That's Fit

At That's Fit, we've written about Wii Fit several times. But there's another alternative to video gaming exercise that will work with almost any console system. Gamercize is plug and play equipment that will get you fit while you enjoy your favorite video games.

Your Gamercize equipment includes a small device that plugs in to your existing gaming console. You'll be able to set the intensity of your workout here. Then, you can choose from either a power stepper or an endurance cycle. Then plug in your favorite game and start exercising. With the Gamercize modification, your video game controller will stop working when you're not exercising. So in order to play, you've got to work.

I haven't tried the system and, frankly, I question whether I'm coordinated enough to do it. Besides, I'm just not much of a video game fan. But it does seem like playing a fitness game over and over could get a bit boring. With Gamercize, your video game choices are limitless.

"How am I going to survive without TV and the Wii?" proclaimed our friend's young son as we began a short camping trip with four other families and their kids aged eight through one year this past Sunday. Not only did he survive two nights sleeping in a tent, he thrived.

Most of the time I saw him perched in a tree ... or fishing ... or clambering ahead on a 2.5-mile/1,000 ft in elevation gain hike. My favorite part of this entire multi-family camping trip was quietly observing the kids getting filthy, swimming in the lake, catching baby frogs, scrambling billy goat-style up and down a tough trail and then digging deep near the hike's end even as their legs felt like jelly. How often do kids' legs feel that tired these days?

When we returned to camp for dinner, the kids didn't have a couch to climb upon or a remote to click. Instead they headed to the trees, the tents for imaginary play, the 'secret trail' for a new adventure. If you have the opportunity to go camping this summer, do. If not, unplug your children and head outside your front door. Check out Jennifer Ward's new book, I Love Dirt!: 52 Activities to Help You & Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature.

Parents need a plan when pulling that plug.

Find a way to incorporate fitness into your hobbies.

Wii pole dancing might be coming to a living room near you. But, don't worry ... dollar bills aren't necessary.

Peekaboo Pole Dancing is looking for a partner to license a pole dancing game for the Wii video game system. Peekaboo has previously marketed other pole dancing programs for fun, health, and out-of-the-ordinary fitness -- they're the creators of Electra-pole, Carmen Electra's pole dancing kit.

Pole dancing for fitness is nothing new. Some fitness centers have offered classes for years. The moves require plenty of strength and muscle control. But enthusiasts say that the benefits go beyond the strength and cardiovascular gains. The classes take you out of your comfort zone and help you to become more confident with your body and your sensuality.

I finally had a chance to use a Wii. After getting over some initial embarrassment, I had an awful lot of fun! I tried the tennis game and, sadly enough, I'm as bad at virtual tennis as I am on an actual tennis court. While the Wii was certainly more active than playing any other video game system, it wasn't nearly the same type of exercise as a real sport.

Both Bev and Bethany have written about the exercise potential in the interactive gaming system before. And, compared to sitting like a lump playing regular video games, the Wii is a great thing. But it doesn't take the place of real exercise. The active games are a great alternative to regular video games. Also, many of the games aren't violence based -- as a parent, I know I appreciate that. They also offer hand-eye coordination benefits. And, for kids (or adults) who aren't active at all, the games may be a stepping stone for developing interest in real sports.

So the Wii isn't a bad thing at all. But don't count time spent playing interactive video games as exercise time. It's just not the same as the real thing. The CDC recommends that kids be physically active for at least an hour every day. So put away the video tennis, grab a racquet, and play a game of REAL tennis with your kids.

Looking for ways to motivate your kids to exercise this winter? The ever-popular Nintendo Wii will soon release Wii Fit. Just like Wii games are played on your feet, simulating the movements you'd use in a real sport, Wii Fit aims to get players hearts racing.

The program records your height and weight and gives each participant their BMI. Then it takes players through different physical activities, including skiing, hula hooping, balancing, push-ups, etc. Players can get immediate feedback from their Wii personal trainer and keep track of their progress.

Just like the Wii, Wii Fit isn't exactly like a real workout. But it is physical and for reluctant exercisers it may just bring enough novelty to the workout to make it fun.

X-Box, Playstation, Wii, Game Cube -- oh yeah, and let's not forget the internet. Throw in some standard television programs and cartoons, and before you know it, every waking hour of a kid's day is spent doing something that involves zero physical activity.

Some may argue that the Nintendo Wii system, which requires you to move in a manner that dictates the movement of the character on the screen (for example, if you are playing a tennis game, you have to "swing" the game controller), does involve physical exertion. But let's face it, it's still a poor excuse for exercise. Obesity rates continue to climb in youth and adolescents, and now research points to the fact that high blood pressure may also be on the rise -- all due to spending too much time engaged in sedentary activities.

It's not hard to see how some people would identify the physical therapy initials "PT" as "pain and torture." Trying to recover after a surgery or broken bones can be very unpleasant. Having gone through a few sessions myself, rehab is boring too! If only Nintendo had released their Wii gaming platform back when I could have used it for rehabilitation.

Does using a video game for therapeutic purposes sound strange? To some people it might, but to others it's a way to get outside the box and have fun while staying healthy. Many of the movements that the Wii gaming system require players to do are similar in nature to those demanded by physical therapists. But instead of a rote boring routine, this is actually fun.

The great thing is that this loosens up limbs and gets people active without them really being aware. Sure, they obviously know that they're exerting energy, but by playing the Wii they are avoiding having to painfully stretch, lift and pivot that much more. Even though Nintendo's console is a supplemental rehab device used in this particular setting, it could also be a great way to bring the therapy home -- especially if the costs of traditional PT start to stack up!

There are several video games out there that involve actual human movement in order to activate the players who appear on the screen. Nintendo's Wii system is a gaming phenomenon, especially with its tennis and golf games (both requiring the player to hold onto the joystick controller and swing it like a real racket or golf club). Video games are becoming virtual sports, making this once sedentary activity a bit more physical. In fact, researchers from West Virginia University not that long ago found that one video game in particular is actually helping kids improve their heart health and fitness levels.

The game is called "Dance Dance Revolution," and yes, if you've ever stepped foot inside a Dave & Buster's (basically, it's a Chuck 'e Cheese's for adults, with wall-to-wall video games and cocktail-serving barmaids), this is the game where people bounce around a light-up dance floor and make utter fools of themselves. Fortunately, there's a home version, so you can still reap the calorie-burning and heart-pumping benefits of dancing around like a crazy person, only you can save yourself the public embarrassment. More or less, it's the perfect thing for self-conscious kids who may want to lose weight, but aren't really comfortable enough to exercise with friends (or for the adult who simply wants a new, fun way to exercise).

Anyone who thought video games were a waste of time have probably been surprised about Nintendo's latest and greatest, the Wii. It gets people active by using their arms and motions to simulate sports such as tennis, baseball, even bowling. But it doesn't stop there! A new useful application is emerging: surgical training.

Resident surgeons were found to perform better on simulated operations after playing a bit of Wii than those who opted out of the fun. How much better? They scored nearly 50 percent higher on tool control and performance.

Of course, not all games are going to improve coordination. Games that require subtle movements and precision are obviously better than those that require you to swing a bat. But this approach could be a very valuable medical training tool for countries which can't afford higher-end solutions. They are developing special software for the console, which costs only $250, that could hone surgical skills even more. Imagine bringing home your own copy of "Surgery 101" in the future!

I don' t know much about Nintendo Wii, but I hear it's quite fun -- and pretty addicting too, which might not be a bad thing for kids and adults who need a little physical activity in their lives.

Wii, Nintendo's fifth home video game consule made popular by its wireless controller is all about gaming -- Super Mario Galaxy, Jenga, and The Golden Compass are three available games. It's also all about exercising, so much so that some health clubs are offering a new form of workout for those tired of traditional fitness activities. Wii workout stations allow clients to circuit train by punching, running, and jumping, thanks to the ease of the system's movement-sensitive controller.

Watching kids sweat in their living rooms while working the Wii is what prompted one health club owner to bring video games into the fitness environment.

"We're always trying to break down paradigms and keep things fresh," says Nathan Mellalieu, owner of Canada's Studeo 55. "It's used here to break up the monotony of traditional workouts."

Mellalieu estimates one session of Wii boxing, tennis, or bowling equals a brisk walk and can burn between 75 and 125 calories.

Wii professionals may not have been planning for an appearance on the fitness scene but now that they've arrived, they plan to stick around. They are currently developing Wii Fit, a 2008 video game with an array of activities, from yoga to aerobics.

Stay tuned for more Wii wonders.

Are you giving your child (or your spouse or yourself) a Wii for Christmas in hopes that they'll get more physical activity in their day? Though Wii has been touted as the "active" video game that gets gamers up and off the couch, it's no replacement for real sports, says a recent study.

Wii users burn about 60 more calories per hour than those playing a sedentary video game, but that's nothing compared to what they would burn if they were out playing real-life games. Video games have their place, say experts, but kids and teens (and grown-ups) need more exercise than they can get in front of a TV screen.

What do you think -- do you work up a sweat when using a Wii?

More and more I continue to hear about how good the Nintendo Wii is for everyone, from the elderly to youngsters used to sedentary games with other gaming systems.

But when a gaming system can help those disabled by a stroke, that's where curiosity ends and fascination starts. Stroke victims are reportedly using those motion-sensing controllers supplied with the Wii to mimic real-world actions in order to get that sense of balance back (among other things).

Who would have ever thought that playing virtual tennis would help stroke victims to help them physically rehabilitate themselves? And the uses for the Wii continue to impress.

After reading and writing many times about the Nintendo Wii in recent months, I concluded an awful lot of research this past weekend by finally buying one instead of 'borrowing Wii time' from people I knew. The first night was spent with the kids in front of the television set sweating our way to some exercise using the included Wii Sports game. I was instantly hooked, and I am not a gamer.

The Wii game system has surpassed sales of the Microsoft Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 not on virtue of cutting-edge features and graphics, but on the interactiveness of the games and the sheer fun the Wii provides.

Well, how about using it in your exercise routine? Many are already doing this, and it makes a great addition to an existing weight loss plan or exercise plan (or both). It's odd that a game system can produce excellent exercise as a result of playing, but that is just what the Wii does. I can't wait for Winter so those outside days spent exercising inside can be enjoyed by some cool tennis games.

A gym in Vancouver is being credited as the first gym in North America to officially incorporate the Nintendo Wii into its physical fitness offerings. Set up as a workout station in a 400 sq ft room with a projection TV, club members are encouraged to use the game console for everything from warm-ups and cool-downs to entire workouts. One session of boxing, tennis, or bowling on the Wii is thought to be equal to a brisk walk and burns 75-125 calories, so depending on what you're looking for it can definitely be a fun part of an overall fitness plan. Sounds more interesting than the treadmill to me!

Via Wii fanboy