Wii Fitness

I’ve never been a big fan of video games. In my experience, it’s something people give way too much time to that doesn’t give anything back. Then came Dance Dance Revolution, a game that compels players to get up off of the couch and move their bodies. DDR changed the way that people saw video games. Suddenly, video games were more than mindless entertainment. DDR actually burned calories. I wanted it! Come on. Who isn’t a little bit intrigued about a video game that actually helps you lose weight? Video game addicts were reporting weight loss of 30, 40, 50 pounds and more in a short period of time. That’s 50+ pounds from playing a video game!

All those people, myself included, who scoffed at video gaming were suddenly sitting up and taking notice. But that little voice in the back of my head kept telling me it was too good to be true. You lose weight by killing yourself in the gym and starving yourself. It was about sacrifice. Playing video games was not sacrifice. Was I wrong? Could video games actually help shed pounds? Exercise that was actually fun and effective? Impossible!

Then came Nintendo’s Wii system. Video games and weight loss were once again reunited when people playing the game Wii Sports realized that they were losing weight while they bowled and boxed and played tennis. Again, interactive gameplay was getting people off the couch and actually burning calories. Every news station was touting the health benefits of spending hours playing a video game. Wii consoles were flying off the shelves. It sounded like a fad. But it was a fad worth keeping my eye on. I still wanted one. But that little voice kept insisting that I ignore the hype and keep pedaling my stationary bike.

Then my husband walked in the door with a Wii console. I pretended to be indifferent. He was only interested in Mario Galaxy, but I was eyeing his Wii Sports. Then one day when he was at work, I slipped in the disc and began playing. Before I knew it an hour was gone, and I was sweating. Profusely. And the next day my arms were sore. Very sore.

So I went out and found all the games for Wii that actually get you moving. Now it’s possible to combine Wii Sports, DDR: Hottest Party and even little WarioWare Smooth Moves to make a cardio video game workout program. That is just wild. And Nintendo isn’t finished! Wii Fit is due to be released soon. This is a game that includes balance, cardio, strength training, and yoga to get people up and moving. I am now one of those people waiting anxiously for the latest greatest game to be released!

So is it a scam? Are we crazy to believe that we can lose weight by playing a video game? It seems so unlikely, but you can’t argue with results. Schools are implementing DDR into their physical education programs to inspire kids to get active and get healthy. Hospitals are using Wii Sports to help patients rehabilitate after injury. It’s hard to condemn something that is helping so many people, especially when we’re all having so much fun.

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