Posted by Janet Harriett on Jan.04, 2010

ⓒ iStockPhoto - sdominick

Are your children hogging the best piece of exercise equipment in the house? With the rise of fitness video games, you have one more reason to get the kids to put down the video game controllers: so you can use the XBox, Nintendo Wii or Playstation to get some exercise time. Video game companies are starting to take advantage of the potential for video games to be active entertainment, getting kids (and moms) moving.

Though there have been games that get gamers up off the couch and moving since Dance Dance Revolution, the motion control in current video game systems sparked a new wave of exergaming, using video game consoles to promote physical activity and fitness. Nintendo has been at the forefront, getting a head start on other consoles by introducing motion control in the Wii. Sony, too, has motion control in its latest console, but the PS3 has been largely absent from the growing library of fitness games. Microsoft is working on Project Natal, a whole-body motion control schematic that holds promise for fitness gaming with better monitoring of form than is currently available on any of the consoles, though no release date has yet been set for Project Natal and no specific fitness games have been announced using the technology.

None of these games are, in themselves, reason to go out and buy a video game console, but if you already have a Wii–and most fitness games are for the Wii–adding a fitness game or two from this list can jump start your own fitness regimen. Unlike traditional workout media like exercise tapes, fitness games are responsive and provide variety daily without accumulating a huge stack of tapes or DVDs.

Wii Fit

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $89.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Peripheral Required: Wii Balance Board (bundled with the game)

Thought Wii Fit contains cardio exercises, they’re limited in scope and duration, and not that vigorous. Island Lap jogging, one of the longest exercises, is about 13 minutes of running in place. An add-on to the balance board makes the step classes a bit more of a physical challenge, but they’re still only about 10 minutes long. The strength training sections fare better, and the game shines in the yoga postures, which use the balance board to help you guide your form.

One major flaw is the inability to set up an entire workout in advance. After completing each exercise or asana, the game sends the player back to a menu to select the next exercise or asana. Mini games work on balance and fine posture control. This game is a very effective progress tracker, graphing your weight and BMI relative to a goal weight each day that you check in. Nintendo made the check-in easier by allowing you to do a progress test through the Wii menu without inserting the game disc.

Wii Fit Plus

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $19.95 without Wii Balance Board, $99.99 with Balance Board
Publisher: Nintendo
Peripheral Required: Wii Balance Board (game comes bundled or separate)

Wii Fit Plus adds new mini games and exercises to the ones available in Wii Fit. Wii Fit Plus also incorporates the ability to create a fitness routine with the yoga and strength exercises so you don’t need to go back to the menu after every exercise, or choose from preset routines. Calorie tracking is added to the fitness tracking tools.

EA Sports Active

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $59,99
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Peripheral Required: Thigh holster for the Wii’s nunchuk controller and a resistance band (Bundled with the game). Some exercises use the Wii Balance Board.

Where Wii Fit concentrates on the yoga and strength training, EA Sports Active focuses on aerobics with challenging cardio exercises. A 30-day fitness challenge is designed to keep fitness gamers returning for the first month to develop an exercise habit. The add-on pack of EA Sports Active More Workouts (List price $39.99) adds more workouts, a 6-week challenge and ab work.

Yourself! Fitness

Platforms: Microsoft XBox, Sony Playstation 2, PC
List Price: $39.99
Publisher: Respondesign
Peripheral Required: None. Can use hand weights, resistance bands and exercise ball.

Yourself! Fitness is essentially an ever-changing exercise DVD, with a virtual personal trainer, Maya, who chides you when you miss a scheduled day, though you can schedule your workout days in advance. Unlike the Wii Fit games, Yourself! Fitness runs through an entire workout without interruption. Based on the results of fitness testing, inputted on the honor system, the game assembles a workout regimen that combines a cardio workout with segments focusing on flexibility or strength training for specific muscle groups. Progress lets you unlock more backgrounds and music types. As one of the older fitness games, this one does not have any input method for assessing and monitoring your form as you do each exercise. In addition to the exercises, Yourself! Fitness also includes meal planning at several calorie intake levels and recipes to go with the menus.

My Fitness Coach

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $19.99
Publisher: UBISoft
Peripheral Required: None. You can use your own heart monitor, hand weights, step bench or stability ball to enhance some of the exercises.

One of the few Wii fitness games that doesn’t use the Balance Board, this is a port of Yourself! Fitness and works much the same way, by assembling a varied workout routine focusing on different fitness goals. This allows more in-workout options for increasing or decreasing difficulty, and for changing music. More music and background options are available in My Fitness Coach than in Yourself Fitness.

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $39.99
Publisher: Majesco
Peripheral Required: Wii Balance Board is optional

This is a hard workout and reflects Jillian Michaels’ signature abrasive training style. Fitness Ultimatum provides one of the most vigorous cardio workouts of any of the fitness games and is not for the fitness beginner.

Your Shape featuring Jenny McCarthy

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $69.99
Publisher: UBI Soft
Peripheral Required: Motion Tracking Camera (included)

This uses a camera instead of the motion-sensitive controllers to detect your whole-body form rather than whether you’re moving an arm or a leg in the generally correct direction. Some users have difficulty getting the camera set up properly and having the camera differentiate them from the background. Workouts are assembled from a library of several hundred exercises catered to your fitness goals.

Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout

Platforms: Nintendo Wii
List Price: $19.99
Publisher: UBI Soft
Peripheral Required: Wii Balance Board is optional

Though the game includes some other exercises, the core of the workouts is cardio boxing. While it won’t train you to be a prize fighter, it does work up a sweat and provides arm and midsection toning. You can select a workout level each day, ranging from 15-35 minutes, or select your exercises individually. Some exercises are compatible with the Wii Balance Board, but the board tends to get in the way. You’re generally better off not using it, and just doing crunches or push-ups on your own. More play unlocks new outfits for your in-game avatar and increasingly difficult workouts.

Helix

Platforms: Nintendo Wii (WiiWare Download)
List Price: 1000 Wii Points ($10)
Publisher: Ghostfire Games
Peripheral Required: None

While this is more of a rhythm game, like Guitar Hero, instead of just pushing a button, you gesture widely with the Wii Remotes, mimicking the action of the on-screen figure. It doesn’t require lower body movement, but the arm workout gets your heart racing. The music selections are all techno.

Eye Toy Kinetic

Platforms: Sony Playstation 2
List Price: $49.99
Publisher: Sony
Peripheral Required: EyeToy camera with fisheye lens

Kinetic is a selection of games that use your arms and legs as controllers to hit targets, knock out bricks or follow moving orbs. In Personal Trainer mode, the game takes you through a 12-week schedule of increasingly difficult workouts.The camera setup is fussy, and detection is hampered on anything except a plain background that contrasts with your body color.

Personal Trainer Walking

Platforms: Nintendo DS
List Price: $49.99
Publisher: Nintendo
Peripheral Required: Activity Monitor (two included)

If you’re just beginning a fitness regimen, Personal Trainer Walking is a good way to assess how much activity you get during the day. The Activity Monitor is a small pedometer you wear, and each night you sync the monitor up to the DS to see how many steps you took during the day. Set a step target, and the light on the monitor turns from red to green when you meet your goal. Some mini games let you play around with your activity records. It’s a fun spin on a pedometer, but doesn’t offer much more.

My Weight Loss Coach

Platforms: Nintendo DS
List Price: $29.99
Publisher: UBI Soft
Peripheral Required: DS-compatible pedometer (included)

Another pedometer game, My Weight Loss Coach includes some nutrition advice and a rudimentary calorie counter. As a food diary, the game is lacking. The pedometer is about the size of a mid-1990’s pager, so less discreet than the Personal Trainer Walking one, though it does display the step count.

Share

Posted under Fitness For Body & Mind, Health & Fitness.