Video Games

The last video game system I owned was a Nintendo 64. Needless to say things have come a long way since NHL '99 and James Bond's Golden Eye. Video gaming has hit an almost scary level of virtual reality and has tapped into just about every realm of life - including fitness.

Fitness video games are a fascinating paradox - the very thing that is contributing towards keeping children and adults alike sedentary is scratching for an opportunity to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

The latest incarnation of this phenomenon is Ubisoft's "Your Shape" - a concept that could change the face of fitness-based video gaming - and perhaps gaming in general. I had a chance to try this one out and here's a bit about it...

Roughly a year after the release of the WiiFit, Nintendo's new offering hopes to improve on the previous incarnation of fitness video games.

Here are some of the features of the new EA Sports Active game.

There continues to be a trend towards the convergence of 2 activities once considered diametrically opposed to one another: Playing video games and playing sports. Since the inception of the Nintendo Wii and more recently Wii Fit, much has been speculated as to how effective it is and more specifically how well it translates to the actual sport in which it simulates.

The guesswork is officially over, with The American Council on Exercise releasing a study that compared the two. Here are the results...

Wii-Fit is looking to get YOU fit! Nintendo's latest offering will combine a motion-sensing controller with an interactive balance board to create workouts. Available since December 1st in Japan, Wii fit is set for a North American launch in mid-May. Here's the concept:

Coca-cola CEO Neville Isdell wants to "get the target off our [coca-cola's] backs". The target he is talking about is the association between obesity and sugary beverages. He feels Coca-cola is unfairly targeted.

Get ready to watch how an enormous company will throw millions of dollars into marketing spin. The goal is to make you think that all their drinks are "healthy".

There's been a lot of talk about how new video games systems - such as the Nintendo Wii - can increase energy expenditure.

A professor at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK has undertaken research and concluded that using the Wii console (rather than traditional gaming consoles) can translate to a potential 1,830 calories burned per week (from BBC news).

On the list of exercise ideas - I have listed "video games with movement". It may seem improbable to link video games with exercise and even weight loss, but a gaming blogger has done a comprehensive experiment using the new Nintendo Wii.

When it comes to video games - you get the good, the bad, the ugly... and just plain weird. According to Wired, Maiden Love Revolution is a PS2 best seller in Japan. It's a "diet sim" - a former supermodel gets fat, and you help her get thin again so that she can find a date. This ain't no Dance Dance Revolution - the only thing you exercise are your button-pushing fingers.

GetUpMove.com: "This is Tanya Jessen's story of how she lost 95lbs, not through conventional diet and exercise but by playing the video game, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). Tanya started playing DDR 4 years ago when she was 17 and enjoyed it so much that it became a regular activity. Through sharing her weight loss story, Tanya hopes to tell people that losing weight can be easy and fun by choosing an activity that fits in with your lifestyle. Tanya is working with RedOctane to educate Americans about a fun new way to lose weight while using an Ignition(tm) Dance Pad."