Working with Wii

Add comment August 1st, 2008

We did a three-part series on using the Nintendo Wii Fit for exercise this week and I was interested in an article published in the July/August issue of ACE Fitness Matters about a study to determine if the Wii Sports exercises are as good as the real thing.

No surprise. They aren’t, according to the article.

But, the study concluded, they do have some value.

Here’s a quote from the story, written by Mark Anders:

“For instance, playing 30 minutes of Wii Boxing burns 216 calories, which is 51 calories more than brisk walking, while a 30-minute Wii Tennis match burns a respectable 159 calories.

“Some people may also find that the natural competitiveness that comes with playing Wii against an opponent can help with their motivation and, thus, their ability to stick with a regular exercise regime. The convenience of exercising in one’s own living room may also improve exercise adherence.”

The article also says boxing was the exercise that burned the most calories and the only one the American College of Sports Medicine considered intense enough to maintain or improve cardiorespiratory endurance.

From what we saw in our reporting, Wii is one of those exercise tools that certainly doesn’t hurt.

The way I figure it,  anything that helps keep someone on their exercise track is a plus.

You can read the ACE Fitness Facts story at http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/studies/WiiStudy.pdf