Grab your Wii and get a good workout

Q: My husband and I recently bought a Nintendo Wii for our children to encourage them to become more active. They enjoy dancing and would always beg us to stop in the video arcade to play this one dance game. We thought it would be a great idea to get the same dance game for the Wii system. Our children love it and want to play it for hours! Due to the weather, our children are forced to stay inside most of the winter, which causes them to get lazy and lethargic. Although they are moving and sweating and jumping around playing this video game, is this an acceptable form of exercise, or would they need to be more active?

A: Many people are finding the Nintendo Wii video game system to be more than just another computer game. Due to its interactive nature of moving not just your fingers, but in many cases your whole body, it can be a useful tool to help encourage children AND adults to get off the couch and get moving.

The Nintendo Wii and similar game systems have taken the concept of playing video games and added a more lifelike, being-part-of-the-game element through the use of hand control, and in the case of the dance game you bought for your children, the use of hand and foot control. This causes players to keep moving, but also requires hand/eye/foot coordination by mimicking what is on the video screen.

I have to admit to having a Nintendo Wii myself and playing one of the dance games designed for the system. I have to say … IT IS CHALLENGING and can definitely be considered a workout. It also is fun, which can keep the attention of children and adults and distract them from feeling they are “exercising.”

There are other games for the Wii system that can keep you moving as well. Wii Sports has tennis, boxing, bowling, golf and baseball games, all of which require you to move as if you were actually playing in the game. Other games for other sports and activities are also available, even games that are specially designed to promote workouts and exercise.

As with any type of exercise, a balanced workout is important for overall fitness and would ideally include at least five days a week of cardiovascular exercise and a few other days a week of strength and flexibility training. We also cannot forget about proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle habits.

The Nintendo Wii video game system can be a great and fun way to help keep your whole family moving. Until the weather improves, keep encouraging your children to dance their way to staying fit.