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Twin Ridge Elementary fifth-grader Shawn Hanan was the image of intensity and concentration as he raced one of his classmates in a Tuesday gym class.

Shawn's cheeks were flushed. His eyes were open wide and fixed on the running path. His arms moved rhythmically, his feet pummeled the ground and he flew by the video-generated green meadows and trees it the virtual world of "Wii Fit."

Transfixed by the virtual race, Shawn's classmates eagerly joined in. Mimicking the movements of running, they tapped their feet, waved their hands and cheered when they saw the approaching finish line.

By the time Shawn completed his race, everyone in the class had worked up a sweat and was feeling like a winner.

"You did it, Shawn!" cried out one student, as the whole class broke out in cheers and applause.

The trend of using virtual exercise programs and video games in gym classes is changing the face of physical education across the nation, and it's now spreading to Frederick County.

Some Frederick County schools are using cutting-edge technology and popular video games to enhance traditional gym classes and make them more diverse, personal and engaging for students.

Last year, Hillcrest Elementary School was the first in Frederick County to include the "Dance Dance Revolution" video game in gym classes. The game became so popular among students and teachers, that it is now rotated around different elementary and middle schools in the county.

Other schools in the county use TiVo and recording cameras to record students during a specific physical activity, such as juggling. Students and teachers review a student's performance, analyze common mistakes and search for ways to improve students' skills.

"PE has come a long way," said Kathleen Wack, the school systems curriculum specialist for elementary health and physical education. "I feel almost like this is a new PE."

This year, Twin Ridge Elementary is one of two elementary schools in system to pioneer the use of "Wii Fit" by Nintendo in physical education.

The game focuses on personal fitness and allows students to complete a wide range of physical exercises. As they use the game, students can learn the basics of yoga, spin hula hoops, practice running and stretching, work up some sweat in step aerobics or strengthen their muscles through pushups.

They follow images projected on a screen and mimic the movements using an extra-sensitive floor pad and motion-sensitive remote controls. The game monitors their movements and weight distribution and gives individual students specific tips on improving exercise techniques, posture, body balance and flexibility.

At Twin Ridge Elementary, the game has been an instant success, said Jennifer Stark, one of the two physical education teachers who brought the game into gym classes.

The game allows Stark to mix a range of activities in a fun, innovative way while still following the school system's curriculum.

The best feature of the game however, is that it leaves no students behind. Once the Wii is on, all students are moving, including those would scoff at traditional sports, or students with physical and mental disabilities, she said.

"The transformation that you see in the kids is amazing, they are 100 percent engaged," Wack said.

Physical education today is moving its focus away from traditional sports and incorporating more elements of personal fitness and individualized physical activity, said Brett Stark, the school system's secondary curriculum specialist for physical education.

"We are trying to make physical education more fitness- oriented," he said.

The trend, he said, may have come out as concerns about child obesity became more prominent in the last decade.

With their focus on the individual student, modern fitness video games fit right into that new mission, he said. That is why the school system is now exploring different possibilities for funding physical education technology.

In Frederick County, funding for games such as "Dance Dance Revolution" or "Wii Fit" does not come from the school system. The games are usually donated through community groups or PTAs to individual schools.

Currently, at least one middle and two elementary schools in the system are writing grants to obtain money for the games.

While Stark said that he doesn't envision video games to ever replace traditional physical education completely, he believes that in the future they may become common in gym classes as physical education continues to evolve.

"We are meeting the needs of the 21st century learners," he said. "The vision for the current physical education is to influence students, so they have appreciation for personal fitness for life."