First there was Dance Dance Revolution. Then came the Nintendo Wii and the Xbox Kinect.
The amount of video games designed towards physical activity has never been more popular, and with their emergence, a modern style of exercise has taken shape.
The Nintendo Wii features a wide array of different exercises that users can perform.
The games include, but are not limited to Zumba, hula hooping, cycling, strength training, yoga and many more.
One of the more wildly popular exercise games for the Wii is called “My Fitness Coach.”
The game combines exercise and nutrition, featuring up to 80 different personalized exercises and 130 healthy recipe tips based on the information the user inputs into their profile.
The game even charts progress while users continue to play.
But can a video game really be considered exercise?
Keene State College Physical Education Professor Jeffrey Timmer said his concerns were with the length and intensity of the exercises in the games.
“We have a Wii at home. My sons are classic, they sit on the couch and play football, or play tennis and just flick their wrist.
It’s all about what you put into it, how intense and how full-body you’re going to make it.” Timmer said.
He continued, “You know, physical activity is physical activity. I could slow walk outside, or I could put fifty percent effort into the game, or I could put seventy-five percent effort into the game, and I could go for a run outside.”
While certain games for the Wii require a hand-held controller, others use a balance board to measure the player’s impact.
For the Xbox Kinect, neither is required as the player’s body movements are picked up by a sensor, allowing for more complete, free movement.
Using technology to the greatest benefit is something society has always done well, so in an era where obesity is a major concern, these games have the potential to be a major step towards becoming a much healthier nation.
In an article on the topic by WebMD, Chief Science Officer of the American Council on Exercise, Cedric X. Bryant said, “It’s a nice idea to take advantage of technology that’s typically associated with sedentary behavior and use it with some of the gaming aspects, particularly for young people.”
Exercise Science major Adam Foster echoed that idea and said, “Wii exercise games can bring a more modified form of exercise to a person.”
In fact, many of these consoles are now doing what would have been considered impossible ten years ago, which is finding their way into classrooms.
“We’ve taught it. The teacher certification option, they teach how to use it to try to implement some activity into classrooms with it,” Timmer said.
“We want our students to be prepared when they leave here, so we’re trying to incorporate those technology pieces into their training, so to speak,” he continued.
“I don’t think it’s overtaking anything, but it’s another opportunity for people to by physically active.”
So what do college kids think of all this?
Senior Ted Violette said, “I’ve played the original one with tennis, boxing, and bowling, stuff like that, but I wouldn’t consider it exercise.
If I wanted to workout, I would just do it outside.”
The jury may still be out on these games, but just getting people up off their couch and on their feet is a potential step in the right direction.
“We want as many people to be active as possible. If that means playing a Wii game, great, because in our country, there’s just so many people who are completely sedentary,” Timmer said.
Jay McAree can be contacted at Jayson.McAree@ksc.keene.edu