RedOctane Pushes DDR For Weight Loss Market

Thanks to EWorldWire for reprinting a RedOctane press release advocating rhythm-based game Dance Dance Revolution for extreme weight loss, and using the story of Tanya Jessen, "who lost 95 lbs. playing DDR." The piece also points out: "A person weighing 150 lbs burns an average of 16 calories per song playing the latest Dance Dance Revolution game. In just one hour of playing it's possible for a person to burn around 640 calories, compared to only burning 501 calories jogging." RedOctane also has an official GetUpMove site, complete with before and after pictures, noting that "...most Dance Dance Revolution games have a Workout Mode which tracks the number of calories you burn while dancing", though RedOctane's own motivation for this diet push is to sell you their high-end DDR pads.

Comments

If it works, do it...

[Godeke]

So what if it is less than selfless? With the American (and apparently from more recent data Europe is starting this tend) weights going out of control, anything that helps someone get started on weight loss is a good thing. The trick to weight loss is finding things you can live with: starving yourself only causes short term gains with long term rebounds that push you into even heavier territory. I personally dropped 25 pounds and went from a 28 to 23% bodyfat by:

#1 Finding exercise I would do. In my case, an indoor rockclimbing gym provides my workout, and a good puzzle for the mind as well. BTW, exercise itself doesn't cause weight loss, but will help you keep weight off and muscle helps you burn more calories even when at rest.

#2 Finding replacement foods. This means examining everything you eat. Replace the fast food hamburger with a 6" sub to start. Find a place with a salad bar. Get a "light" cooking book. Some of the stuff is horrible, but you will find a dish here, a dish there, that works.

#3 Change your routines. If you have a habit of snacking to give yourself a break, find something else to do during breaktime. I personally have a gameboy with puzzle games on it that can be played in 5-10 minutes. Makes for a great break without attacking the snack machine.

I applaud anyone who can figure a way to make a profit while bringing waistlines back under control. Weight induced illness is more likely than cancer to strike you if you get heavy, and can cause diabetic conditions, heart conditions and generally won't get you the girl/guy of your dreams. If playing DDR can get you healthy, high end DDR pads are cheaper than bypass surgery...

Re:If it works, do it...

[Stubtify]

The advice is to work out before you are too large to fit on a bike, but it works just as well for even larger people. Consult a doctor, but even 400 pound people can do water aerobics, which is zero impact. Don't come up with a cop out like "I'm too big to work out"

Re:If it works, do it...

[Loualbano2]

As far as replacement food goes, I have one thing to add to your post.

All of us geeks like caffeine to get motivated in the morning, during work, etc. A lot of guys I know get this through Mountain Dew or Jolt or coffee.

My suggestion is switching to unsweetened iced tea, or black coffee. Soda and non black coffee obvoiusly have lots of sugar in them, and as far as trying to stay thin goes, processed sugar is the worst food you can eat. Also, unsweetened iced tea has no calories and black coffee has very few.

Let's say a typical can of soda has 150 calories. Let's say you cut three cans out of your day and replace it with something with no calories. That's 450 calories that you lost right away. To lose one pound, they say you have to either cut out or burn 3600 calories. So in under 10 days you will have lost a pound, just from not drinking 3 sodas.

Also, sugar creates an insulin rush, that when you come down from makes your metabolism take a crap, which is probably right around the same time the caffiene wears off. This is not good for trying stay thin.

-ft

cost / benefit ratio

[theMerovingian]

Those high end pads are only a couple hundred bucks - much cheaper than home fitness equipment. If you think this is fun, and have the discipline, go for it.

I prefer to spend $30/month on a gym membership. You get numerous cardio machines, free weights, weight lifting machines, and often aerobics/yoga/kickboxing thrown into the mix.

Ultimately, it's about having discipline and consistency. No matter how much money you spend or don't spend.

To quote Arnold:
I've never paid for a push-up or a sit-up in my life.

Re:Huh.

[Flunitrazepam]

Just remember man, physical health has to be approach with a one-two method... you can do all the excersize in the world but if you don't consider your intake you aren't going to get far.

Yes, it does work

[MonMotha]

To all those skeptical about this, they are being serious. I personally lost weight (though I'm starting to gain it back...in muscle in my legs...) doing DDR. Also, I'm much more engergetic since starting to play DDR about a year ago.

Yes, RedOctane does sell some expensive gear, but if you really like playing DDR it's well worth it if you want to play at home. Some people have indicated that the Ignition pads (their top of the line soft pad) doesn't last very long. I can't confirm how long they last, but a local club has 8 of them. 6 of them still work a year after they were purchased (with numerous people jumping on them like crazy every wednesday except during the summer) and the 2 that don't work seem to have a problem with controller somewhere (the sensors still work!).

Regarding the weight loss, it is not immediately evident! Expect to actually gain a little weight first for those of you who are scale crazy (you know, it's those muscle things). You have to gain some muscle to actually move around before you can start burning up excess fat.

Also, just like any other workout, don't forget to warm up!! Stretch before you begin. Start off with easier songs. Etc. I swear I almost gave myself a heart attack last night because I just stepped right on to the pad and attempted Maxx Unlimited (for those who are curious, I made it to the freeze, though I have passed before...yes, on Maniac difficulty).

Also, don't get discouraged if you can't do it! Some people I know who are actually quite good now couldn't even pass "one footers" (the easiest under the difficulty ranking system) when they started. Practice, and you *will* get better (nobody just steps onto a DDR machine and starts playing on Maniac).

Also remember that you can check it out before committing to anything in the way of home gaming. Many arcades now have DDR machines in them. Usually you can get three songs (if you don't fail) for $0.75-$1.00 just to try out. Many arcades now won't even fail you on your first song if you're playing on basic difficulty (called light on newer arcades).

Anyway, give it a try if you're interested. There's certainly nothing to lose, other than weight!

--MonMotha

Re:calorie count?

[stoolpigeon]

You can't really do 'intense' jogging by definition. I guess you could ramp it up a bit with hand weights or something - but technically jogging is that kind of shuffling/not walking/not running thing that involves not getting the knees up much. If you want to see it in practice catch me at night jogging in my neighborhood. Once I'm in good enough shape to run I'll be less ashamed.

Running at 5 mph, weighing 150 lbs. gets you closer, and running at a good solid pace puts you well over 640.

I think they compare to jogging intentionally as many people are not aware of the difference between jogging and running.