Nintendo’s Wii Fit and Wii Sport offer gamers a unique opportunity to fit in some good ol’ exercise, much in contrast to the days of simply reclining on the couch manipulating a controller while staring at a screen. Today, you’ll find video games, like Wii Fit, that allow people to perform fitness moves – running and boxing, to name a few – on a small white balance board that senses your movement when you stand on it.
And while it’s certainly good news that video gaming systems are encouraging people to exercise, are these game-version moves the real deal? Experts suggest not giving up on real exercise just yet.
A recent study from the American Council on Exercise found that Wii Fit exercise sessions were generally not strenuous enough to truly improve fitness, and that the real activity (actual running or boxing) burned many more calories than the game version. For this study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Exercise and Health Program tested the heart rates and oxygen uptakes of 16 men and women ages 20 to 24 as they performed activities in six aerobic Wii Fit exercise games: Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Super Hula Hoop, Advanced Step, and Rhythm Boxing. And while the Free Run and Island Run burned the most calories at about 165 calories each, even these running activities weren’t enough to count for any true endurance.
Does Wii Fit help to develop and improve your balance and flexibility? Yes. But does it burn calories? Not really, say researchers. And is it a good enough substitute for the real thing? No.
When another study tested the energy expended by 12 men and women as they played video games that ranged from yoga and bowling to golf and tennis, it found that only 14 of the 46 activities reached a level of moderate exercise equal to that of walking. And by no means did any of the game activities even reach a level of "vigorous exercise" that you can get from actual running, biking, or swimming.
Although Wii Sports (bowling, boxing, tennis) still doesn’t equal real exercise, it allows greater range of movement as opposed to just using the balance board. If you enjoy Wii Fit, focus on movement of your upper body – like, pumping your arms while you run. Or try adding small weights to your workout to help increase your calorie burn a bit.
While virtual games, like Wii Fit, Wii Sports, and Dance Dance Revolution, can help to turn around a couch potato and serve as an excellent exercise starting point, don’t expect them to be a replacement for real exercising.
