By Paloma Richards
Wii Fit is the third best-selling video game of all time, but why? As a game, it may deliver some fun, but as an exercise does it deliver fitness?
Until recently, that question could only be answered with speculation, but no hard evidence. Fitness experts simply argued some exercise is better than none and Wii Fit may do that.
"Anything that makes people vary their own weight, whether its working or dancing or using the Wii Fit, standing on the pad and looking at the screen and repeating the movements, all of that is good," said Carmen Sceppa, an exercise physiology professor at Northeastern University.
"If you're moving, if your heart rate is up and if you're putting your muscles through a different range of motion than you're used to, then you're going to be doing some sort of change to your body for the good," said Will Gibson, a physical trainer at Beacon Hill Athletic Club at Brighton Center.
In November, the American Council on Exercise with the help of experts from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Exercise and Health Program released a study that provides the public with some numbers that show how much exercise one can really get when using Wii Fit.
The study involved 16 graduate students and tested six Wii Fit activities: Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop, and Rhythm Boxing. These six activities were chosen because they are the most aerobically challenging of all the Wii Fit activities.
The study found that all six exercises did not meet the recommended fitness guidelines of the American College of Sports Medicine. In other words, none of the Wii Fit activities proved to be as good as the real thing.
John Pocari, the study's lead researcher, said the running activities provide a very mild workout, even if Fit players break out in a sweat.
"It wasn't like if they went out for a run because you are paced by the little person on the screen," he said, "so it certainly wasn't as good as running outside like on a track or in the woods."
The study also found participants can burn more calories using the Wii Sport than the Wii Fit.
"The Wii Sport, where you're actually boxing someone, burned three times as many calories. There's just a lot of waiting around with this one [Wii Fit]. It wasn't as good," said Porcari.
Pocari also said that even though the Wii Fit may not provide a young person with a great workout, he believes that as people get older and less fit, this exercise game could help them get in shape.
But before you get discouraged by these findings, this story does come full circle. Porcari said that Wii Fit is still beneficial and can be considered exercise because "it is better than nothing."
Watch the video below to find out some benefits you can get out of Wii Fit.