Wii Exercise

My younger sister is a personal trainer, who manages a gym in Manhattan. She’s not a gamer. She got an e-mail at work from the managing editor of PFP (Personal Fitness Professional) Magazine asking about Wii Exercise and what she thought. She forwarded it to me, my other sister, and my parents, asking what we thought. It had a link to the following article:

Are Wii Workouts Real Workouts?
Posted on: 3.3.2008 10:07:24 AM Posted by John E. Thompson

The Nintendo Wii system also offers an easy-to-use, versatile system to perform some sport-based and aerobic workouts as well as a Dance Dance Revolution dancing simulator. With such games as bowling, tennis, golf, boxing and those that require quick-draw coordination (like Raving Rabbits and Wario Ware Smooth Moves), in which one must perform a specific move in a matter of milliseconds, what’s not to love about such innovations? It’s getting everybody off the floor to work with their arms — but is it presenting a real workout and promoting a healthy lifestyle for today’s youth (or everyone in general)? Or is it giving people a false sense of exercise?

Some people even opened up a video game gym for kids, replacing treadmills and other workout machines!

What do you think about the fitness video game wave?

Here is my reply to her e-mail:

I certainly don’t think Wii workouts are real workouts. (DDR, on the other hand, is cardiovascular exercise, provided you play consistently for at least 20 minutes.) They are, however, more active than just sitting on the couch. This in itself is a step forward. Wii Fit is coming out in the US in May, I think. This “game” includes actual workout activities, including jogging, strength training, and yoga. Kind of like “Yourself, Fitness.” Nintendo makes no promises that you will lose weight or become physically fit. It does promise that you’ll have fun playing with your family, though. And this can promote other activities that families can participate in like going on a hike or something. Everything is what you make of it. Some people have actually lost weight playing Wii. I’m guessing that they’re the freaky dedicated ones. I’ve already got my Wii Fit on pre-order. I’m not getting it to lose weight, but I’m hoping that regular physical activity will help me take a step toward being a healthier individual. I don’t smoke, almost never drink, and I eat okay. I just need to get some regular exercise and I’ll be set. Wii Fit, disguised as a game, is enough to make me think I’m not really exercising. Same with DDR. I need to buy a new dance pad. Ours are dying. Once I do, I’ll play that regularly, too.

It’s interesting to read the comments on the original blog post. If you have a minute, check them out. What I think is important to note about this is that the fitness community is beginning to acknowledge the Wii and its relationship with exercise. I figure that they can use the Wii to encourage people to do REAL exercise. That would be a good thing all around.