Can a Video Game Improve Your Health?

Can a video game help you look and feel better? The people at Nintendo think so. Eighteen months ago, Nintendo released a new game console unlike any other - the Wii. Unlike other gaming systems, the Wii requires users to move as if they were running, jumping, or doing whatever else is going on within the game. Popularity of the Wii has exploded, revolutionizing how people think about video games. After selling over 25 million consoles worldwide, the Wii wants to be more than family-fun entertainment. Nintendo wants you to use it as part of your workout regimen, too.

The newest gaming experience, Wii Fit, hit Britain last month, becoming one of the fastest-selling games in the U.K. ever. Wii Fit is coming to the North America on May 21st, and is projected to become popular with home-fitness enthusiasts, people who are too busy to make it to a gym, and people (like me) who lack the motivation to go to the gym. When the game was first unveiled at a 2006 conference, it was described as "a way to help families exercise together".

The Wii Fit system is said to cost about $90. Of course, you'll also need the basic Wii console ($250). But for that price, you'll be able to do a range of aerobic exercises, muscle workouts, yoga poses, and balance games. The Wii Fit system itself consists of a balance board, which measures the body's center of balance, body mass index (BMI), and body control. Additionally, the system keeps track of your daily progress and compares it against your previous results, as well as those of your family.

Although Nintendo has not said outright that Wii Fit will dramatically change your body or help you lose a ton of weight, the aim is to get people to do more than just think about health and fitness. I don't have a Wii, so I am relying on the reports of others who've tested this system. Many of the stories I've read were of people who were doubtful that the Wii Fit would even make them break a sweat – but they were wrong.

If you're a regular at the gym, you probably don't need, and not even want Wii Fit. On the other hand, if you want to workout but lack the motivation to do so, then perhaps Wii Fit is a good alternative for you. Personally, if I had a Wii, I would probably check this out. I don't own one, however, so anyone tests out Wii Fit – please let me know!

Resources:
http://www.nintendo.com/wiifit/en/#/home/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/fashion/15fitness.html?pagewanted=1&ref=health

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23696876-5012602,00.html

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1779642,00.html