The Nintendo Wii was one of the first home gaming consoles to come out with titles that put more of an emphasis on physical fitness. Instead of using a controller to sit on the couch and participate in game play, many of the titles require you engage in exercise to complete the activities. Fitness titles for the Wii include "Wii Fit," "Wii Sports" and "EA Sports Active Personal Trainer."
Wii Fit
A 2009 study at the University of Wisconsin tested the effectiveness of the exercises included in "Wii Fit." The exercises with the highest level of energy expenditure were Island Run, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop and Rhythm Boxing. For each minute of exercise, you burn 5.5 calories with Island Run, 3.8 calories for Rhythm Boxing, 3.7 calories with Super Hula Hoop and 3.6 calories for Advanced Step.
Wii Sports
In 2008 the University of Wisconsin research team tested the benefits of "Wii Sports." The American Council on Exercise sponsored the study and found that calorie burn was increased when participating in all of the exercises on the game. The highest calorie burners were Boxing, Tennis and Baseball. During Boxing, you burn 10.2 calories per minute of sparring. For Tennis, 8.1 calories are burned per minute. When pitching during the Baseball exercise, 7.3 calories per minute are burned.
EA Sports Active Personal Trainer
The upper body exercises included on the "EA Sports Active Personal Trainer" was rated well by personal trainer Joel Hornsby featured in "PC World" magazine. The game includes resistance bands to make exercises more challenging. Each workout is 20 minutes and was developed by well-known trainer Bob Greene.
Considerations
Although the exercises on the Wii can help you get in shape, you may want to consider still including traditional cardio and strength training workouts in your routine. According to the American Council on Exercise, the "Wii Fit" and "Wii Sports" are very mild forms of exercise. Actual sports, running, step aerobics and boxing will burn more calories than simulated versions. However, the Wii is effective if you are now mostly sedentary.
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