boys & Girls Club in New York.

On National Family Fitness Day, select Boys & Girls Clubs will participate in this after-school event by playing “DanceDanceRevolution UNIVERSE 2” on Xbox 360. This activity, coupled with healthy tips provided by Dr. Colker, will showcase how families can connect with each other and exercise in a way that is fun. Also on this day will be a fun, collaborative competition among participating Boys & Girls Clubs aiming to reach the goal of 500 participants and 18,000 calories burned while playing “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360. Boys & Girls Clubs in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and Seattle will all join in to start a new revolution.

“We are proud to partner with Xbox 360 for National Family Fitness Day, which showcases the fact that getting fit can also mean having fun,” said Roxanne Spillett, president and CEO of BGCA. “Playing active games like ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 not only encourages kids to get in shape, but also helps bring families together and enhances Triple Play, our existing health and wellness program.”

“National Family Fitness Day is all about keeping kids and their parents active and healthy,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Playing ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 is one of many ways families can get up off the couch and have fun together.”

“Making sure that my children stay active and healthy is my top priority,” Brinkley said. “My children and I love to find new and exciting ways to get up and get moving, and playing games like ‘DanceDanceRevolution’ on Xbox 360 lets my kids have fun and get fit at the same time. And I have to admit, I have a blast playing it too.”

Colker, who has trained top-tier professional athletes, recognizes the health benefits that “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360 can provide, and in addition, he offers the following health tips for families:
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Shop healthy and cook at home. Buy fresh, perishable and unpackaged foods whenever possible. If ingredient contents sound too complicated, it is probably not a healthy choice. Get the whole family involved in meal preparation. It can be fun time spent together, and it is certainly healthier than fast-food alternatives.
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Check out your local community center. Places such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America offer great physical activities for children, including soccer, baseball, swimming and physical video gaming such as “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360. The supervision is top-notch and the cost is reasonable.
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Keep tabs on your physical activities. Whether it is having a family activity list on the refrigerator, or even setting the Family Timer on your Xbox 360 so that you know when you have hit your activity goal, keep track of your activities and reward progress.
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Keep a structured bedtime. You cannot expect your kids to have an active lifestyle if they are tired all the time.

More about National Family Fitness Day, the great health benefits of playing “DanceDanceRevolution” on Xbox 360, additional healthy family tips from Dr. Colker, and information on the Xbox 360 Family Timer and parental controls can be found at http://www.Xbox.com/familyfitness.