Exercise by Playing Video Games???

With so many diets and exercise programs out there today, not many of them come with an entertainment factor, let alone getting exercise by playing video games. The Nintendo Wii has become a widely used gaming console known for making the participants get up and act out the desired motions. I have seen Wii gamers of all ages; children as young as first grade all the way up to my 80+ year old grand parents playing games on the Wii. Nintendo plans to release “Wii Fit,”to make exercising fun and possible from the comfort of your own home.

“If Nintendo has their way your living room could be the new big thing in exercise. Personal trainer Robert Dothard said the focus on balance in "Wii Fit" is what makes the workout great. With its new game "Wii Fit" hitting stores Monday, Nintendo is looking to bring exercise into the home, making people more aware of their bodies and starting to create a comfortable, fun environment to get healthy. Personal trainer and fitness expert Robert Dothard said making exercise available and enjoyable in your home means reaching an audience of people who often feel embarrassed walking in to a traditional gym. "I had a real difficult time training people in front of what I called 'God and everybody' -- with the whole gym looking," he said. "If someone is not in good shape you know and they are in the public gym and they're not performing well it's an uncomfortable feeling." "Wii Fit" which retails for $90, comes with the game and a "balance board" which is used to calculate your Body Mass Index, weight and measure shifts in your balance at the beginning of each session. Users then choose different workouts from the categories of strength training, aerobics, yoga and balance. Each area features different short workouts ranging from a minute to upwards of 10 minutes including push-ups and side planks, skiing, jogging and seeing how many times you can spin Hula Hoops.”

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