Cardio Exercise With Nintendo Wii

Research published in the British Medical Journal in 2008 illustrated that Wii users could burn up to an additional 60 calories per hour when playing regular games – which totals 1830 calories a week. Playing 30 minutes of Wii Sports games can burn from 75 to over 200 calories.

Now, Wii Fitness games and Wii Dance games can leave you exhausted. They burn much more calories, can reach over 400 and you probably won’t consider it an exercise with all the fun you´ll be having. These games serve as a full workout program with a wide range of intensity to choose from. The exercise done here is mainly cardiovascular activities.

A Cardiovascular workout also known as Cardio is essentially exercise that increases the heart rate and helps to burn body fat and Carbohydrates (carbs). The American College of Sports Medicine recommend that individuals should consider taking a minimum of 30 minutes moderate-level Cardio exercise, for at least five days a week, and 20 minutes of vigorous Cardio three days a week.

There are many benefits to regular Cardio exercise. Research has established that the benefits include: Weight loss; heart strength; improved lung capacity; reduction in stress; better sleep and more energy.

There are two types of Cardio exercise; High Intensity and Low Intensity. The benefits to the two types are different and it is worth considering these when planning your workout.

Low Intensity workouts are generally recommended for those wishing to loose weight. The exercise is less vigorous and burns body fat but not carbs. A low intensity workout will include a slow steady pace and be over a long duration. A good length for this type of workout is 45 minutes to 1 hour. To keep the exercise routine fresh it’s worth considering ‘Interval Training’ when planning a low intensity workout. Interval training combines short periods on the different activities.

High Intensity workouts will be shorter, typically 30-40 minutes, but you will need to exercise more vigorously. They are particularly effective at maintaining a stable body weight and toning muscle strength. High intensity workouts burn more calories than low, burning off carbs. If you ensure that your calorie intake is less than you are burning during workouts, this can be an effective way to loose weight. Remember you can increase the intensity of the exercises using wii fitness equipment like dumbbells, weights or steps.

For the beginner High Intensity can be difficult to maintain and early failure will be demoralising. It’s worth considering combining both types of exercise into your regime. Low Intensity workouts have the disadvantage that it can take up to ten minutes to get your heart rate up, which makes these ten minutes unproductive in terms of weight loss. Try beginning with ten minutes of High Intensity workout and then moving to a Low Intensity Interval workout. This way, you will be utilising the first ten minutes well and make the most of your overall workout.

You will soon begin to feel the benefits of Cardio exercises. Many people today work in environments that do not allow for a great deal of physical exercise. We all know that feeling of being stiff and tired at the end of the working day. A good Cardio workout gets the blood pumping around your body making you feel more energized and alert. Your muscles and joints will feel more flexible and free. The overall sense of well being that a Cardio workout provides is proven to make you feel more positive about yourself.

Read more about Health Benefits of working out with Nintendo Wii.

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