It's pretty well-known by now that the Nintendo Wii is a great solution to playing video games that actually provide a decent amount of physical exercise. Talk about a long time coming, since video games have generally encouraged sedentary activity for a very long time.

In an uplifting conclusion from Britain, kids there chose the combination of playing video games that included physical activity over sedentary video games or just getting in exercise alone.

If this is a trend that can continue for a while, video games may indeed become popular outlets for the physical activity of kids. If you ask me, that's exactly what it should be.

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The Nintendo Wii gaming system continues to impress me. Not only does the game system cost much less than the competition, it encourages physical motion and interactivity in such a way that the sedentary gamer image may have a chance of being shed in some part.

There are a few great games that I have seen that require a Wii player to get up and "swat balls" at a virtual tennis court or otherwise physically engage with a game in a way that encourages physical activity. In an age of junk food and hours in front of a television for many youngsters, this is a very welcome breath of fresh air.

One of the newer Nintendo Wii games excites me even more. The "WiiFit" arrangement can make that treadmill and exercise equipment that just won't fit in the confined living spaces many of us live in not needed. The image gallery over at Nintendo Wii Fanboy impressed me -- so much that I'll be checking it out soon in person. Talk about a very innovative way to get your exercise without the space requirements of larger machines. Way to go, Nintendo!

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It used to be that the only injury you risked sustaining playing video games was sore thumbs. But a doctor who recently woke up with a sore shoulder diagnosed himself and coined a new term: "Wiiitis." The Nintendo Wii has a new tennis game in which players simulate actual tennis moves. The difference is that, in Wii tennis, you don't have to run up and down a court, and the game can literally be played for hours. That can lead to a repetitive use injury in the shoulder.

Luckily, the injury doesn't seem to be severe and Dr. Julio Bonis -- the doctor who named the injury -- recommends ibuprofen for a week and a break from your video tennis habit.

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Although video games get a bad rap for causing kids to not participate in regular exercise -- save the newer Nintendo Wii system -- there are newer games that are apparently designed to boost players' mental health and self-esteem.

There is a new group of developers that have been inspired by the success of Nintendo's Brain Age title for the newer Nintendo Wii gaming system, which encouraging mental stimulation to put it mildly.

The result are game designs that get the ole' brainwaves working with math and word puzzles. First up is the title "DS Therapy" in Japan for Nintendo's handheld DS player.

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It's great to see that some video games actually encourage physical exertion and activity, unlike most games which are mentally active but physically passive. Games like "Dance Dance Revolution" and many of the sports-themed games available for the Nintendo Wii are fine and dandy insofar as encouraging physical activity.

Dance Dance Revolution is not a home console game -- it's a full-figured game meant for public use and West Virginia officials are thinking of having one in every state school. West Virginia leads the nation in underage obesity, so that makes sense.

I'm not a gamer, but I am an admirer of the Nintendo Wii gaming console that encourages active feedback and participation. What a novel concept.

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I found this to be not surprising, but actually very encouraging to those who think kids (and adults) are spending too much time in front of those TVs playing video games instead of getting involved in physical activity. After all, a sedentary lifestyle does nobody any good.

The newer Nintendo Wii gaming console is quite unique, in that it encourages physical exertion and activity as a way to interact with game elements. This is opposed to all the hundreds of dollars in add-ons to make just a few games worth any physical activity on other game consoles.

Want to play tennis? Box? Run? You can be playing certain games on the Nintendo Wii with the wireless, physical game controller and many games. And, this player actually lost more than 8 pounds playing games on the Nintendo Wii. Very impressive.

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