The American Counsel on Exercise, collaborating with University of Wisconsin La Crosse, found what it deemed “underwhelming” results in testing the most pressing activities on Nintendo’s Wii Fit. For all the hype, the study found you burn more calories playing the flagship Wii Sports. The group analysed the 6 most challenging aerobic exercises included with the electronic game mat – Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advance Step, Super Hula Hoop and Rhythm boxing. The study found these activities “underwhelming” and their exercise intensity “milder than expected.”
In the games tested, ACE determined the similar real life activities had significantly higher rates of caloric expenditure. Especially pointed out when it came to the step workouts; players are stepping onto a 1 ½ inch board instead of the usual 3 or 4 inches associated with the typical step aerobic workout.
The peripheral’s Free Run and Island Run exercises burned the most calories, an average of 165 calories per half hour. This does not meet the requirements for minimum intensity, rather exercise that actually benefits you. Rhythm Boxing burned a mere third of the calories per minute as traditional boxing.
“While we found that playing the Wii Fit burns twice as many calories as a sedentary video game [sic], the outcome of the study suggests that Wii Sports…is a better option and more capable of helping consumers meet minimum intensity guidelines for exercise,” said Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D., ACE’s chief science officer.
Read the full report here
Only yesterday I was thinking to myself that the Wii was more of a keep feet machine than a games console, and then this comes along to totally destroy my internal musings. So what does this mean? Does this mean the Wii is actually a games console that’s been flogging its self to rotund fools who think they’re playing games AND getting fit?
Hope the new Mario doesn’t suddenly turn out to be “not as good as the reviews say”.