Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Gamercising

For those of you who have ever played Dance Dance Revolution, you know that it can make you work up quite a sweat. I played DDR for the first time a few summers ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun to interact with a game that forced you to get up and move around! After playing it a few times, the thought crossed my mind that it might be possible to use DDR as exercise. What was the point in going to the gym for an hour when I could stay at home and do the same thing with a video game? Plus, I would become a totally advanced DDR player (like this guy!)...and that would be totally awesome. Of course, this plan fell through when I came to the realization that I do not own DDR or any type of gaming system in which I could play DDR. Bummer.

However...a few days ago I came across a post entitled "Gamercising" on BuzzFeed and I was super excited! Turns out that there is a whole community out there who is devoted to getting fit and losing weight through the use of video games. They use games such as DDR, the EyeToy, and Wii Sports to create an exercise plan. Some people have even lost up to 50 pounds! Nintendo's Wii is even coming out with a series entitled Wii Fit, which is specifically designed to help people get in shape.

I thought the whole idea of Gamercising was pretty cool. I have included a bunch of links and videos below that correspond to this subject. Please enjoy!!

The Better Way to Get In Shape

Wii Fitness: Electronic Yoga

Gamercising FAQ

Wii Fit Trailer