Choosing the best games for fitness is becoming more difficult.
BERLIN: Jane Fonda?s famous workout videos of the 1980s were just the start. Now those in need of some exercise can find interactive aerobic, yoga and fitness routines at the touch of a button thanks to new services accessible via consoles or the internet. The idea has an understandable appeal. Instead of trekking to a fitness studio, those looking to exercise can just head to the nearest PC or console. What hasn?t changed is the need for self-discipline.
But the technology has changed. Consoles now come with motion-controlled sensors. And there are fitness portals aplenty with directions and videos on how to work up a true sweat. These sites don?t only demonstrate exercises, but offer nutrition and health tips. Sometimes they revolve around communities, with exercisers competing against one another or showing off by uploading photos of their honed physiques.
Those who create their own profile on these sites can even set up their own training programme and keep track of significant benchmarks. There?s a lot of exercise and training-oriented games available for game consoles too. Start with My Fitness Coach Club from Ubisoft or Move Fitness from Sony for the Playstation 3?s Move system. Next there?s Your Shape Evolved from Ubisoft forXBox 360 owners, provided they have a Kinect sensor. And there?s also Wii Fit for Nintendo?s Wii, which requires a Balance Board, which doubles as a scale and a tool to train people?s sense of balance. There?s also EA Sports Active from Electronic Arts, available for all three consoles.
In general, fitness games tend to be a bit cheaper than normal console titles, costing between 30 and 40 euros (40 and 53 dollars). For that price, most people could only hope to see the inside of a studio once or twice a month. Membership is even often free with online versions. ?It?s an advantage for many that they can train in private and not on display in a fitness studio,? says Klaus Voelker, head of the Institute for Sports Medicine at the University of Muenster in Germany. ?If the exercises are conducted regularly, then they can definitely have a positive effect.?
But people who choose to exercise at home have to make some concessions, he says. ?A big problem is individualization.? That?s because, whether you?re dealing with an online fitness portal or a game on a console, you?re always working with a programme dreamt up by someone else. If that doesn?t meet your personal goals, it can quickly prove to be too much or too little.
Fitness programmes are also unsuited for stamina training. ?Running in place is nowhere near as effective as jogging properly, outdoors or in a hall,? says Voelker. Plus, people can get fed up with the ongoing commentary from the games after long-term use. But there?s one other core problem. ?After the initial hype, enthusiasm can quickly fade,? says Voelker, unless you?re self-disciplined.
Still, he sees little danger to overall health. ?Of course I can rip something during these kinds of exercises.? But that?s the kind of injury that can happen with any exercise. ?I?ve yet to see extreme or dangerous activities in any of these fitness games.? ?We pay special attention to whether our exercises are suited for all users,? says Kristina Schneider, a spokeswoman for the German exercise portal fin.de.
There might be some risks to people with back problems, but any such exercises include warnings. Other factors ? like the user?s weight ? are recorded before work begins and factored into the kind of workout presented. ?But we can?t replace a physical therapist,? she says. Thus, she always advises checking with a doctor before attempting the first session, just like you would do with any other fitness programme.
Another factor to bear in mind: don?t invest in a console for exercise unless you have the space in your home. The fitness training programmes require some space. ?The exercises require a certain radius of activity,? says Ralf Anheier of games manufacturer Electronic Arts. ?That can be a problem in small living rooms.? This applies especially to the Kinect motion sensor system for the XBox 360. Microsoft recommends users have at least 1.8 metres between themselves and the television. Also, if you live in an apartment, think of those living beneath you. Cardio training like running in place can quickly get annoying for those living one level below. ? dpa
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