Lucille WoodBest Console Games to Get You Fit
Exergaming is the current video-games craze which combines the input and output devices of a video-game console and the physical exertion of exercise. PlayStation3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii game consoles provide innovative entertainment for the health conscious gaming enthusiast, the exergamer.
PlayStation 3
Bodypad
Bodypad is a set of control pads strapped to the arms and legs of the exergamer. Instead of pressing buttons, the pads controls the fighting moves of the avatars in the action-packed games like Tekken.
Dance, Dance, Revolution
DDR has the action of the hottest dance club with lights and pumped up mixes and you are the star of the dance floor. You’re the coolest thing since John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever because you’re losing pounds while making hot moves.
Nintendo Wii
Deca Sports is a series of ten games of progressive difficulty. Exergamers enjoy the spirit of competition and the benefits of exercise while playing Badminton, Curling, Figure Skating, Kart Racing, Snowboarding, and Motocross.
Active Life – Outdoor Challenge
Active Life is a combination of software, Life Mat, and various Wii Controls which gives you the experiences and benefits of cross-country running and jumping without leaving your game room.
Wii Sports and Wii Fit
Wii Fit and Wii Sports has a floor pad to convey movements and tracks the exergamers weight, body mass index, and exercise regimen to create a personal Sports uses a motion censor to make tennis and boxing as real as it can be, including aches and pains from overexertion.
Exergaming with Wii Fit takes off the pounds with less aggressive activities then Wii Sports with strength training, Yoga, aerobics, and balance games.
Jillian Michael’s Fitness Ultimatum 2009
Jillian Michael of the Biggest Loser franchise helps exergamers sweat off pounds with this fitness program.
All Star Cheer Squad
Wave your pom poms and shake your booty, plus work on balance and poise, for an all-around workout. This exergame fulfills the fantasy of being a cheerleader without the drama of teenage angst.
Xbox 360
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and Motion Sports in conjunction with the Xbox 360 Kinect peripheral allows the exergamer a hands-free motion-sensing game controller. Kinect works using a camera mounted on the television which tracks body movements. Your Shape has various levels for target fitness such as upper body strengthening, cardio rate, and toning abs.
The Biggest Loser has the benefit of a personal trainer, lifestyle modification, nutritional counseling, without the humiliation of national exposure.
