The Good Fortune of Wii Exercise

eldavojohn writes "While some users of the Wii complained of soreness or 'Wii elbow' when playing it too much, others are heralding its workout value. The University of Toronto is working on a 'therapeutic video game' for the Wii that is designed to help children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy exercise their weaker limb, people are claiming weight loss and in the January issue of Pediatrics the Mayo clinic is proposing that gaming systems like the Wii can combat child obesity."

Comments

Sad Statement

[HappySqurriel]

I love my Wii, but think that people losing weight from playing Wii games is more a sad statement on how out of shape people are then the implicit greatness of the Wii.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

I'll say!

[NeoPaladin394]

Wii Boxing is especially great for getting some exercise. It starts out easily enough, but with tougher opponents, shaking out of a knockout after swinging madly to hit them can completely wear you out. That, and I'm on a bottom floor apartment, so I usually jump around a bit while the NPC is knocked out. After an hour, I usually have to take a bath. On top of that, it's FUN!

You sort of get out of it what you put into it. It's possible to use the minimal amount of movement to trigger an in game action, or find the 'bug' movements that trick the controller, but on the same token it's just as easy to put your whole body into it.

IMHO, the system is worth the money scalped from me on eBay.

More Wii Exercise Is On The Way

[tmjr3353]

Konami recently announced a DDR game for the Wii that will combine the traditional DDR gameplay with motion controls. IGN article is right here.

Agreed

[truthsearch]

I bet if those same people walked an hour each day they'd lose the same or more weight. But at this point if it takes the games of the wii to motivate them then it's overall a good thing.

Re:Agreed

[spun]

Absolutely. The best exercise in the world is the exercise that you actually do.

Personally, I'm waiting for cyber-jacks so I can jack in and let some AI exercise my body for me while I play video games. ;)

Re:Agreed

[DotWarner]

Absolutely. The workout you get from running with an exercise bike is fantastic. I mean, those things are heavy.

Re:In 2010...

[ZetSabre]

The worst skinny nerd epidemic since the great ramen famine.

I was just complaining about the Wii recently...

[JoshDM]

...after using it for the last couple of weeks, my right arm seems a bit stronger and beefier than my left arm.

I haven't had this problem since before I got married!

Re:U of T has a devkit?

[D4rk Fx]

You're not searching the right terms. Here is the application website. Note: You will likely be unable to get a dev kit for personal use... You're right in saying they don't really want independent production of games. With the Dev kit it would probably be too easy to figure out how a lot of the internal protection stuff works that they don't want you to know about.

Re:Yeah, Wii isn't much of a work out...

[AKAImBatman]

Yes, the Wii makes you move, a little

Obviously, you don't play enough boxing. I'm not in the best shape, but I do walk/run home 3 miles from the train station. Wii Sports Boxing still leaves me breathing heavy and drenched in sweat. I have a hard time believing that the effect would be any different on most other video game players. At least, if you're doing it right. ;)

FWIW, the Wii may not be an acceptable replacement for exercise, but it's a sight better than getting no exercise whatsoever.

broken arm

[Allison Geode]

i broke my arm when i fell off my bicycle over the summer. specifically, i fractured the radial head, which is a part of the elbow which controls fore-arm rotation. (as the doctor explained it to me, IANAMD) though the arm healed, the range of motion never returned fully. After my first week of having a wii (last week) my arm was INCREDIBLY stiff, and my range of motion limited, so i took it easy for a few days. now, however, the range has returned... and then some, moreso than how it was before i got the wii. its not back to the full, pre-break range yet, but..... its more than it was, and i think the constant and continuous use of my arms motion has probably helped.

is it possible that this thing could be used in physical therapy?

There's more to it

[Cloud K]

I've seen people say that it's not enough exercise,
that it's a sad state of society that it takes games to get people to move (whatever... society never is pretty),
that one shouldn't use the Wii as a substitute for proper exercise
etc etc.

But that's just it. First off, for many people any exercise is good exercise. Many people these days get *none* (other than walking to the fridge) so this is a major improvement.

Secondly - it's not about what exercise the Wii gives you. It's about getting you on track. Since getting mine I got the "fitness bug" and have been doing other exercise activities (such as a brisk walk at lunchtime) and eating far more healthily. I'm even tempted to try some of the sports in reality. All of that was inspired by the Wii, and whoever thought up this idea needs a medal.

Thirdly - even if you only count the Wii exercise, every little helps. It may not be much on its own, but when combined with using the stairs instead of the elevator on the way to work or whatever, parking further away and walking further, etc etc... it all adds up.

This could be a bad sign.

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope devs aren't encouraged by this to make progressively more active games. They're eventually going to make things I am unable to play without passing out or hurting myself. I got into this hobby for a reason, and it's definitely not because I enjoy moving around.

Re:In 2010...

[meringuoid]

"I've seen dead rabbits do better jumping jacks than you"

Well, of course. Bunnies are fantastic dancers.

the upside is variety

[Bobtree]

Every game on the Wii seems to work a different group of muscles because of the unique control movements involved. When I play something new for a couple of days, I find new sore spots. Oddly enough it's Excite Truck that keeps my heart rate up (and shoulders tense) the most while playing. It may turn out to be my favorite of the launch titles given its addictive, high adrenaline, and high replay value game style.

How to play Wii Boxing

[LKM]

Are my mates and I doing something wrong? We *hate* Wii boxing, your character just seems to do as he pleases, and as far as I can tell your movements with the wiimote/nunchuku has very little bearing on your avatar

Yes, you're doing something wrong :-)

Most people, when starting to play Wii boxing, flail the controllers in every which way, trying to get as many hits as possible. That doesn't work. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You don't control the punches. Once the Wii registers that you want to punch, it runs a punch animation which has nothing to do with the speed of your own punch. Don't start the next punch too quickly, wait until your Mii is done with the punch.
• While it's possible to do right-left-right combinations, you can't do them too fast. You need to get the timing right, which takes some practise. If you're too fast, the second punch won't register at all. If you're too slow, you're giving the opponent an opening.
• Block! Never forget to keep your hands in blocking position. You can block lower or higher (and punch lower or higher) by turning the controllers. If you point them towards the screen, it's low. If you point them towards yourself, it's high. The actual height of the controllers does not matter, although usually height and position correspond.
• Move left and right! This is important. If you move quickly from side to side, it's hard for the opponent to hit you.
• Uppercuts: Start with a low position (pointing towards the TV), then punch and go to a high position at the same time. This will create an uppercut.
• "Side punch." Punch to the right while keeping your fist straght (i.e. move your hand sideways)
• While both the Uppercut and the side punch are strong and often manage to go through the opponent's block, they also open your own block. If you're not careful, the opponent can easily hit you while you're attempting an uppercut or a side punch.
• Slow motion. If the opponent punches and you manage to evade the punch, sometimes it throws him off. The game moves to slow motion and you can land a hard counterpunch.
• Finally, Wii Boxing is a strategic game, not a game of force. If you start out playing Wii Boxing, try not to attack the opponent too much. Always block and duck to the sides. That way, it's easy to control your Mii, and it's hard for the opponent to land punches. Try to land a punch as soon as you see an opening, or as soon as the opponent misses and goes into slow motion. When land a punch, immediately follow with combinations, and then go back to blocking and ducking.

Keep these things in mind, and Wii Boxing will make a whole lot more sense and be a whole lot more fun.