Are you game? Get fit the fun way!

It started in 1998 when players worked up a sweat on Dance Dance Revolution, a popular arcade game that gave players musical and visual cues to move their feet on an electronic platform. Families and school systems purchased the affordable game because it got sedentary kids moving and losing excess weight.

<<Judi Cooper of Xtreme Fun and Fitness in Fishers demonstrates an electronic exercise game.

Since then, the EyeToy: Kinetic for PlayStation and the now-ubiquitous Nintendo Wii have brought Exergaming into the reach of a wide audience. Using the Wii’s wireless remotes, even the most dedicated couch potatoes can swing a racket or baseball bat and see their skills improve over time. Wii’s latest entrant in the Exergame market — the Wii Fit disc and balance board — assesses weight and body mass index; coaches players through the correct form for yoga, aerobics, strength training and stretching and tracks individual progress, adding a motivational dimension to Exergaming. Wii Fit also includes games such as traditional calisthenics, slalom skiing and dance.

Real vs. simulated
While not as strenuous as actually playing the sport, some Wii games burn a respectable number of calories: 15 minutes of Wii boxing or 25 minutes of Wii tennis (on your feet, moving your whole body) burns more than 100 calories.

Exergamers can achieve the same cardiovascular benefits with state-of-the-art Exergaming equipment than they would with traditional gym equipment. But they get those results faster because they’re having fun, which motivates them to stick with the program. In fact, many professional sports teams use equipment such as the eXerbike, a bike that simulates races on a variety of courses and the Makoto, a system that promotes quickness and conditioning.

A fun way to shape up
Lori Walton, RN, of St. Vincent’s L.I.F.E. for Kids program, said Wii sports are beneficial especially for children who aren’t physically active or who don’t perform well at games. “These video games have been helpful in improving children’s activity and weight management,” she said. “Kids love coming to the gym to play these games without the pressure of competitive team sports. They also appreciate the ‘coolness’ aspect of electronic games.”

Judi Cooper, manager and personal trainer at Xtreme Fun and Fitness, a Fishers facility with a variety of traditional and Exergaming equipment, agreed with Walton. “We see the results, not only around the waist, but in more positive attitudes,” she said. “Children especially become more confident and more secure as they become more active and see that they can do something for themselves.”

Not just for kids
Another benefit, Walton said, is that Exergames get whole families moving as adults participate and become active role models for their children. At Xtreme Fun and Fitness, families and even retirement communities are taking advantage of the appeal of “Exertainment.”

“We went from being open for kids to being open to everyone,” Cooper said “Adults who brought in their children for birthday parties became members because they enjoyed the equipment as well.”