Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Can Wii Fit get you fit?

I just read the review of a study on the effects of using Wii Fit. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) did a study on 16 volunteers (20-24 years of age) and measured how much energy they used while playing. The results showed that the two most active games that they tested burned about 5.5 calories per minute, more or less. This isn't really too many when you consider that "passionate kissing" can burn nearly 6.5 calories per minute. However, the researchers were quick to point out that if you were to do the same Wii Fit activity but in real time (as in go outside for a run or take a step-aerobics class instead of doing it on the board) you could burn nearly twice as many calories...per minute anyway.

So here's what I'm thinking about this. A large percentage of Americans are overweight. A large percentage of Americans were (or are) overweight as children and never learned that activity could be fun or rewarding. I think alot of people think that exercise is uncomfortable because you get hot, sweaty, maybe even sore. If you're unaccustomed to these natural physical reactions to exertion I can understand that they may seem unpleasant! Whereas if you ran around the yard or park like a maniac when you were little until the sun went down, you may be more inclined to enjoy doing the things that make you sweaty!

For those who don't think that exercise is that fun, Wii fit is a great idea! I hope it catches on like a "gateway" drug; people starting with Wii Fit and moving on to long hikes and gym classes!
While Wii Fit may not be able to get fit people fitter, if it can drum up INTEREST in physical activity then go forth Wii Fit!

And to cover all bases here, Wii Sports was mentioned in the conclusive article also. While they didn't get the stats, the researchers recommend playing Wii Sports if you want more of a calorie burn (this is an assumption based on the fact that there is an observed increase in movement without the confines of the WiiFit board). I recommend playing it with others for even more calorie burn! Anyone who has played tennis or boxing with friends can attest to this. I'd be willing to say that there's a good number of us out there that have woken up sore the next day from Wii Tennis, Boxing, or even Bowling. I'm not sure you can get stronger this way. But I'd love to see people saying, "hey, this boxing/tennis thing is fun...I think I'll try it for real."

yeah. That's what I'm hoping for.
You can read the article here: http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/default.aspx

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