Console as a replacement for cardio excercise

[Salgar]

In these wintery months I find myself pondering whether it would be worth it to get a Kinect or Wii fit to do some (warm) living room cardio. Does anyone else do this? Is it effective? I know it will never be as good as going for a run, but at the moment I'm not doing anything, so a Kinect might be okay.

Here is what I am talking about, for those who don't know what I mean:

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/sports/yourshapefi...

[beanbag]

Don't kid yourself. I you want a console to play games, buy a console. If you want to keep fit, do this:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/218613_top-ten-indo...

[Salgar]

beanbag said:

Don't kid yourself. I you want a console to play games, buy a console. If you want to keep fit, do this:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/218613_top-ten-indo...

Already have a 360 and play it often, and already kinda do stuff like that. But none of that is really cardio and I can't see myself running on the spot for no reason.

[Morba]

beanbag said:

Don't kid yourself. I you want a console to play games, buy a console. If you want to keep fit, do this:

http://www.bukisa.com/articles/218613_top-ten-indo...

You do realise that most of these fitness programs have you doing compound bodyweight movements etc, dont you?

[okgo]

Amazing people still look for the magic easy way to get in shape.

Nintendo are clever people.

Just go running and eat less ffs you don't need a games console to get fit, its one of the biggest oxymoron's of all time!

[Salgar]

okgo said:

Amazing people still look for the magic easy way to get in shape.

Nintendo are clever people.

Just go running and eat less ffs you don't need a games console to get fit, its one of the biggest oxymoron's of all time!

haha, I'm not looking for magic, I'm looking for a replacing for braking my ankle when I slip on the ice outside. I was just wondering if anyone had done it and how good it was on a scale of being asleep to going for a run. If it's nearer the being asleep end of the scale then I'll not bother.

[ShadownINja]

I can't see why jumping up and down to control a character in a computer game is any less good for you than jumping up and down in a gym to crap music. The only difference is I'm alone at home and in a gym I'm surrounded by lycra-clad hotties. Or so those music videos would have me believe.

[Carrot]

ShadownINja said:

I can't see why jumping up and down to control a character in a computer game is any less good for you than jumping up and down in a gym to crap music. The only difference is I'm alone at home and in a gym I'm surrounded by lycra-clad hotties. Or so those music videos would have me believe.

I don't really like going to the gym (expensive and I don' really like people to be honest )

I already had the Xbox Kinect, so I got Active Sports 2.

So far, burned over 2000 calories and it does work, and its quite amusing as well. It even comes with a heart rate monitor that links to the console and shows it all on screen.

Not for everyone, but for those of us with very little spare time to go faffing around getting ready / driving to the gym, its ideal.

Each excercise is 30-40mins long, I do it 4 times a week and burn appx 250-300 calories a session.

[ShadownINja]

Sounds good to me, then. It would be a reason why I might get it if I didn't already have an established regimen.

Gotta be better than sitting on one's arse playing Battlefield 2... although, between maps (2 minutes to load), I do try to get in a few pull ups etc.

[Morba]

Exactly.
Its a much better (and more expensive) version of a workout DVD to watch. You get interaction and feedback, thrown in with tracking and monitoring.

Nothing wrong with them at all.

[Davel]

Now if they could build one integrated into a warfare theme, that might be really tempting.