Most parents face a continuing challenge in getting their kids to put down the game console and go play outside (or inside, for that matter). We warn them that too much video gaming can hurt their eyes, their thumbs, their wrists, and their waistlines – all of which falls frequently on deaf little ears.-In May of 2011, 20-year-old Chris Staniforth of Sheffield, England, died in his sleep after repeatedly doing 12-hour video game marathons. A blood clot had formed in his leg from sitting too long, then moved into his lungs.-Movement is essential for proper blood flow, says Anil Hingorani, MD, a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery. Sitting in the same position for long periods of time – whether playing video games or cramped in a car or on an airplane – can result in pooling of the blood in the veins. Blood clots known as deep vein thromboses (DVT) can form.-2011 statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal that 300,000 to 600,000 Americans die annually from DVTs. Most occur in persons who are sick and have had long hospital stays, or have DVT risk factors such as obesity, a history of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure, and inflammatory bowel disease. Women who are pregnant, nursing, or taking birth control pills are also at increased risk for DVTs.-Staniforth was young and in good health, so his only DVT risk factor was video gaming for too long without a break – a risk factor Dr. Hingorani can be mitigated or eliminated not only by playing outside (or in) but by doing these simple exercises: -

1. Stand up and stretch
2. Walk around
3. Raise and lower your heels and toes
4. Tighten and release your leg muscles to promote blood flow

-So next time the kids whine when you tell them to take a break from the X-box, tell them it won't kill them to walk around the house for a few minutes – but it might kill them if they don't.