Not yet, at least. We hear so much about how the Nintendo Wii’s wand wiggling could benefit a player’s physical fitness, but a new study says that it may not benefit us as much as we originally thought.
Dalhousie University student Justin White decided to test the Wii’s fitness ability against other activities, and he found that it might not be the best choice for cardiovascular exercise.
Thirty minutes of Wii Sports‘ boxing was compared to 30 minutes of walking and a 30-minute session of a boxercise video. Several students were tested, and heart rates were monitored.
While Wii boxing did more for the cardiovascular system than walking, it couldn’t match the boxercise session. They advise looking past the Wii for a good workout, though they did say that the Wii could be a good starting point for those looking to lose weight.
Surely the upcoming Wii Fit (updated boxing in the above video) will provide more in terms of a good cardio workout. Unfortunately, the only way I’ll play Wii Fit is if the balance board is modified to be able to control something like a strategy RPG. Wouldn’t that be great?
Do you think the typical Wii game provides any real health benefit?
[Via M&C — Thanks, JR]
