Wave: March / April 2010 - Winnipeg in motion

in motion
Deanna Betteridge
Game on!
New video games can help keep you active,
but they’re no match for
the real thing
2410 kj/h
real sparring
730 kj/h
“active” video gaming
I’m not sure if I want to admit it, but
it’s true. I have joined the ever-growing
population of “active gamers.”
I received the Wii Sport & Fit this past
Christmas and thought this could be a
perfect opportunity to share my experience
– as a “gamer” and as a health-promotion
professional.
We, at Winnipeg in motion, get asked
quite often about the new generation of
active video games – is it a good option for
me, for my children, for my grandparents?
Is it really a good workout? How similar is
it to the real thing?
All are very good questions.
This new generation of active video
games has gained tremendous popularity
over the last few years as a way to get
people up off the couch and active while
playing video games, which, traditionally,
was a very sedentary activity. Active video
games are everywhere – at traditional
arcades, community recreation centres,
seniors’ centres, fitness centres, and in your
home (and mine).
I’ve really enjoyed including my Wii
sports and activities into my winter workout
46 WAVE
routine. Winter can be a hard time for me
to get my 30 to 60 minutes of daily physical
activity in. It gets dark outside so much
earlier and the frigid temperatures make
it very tempting to just stay indoors. And
now with my Wii, I can still get in a yoga
workout or a few games of tennis or boxing
without leaving my house. But aside from
the short days and cold temperatures, I still
prefer to head outdoors for a skate on the
river, a walk around my neighbourhood,
attend my favourite yoga studio, or try out
a new activity – my new favourites being
cross-country skiing and ultimate frisbee.
When active video games first came out,
I was pretty hesitant to believe that they
were as good as everyone was saying. And,
through my own experiences, my concerns
have been justified. I play the Wii much
differently than many of my friends and
other “tech-savy” kids out there...I play very
actively. Before I get started on my Wii,
I move my couch back, my coffee table
out of the room, and anything breakable –
look out! Whether it’s Wii tennis, boxing,
baseball or some of the balance-board
activities like hula-hooping – I am running,
jumping and leaping around the room with
both arms stretched out for balance. So, for
me, I feel the Wii is a decent alternative for
getting some physical activity while staying
indoors. But the Wii is not the answer for
our country’s inactivity crisis. Once you
learn how to work the system, you are able
to sit on the couch moving only your wrist
to get the same results (or better) as I get
running, leaping and jumping around my
living room. For the record, I lost in tennis,
curling, boxing and figure skating – and
my opponent was sitting on the couch, not
sweating at all. I, on the other hand, sweaty
and exhausted – definitely expended more
energy than she did, so, really, I won!
Unfortunately, the research doesn’t offer
us any conclusive long-term health benefits
or weight management for participating in
active gaming systems, but it does lean towards
some short-term positive outcomes.
The evidence shows that, compared to
traditional sedentary video games, “active”
video gamers expend two to three times
more energy (based on approximate calories
burned). But, compared to participating
in the real version of the activities, active
video games don’t even come close.
So, yes – active video games are better