I'm not out to rain on anyone's parade, but all of that arm flailing in front of your Nintendo Wii may not be helping your physical fitness as much as you'd like to think it is.
A study called "Energy expenditure in adolescents playing new generation computer games" says that while movement of these games can burn calories, the amount they burn is not enough to matter.
This type of active gaming "equates to an increase in energy expenditure of 250 kJ (60 kcal) an hour during active gaming compared with sedentary gaming. In a typical week … active gaming rather than passive gaming would increase total energy expenditure by less than 2%," they wrote. "Although this figure is trivial, it might contribute to weight management."
It should come as no surprise that gamers will see more health and fitness benefits from the real life versions of the games simulated in Wii Sports. According to this study, the Wii versions are "not of high enough intensity to contribute towards the recommended daily amount of exercise in children."
In other words, those Wii weight loss success stories probably involve other positive health and fitness changes. In other words, you're keeping those holiday pounds unless you head outside.
We'll have to see how Wii Fit changes things in the future.
[Via Ars Technica]
Dale North is Destructoid's Editor-In-Chief, a founding editor, and specialist in Japanese gaming. An accomplished musician, Dale was reporting from Japan during the earthquakes of 2011. Luckily, he got the fuck out alive and is home in America now with his wife and beloved corgi, Einstein. Dale is also a co-founder of Destructoid's sister anime site
Japanator. Likes Corgis, Sega Saturn, PSP, iPhone, Photographic tools.
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Contest:
9:24 AM on 12.26.2007
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Unless Im doing pushups while watching scrubs, then Im in my happy place.
It's more physical exertion than if they hadn't had that. It's not a bad thing. It's just people looking for spin where there isn't any. It's more physical activity than if they'd done nothing at all but sit infront of the TV clutching a controller, which is more than a lot of people do right now.
As for me, the first time I did any real physical training was for Frosh football. Then I joined a real sport. There has to have been an easier way.
Yay fatties! Also Dr. Cox
But seriously, anything that can get people off their buts is a good thing
:[
Going from sitting at your couch or desk, day in and out, to getting up and raising your heart rate every day for 30+ mins. with games, has got to be good. You may not do an ironman afterwards, but at least it's _something_.
A question my uncle asked me after my grandfather died, he was pretty big and died in his mid 60s, was..."How many obese people do you see in their 60's, 70's, 80's?" The answer I said was not many, good indicator of how long you can expect to live if you are obese.
I wonder if, I like 1 hour of Wii Tennis and 2 of Wii Boxing (or something like that) could make up for that hour of regular exercise.
Oh, and they also didn't mention drums on Rock Band, I think I get more tired playing that than DDR.
Then again, I'm incredibly lazy and out of shape, and I'm still very skinny and nowhere near overweight. I obviously don't need the exercise.
Then again, I'm incredibly lazy and out of shape, and I'm still very skinny and nowhere near overweight. I obviously don't need the exercise.
Am I the only one who smacks his head at stuff like this and Second Life (Although, in Second Life you can screw with the laws of physics, so it's semi-justified.).