Does it make sense to hurl a pretend bowling ball toward some pins on a screen in front of you?
That’s what I watched my six-year-old do the other day, for the first time — and she was having a good old time. “I guess even though she’s in front of a screen, this is better than just being plonked on the couch,” I thought to myself.
You can “bowl” on the Wii. And you can play baseball and tennis and soccer and golf. Or do yoga. Or ski.
But is it decent exercise?
Reaction is mixed. Nintendo certainly marketed the Wii by touting the fact that it could get people moving. But a study last year in the British Medical Journal BMJ said that while Nintendo’s Wii sports gave teens more of a workout than a “sedentary” video game, the exercise they got while playing on the Wii still wasn’t enough to contribute towards the recommended daily amount of exercise in children. Other experts say that the Wii may be good for getting gamers on their feet, but may not be a good substitute for good old outside-in-the-fresh-air physical activity.
But given the current prevalence of childhood obesity, perhaps the Wii can help people get in shape by combining exercise with the addictiveness of video game. After all, future widespread use of this and similar games contributes to increased activity in children and adolescents.
This sounds good to us at BodiMojo. We’re big on new approaches that get teens up and moving. Even if it’s just a start. After all, we think health can and should be fun — and habit forming!
— Contributed by Karen Feldscher, A Mom On The Move
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