Can Wii get you fit? That was the question posed in a study performed by the American Council on Exercise, an industry watchdog committed to protecting consumers against unsafe and ineffective health and fitness products, programs and trends.
Wii, developed by Nintendo, is an interactive video game played with a handheld remote that requires the participant to mimic the action of the game while holding onto the remote. Other games, that focus on balance and strength, are performed using a small white balance board that looks similar to a household body-weight scale.
To test the effectiveness of the widely popular Wii Fit, the researchers recruited males and females, ages 20 to 24 years. Prior to beginning the study, each volunteer was given a maximal exercise test on a treadmill while oxygen consumption and heart rate were constantly monitored. Next, they surveyed each subject and obtained their ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for the treadmill test.
Once a fitness baseline was established, each participant was given a demonstration on how to properly use Wii Fit. For the purpose of the study, researchers chose to focus on the six most aerobically challenging activities featured in the game: Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop and Rhythm Boxing.
Participants were given the opportunity to practice these activities until they could demonstrate proficiency in each. Then, on a separate day, each subject performed six-minute bouts of each of the six activities, chosen in random order.
Meanwhile researchers continuously monitored the subjects' oxygen uptake, heart rate and RPE.
Of the six Wii Fit activities tested, Island Run and Free Run yielded the highest energy expenditures at 5.5 kcal per minute. However, neither was sufficient enough to maintain or improve cardio respiratory endurance as defined by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
As for Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop and Rhythm Boxing, all showed statistically similar energy expenditures, yet all fell below ACSM's recommended fitness guidelines.
With regards to caloric expenditure, Free Step burned 3.3 kcal/min, Advanced Step burned 3.6 kcal/min, Super Hula Hoop came in at 3.7 kcal/min, and Rhythm Boxing rounded it out with 3.8 kcal/min. When played for 30 minutes, performing the Free Step is estimated to burn an average of 99 calories, the Advanced Step would burn an average of 108 calories, the Super Hula Hoop would burn an average of 111 calories, the Rhythm Boxing would burn an average of 114 calories, the Free Run and Island Run would burn an average of 165 calories.
In all cases, including Island Run and Free Run, which both yielded 5.5 kcal/min, researchers found that performing the actual activity (versus the virtual one on Wii Fit) has a significantly higher caloric expenditure.
The end result: all six increased the player's heart rates and burned anywhere from 3.3-5.5 kcal/min, compared to the 2.3 calories burned when playing a regular sit-down video game. The researcher's take-home message was that Wii is better than sitting around, but not as good as playing the real sport.
It is, however, a good substitute workout for those who cannot find the motivation or do not want to leave the house to exercise.
P.J. Wren is a fitness trainer in the Delta area who can be reached at www.fitnesswithpj.com.
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