On Monday Sts. Cyril and Methodius School in Lemont initiated the “Dance  Dance Revolution” into their physical education curriculum.

With “Dance Dance Revolution,” a song plays, arrows on a screen point in one of four directions — forward, back, left, right. They scroll up the screen in various sequences and combinations, requiring the student to step on arrows on a mat on the floor.

“They love it,” said Mary Grabowski, physical education teacher at the school. “A number of kids are familiar with it because they have it in their homes.”

A little friendly competition goes on between students as they step on the mats.

“There are different levels of difficulty,” Grabowski said. “The more arrows that come up the quicker (students move).”

Funded completely by the Mothers’ Club, this program is the latest concept being used by several hundred schools in at least 10 states to promote physical fitness, according to Grabowski.

“It’s to music,” Grabowski said. “It raises the heart rate. It gets them moving their legs. They’re enjoying it.”

“Dance Dance Revolution” is being used in fifth through eighth grades. The students have physical education class twice a week.

West Virginia University’s School of Medicine and School of Physical Education announced results of a multi-year study finding significant health benefits for children who play the game regularly, according to Grabowski. Those benefits include improved blood pressure, overall fitness scores and endothelial function, which reflects the arteries’ ability to deliver oxygen.

The school is trying out the DDR as a way to promote both physical health and learning. When playing the game, the students have to process information and then  do the moves physically so it helps with brain development, according to Grabowski.

Although the school is trying out  Revolution” for the first time, so far Grabowski sees it as a good addition to physical education class because  it helps students “stay active and have fun being active,” she said.