Building a better body through gaming

Most people tend to associate video gaming with inactivity. Not anymore. A new study by Liverpool John Moores University has shown that gaming can actually burn calories (no, it’s not DDR). Their studies involved gaming consoles, like the Wii, that used body motion to control the video game.

The results of these studies were amazing (much like the results of a similar study). An average gamer in the UK spends 12.2 hours a week gaming; if that gamer had used a Wii, then the gamer could have burned up 1,813 calories.

In “body motion gaming,” heart rates jump to about 130 beats per minute (compared to 85 in more traditional consoles). While this is no replacement for actually going out and getting engaged in real sports, it’s better than nothing. As an added note, it’s interesting to note that guys actually use up more energy than women do.

So if you’ve been looking for an excuse to get a Nintendo Wii, this is it, you could say you’re getting it for “health reasons.”

Most people tend to associate video gaming with inactivity. Not anymore. A new study by Liverpool John Moores University has shown that gaming can actually burn calories (no, it’s not DDR). Their studies involved gaming consoles, like the Wii, that used body motion to control the video game.

The results of these studies were amazing (much like the results of a similar study). An average gamer in the UK spends 12.2 hours a week gaming; if that gamer had used a Wii, then the gamer could have burned up 1,813 calories.

In “body motion gaming,” heart rates jump to about 130 beats per minute (compared to 85 in more traditional consoles). While this is no replacement for actually going out and getting engaged in real sports, it’s better than nothing. As an added note, it’s interesting to note that guys actually use up more energy than women do.

So if you’ve been looking for an excuse to get a Nintendo Wii, this is it, you could say you’re getting it for “health reasons.”