People who prefer to stay in the warmth and comfort of their homes rather than going out to exercise in gym halls or parks now have an avenue to reap the benefits of exercise right in their living rooms. According to researcher reports which have recently come out, the so called brand of exercise video games, made famous by Nintendo Wii, does result in the expenditure of large amounts of energy, often surpassing the exercise benefits achieved after an hour walk on a treadmill at three miles per hour.
A researcher from Provo’s Brigham Young University, Bruce W. Baily along with Kylie McInnis from the University of Massachusetts conducted a study on the effects the six different forms of “exer-gaming”, which are basically active forms of interactive video games which involve movement of participants, on 39 boys and girls studying in middle school. They studied the expenditure of energy which occurred when these children played for 10 minute periods which were followed by 5 minute intervals of resting. The results showed that the task value of an hour long walk at three miles an hour was valued at 4.9, Wii boxing achieved 4.2, Dance Dance Revolution got a 5.4, Cybex Trazer Goalie Wars came in at 5.9 and Sportwall topped the energy ratings at 7.1.
There was also a difference in the responses of the children who were considered to be at risk (with BMI at 85th percentile and above) as they reported the highest enjoyment levels when they played these games. It was also confirmed by these researchers that the intensity levels of all the six exergaming options are consistent with the recommendations for physical activity for children. This is seen as a solid evidence for companies such as Wii who actively promote such exergaming titles to now base their offerings with better credentials.
