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 . . . read more]]>

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.

In 2006 a proud parent uploaded . . . read more]]> Nintendo Wii is fun for people of all ages. We already knew that…but babies playing Wii? Yes. It seems that age isn’t relevant when enjoying this exciting game. We have seen grandparents boxing fiercely between each other, or enjoying a calm bowling match in the comfort of a family environment.

In 2006 a proud parent uploaded to youtube a video of his 22 months old son playing Wii Tennis. Up to July 2010 the video had more than 3 millions views. Soon after, many videos of babies playing Wii could be seen on the web. It's really amazing how being so young these children can play so well. Check them out!

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For many people dieting is an obsession. Calorie counting and exercise can be a battle, and one that many find themselves loosing. Trying to lose weight can rule your life, yet with some planning and simple mathematics, dieting and weight loss need not be a fight that you can’t win. The simple fact about weight loss . . . read more]]>

For many people dieting is an obsession. Calorie counting and exercise can be a battle, and one that many find themselves loosing. Trying to lose weight can rule your life, yet with some planning and simple mathematics, dieting and weight loss need not be a fight that you can’t win. The simple fact about weight loss is that you need to burn off more calories than you eat. Like all simple facts this one is not always as simple as it sounds.

There are two straightforward ways to achieving weight loss – and maintaining a healthy weight. Eat fewer calories and exercise more frequently. Exercise does not mean you have to join a gym or spend a lot of money on all manner of equipment. The key is regular physical activity, 30 minutes a day of moderate-level exercise is recommend by American and UK health bodies. This can be split into short 10 minute workouts.

Another trick is not to rush out and start an exercise regime that you are not used too, as you will be less likely to keep to this. Build your programme over a time that suits you. Start with ten minutes a day, for a week, two weeks or three. Let your body get used to this new idea, and you will have more success in reaching your goals. Once you and your reluctant body are used to this new idea, keep at it. We all miss the odd session of course, but if you miss one don't give up!. Don't try to over-compensate either, stick to your limits and stick to your routine.

Eating – you are allowed to continue doing this! Don't start your weight-loss programme by cutting out meals.If you are overweight, your body will miss its regular calorie intake and will compensate by forcing you against your will into the nearest cake shop or fast food outlet for a boost of high energy, sugary, fattening food.

It's a good idea to work out your normal calorie intake by keeping a food diary for three or four days. Most of Wii Fitness games come with diaries were you can input your daily intake and register the exact amount of calories you need to burn. This will help you judge just how many calories you are overeating by and then you are in a better position to reduce them. Again, don't use the slash and burn approach. If you are overeating by 1000 calories, look at reducing this total by 100 calories for a few days. Then another 100 and so on. If you are exercising you will feel hungrier, if you are reducing your calorie intake drastically, you will feel hungrier. The more extreme you are at the start of your regime, the more likely you are to fail.

Think of a weight loss programme as an investment for you and your family. An extra nine years of lifespan is worth spending a little time on achieving. Be realistic in your goals, and in a short period you will find that you are regularly eating the right amount of calories, and burning off any excess. Start slow and small, build up, and you will succeed!

Dieting and exercise of this sort combined can have a real impact on weight. With tools as part of the game to measure the amount of calories you are burning, Wii games keep your motivation going in ways that other types of sport and physical exercise can’t.

In 2007 Giovanny Gutierrez posted a video on YouTube of his girlfriend . . . read more]]> There's no doubt of the success of Nintendo Wii for working out. Along with this success many girls managed to captured media attention by somehow be related to this new gaming activity. Checkout these 7 women and their stories regarding exercising with Nintendo Wii:

In 2007 Giovanny Gutierrez posted a video on YouTube of his girlfriend Lauren Bernat playing the Hula Hoop game on Wii, scantily clad in only her underwear. The video was definitely a hit. Actually, more like 9.6 million hits by June 2010 according to You Tube. It was the most “digged” video in 2008 and is considered one of the most viral videos of all time.

It’s possible that Gutierrez had it all planned as a clever marketing trick as he works on advertising, but judging from the fact that Bernat was wearing, in addition to her underwear, a rather plain pair of glasses, she might not have realized she was part of this plan. The video was entitled ‘Why every guy should buy his girlfriend a Wii’. Intentionally or not, this particular viral video certainly has the makings of a great sales campaign.

Bernat, however claimed to be furious with her boyfriend at first, but the whole episode secured them a slot on the Tyra Banks show, where Bernat was able to get her revenge by insisting that Gutierrez play pant-less Wii on the TV show – taking the opportunity to film the event herself! Of course, the fact that this also got a considerable amount of free advertising for Nintendo, can’t have gone down that badly at the corporation.

Bernat is now widley known as the "Wii Fit Girl". She appeared in several TV shows and participated of EA Sports online reallity show "30 Day Wii Fitness Exercise Challenge".

2. Jillian Michaels

Jillian Michaels is a well known fitness professional.  She is a personal trainer from L.A , California, who in 2009 released her own fitness program for Nintendo Wii, Fitness Ultimatum. The success of the game was so big that the game had a 2010 version, totally renewed and improved.

Jillian is best known for her appearances in the TV shows "The Biggest Loser" and "Losing it with Jillian", both shows are about working out and losing weight. This L.A fitness personality is very popular among men, highly searched on the web for her beautiful body.

In May of 2009 actress Alison Sweeney visited Ellen's show to present EA Sports Active, one of Nintendo Wii Fitness most popular game. Ellen is known for loving games and being very competitive, so when she went heads up against Alison the crowd went crazy and it resulted into one of the funniest moments on the show. Check it out:

4. Jessica Alba

Anybody would agree to say that Jessica Alba has one of the most desire bodies in the world. In an exclusive interview with yahoo games, Jessica tells “I just got the Wii and that's fun. I play all of the Wii Sports games, like bowling, tennis, and baseball. That's a lot of fun.”

“I think the physicality of the Wii gets people off the couch. Sometimes you can just sit there playing a video game for hours and never move and you're brain is just zapped from playing the game. With the Wii, you're up on your feet and moving around. The physical aspect of it is great, especially for kids. They actually call it the Wii Diet, since active players can burn calories!” 

5. Alison Sweeney

Alison is an American actress and reality show host. She is known for her work on "Days of our Lives" and for hosting "The Biggest Loser", a reality show which became a Nintendo Wii game as a fitness program.

With the release of the game Alison became kind of an "ambassador" of Nintendo Wii fitness games, having appeared in several shows such as the Ellen Degenres show and the 30 day Wii Challenge.

6. Jo Garcia

The Nintendo Wii advertising continued when Playboy obligingly posted a series of sexy videos of their Cyber Girl of the year 2008, Jo Garcia, on their website. Jo Garcia is one of playboys most recogniced girls within the gaming community. Jo is an active gamer and in 2008 started a video game blog where she posted game reviews and interviews with industry celebrities.

Jo videos are even more scantily clad than Bernat was (Wii Fitness girl number 1). She has many videos playing different Wii Balance Board games topless or fully naked. This videos are equally popular in the web – if not a little more so! 

Rapidly becoming part of the Wii phenomena it seems that ‘Wii Fitness Girls’ are here to stay! While Nintendo have denied that this was part of a cunning marketing plan, one thing is certain, with videos like this out there; sales can only continue to grow!

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7. Jenny McCarthy

Jenny McCarthy became famous in 1993 as a playboy model. She continued her career as an actress with guest appearances in TV shows and several Hollywood movies. Today is a well known celebrity.

Most of her success can be explained due to her smoking body. This is why UBI Soft selected her to be the face (and body) of their new fitness program developed for Nintendo Wii: Your Shape. In the game Jenny is a personal trainer who guides the players through the workout program. You will see an image of Jenny making every exercise with you, showing you how to do it right.

Jenny stated that she essentially likes the game because she easily gets bored working out feeling like a ‘hamster on a treadmill’ but she enjoys the 400 different exercises offered on Your Shape.

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The last few years have seen a revolution in the standing of the video game. Active-gaming, or ‘Exergaming’ as it is variously known, is a phenomenon, which has been gradually sweeping the world, and changing our perceptions of video games. Historically – or at least for the last thirty years or so – video games have . . . read more]]>

The last few years have seen a revolution in the standing of the video game. Active-gaming, or ‘Exergaming’ as it is variously known, is a phenomenon, which has been gradually sweeping the world, and changing our perceptions of video games. Historically – or at least for the last thirty years or so – video games have had a pretty poor press when it comes to ‘health benefits’. Now it seems that the tables have been turned, and instead of being viewed as the quickest route to weight gain and an early death, they are now being hailed by organisations around the world as potentially having positive effects on our lifestyle.

Video games have also been synonomous to many with the young, techy, internet generation. Now it seems that a whole new generation is getting involved and reaping additional benefits. Studies have shown that the benefits of balance and coordination have a massive impact on the elderly. Better balance has been shown to help prevent falls and generally keep fit and active. Nintendo Wii is becoming increasingly popular amongst the elderly.

Unlike some of those fancy gadgets their lazy grandchildren had in the past, Wii is positively viewed by the older generations. It’s user friendly and easy to understand. Also gone are the days when a video game was only for one or at best two users. Wii allows for a number of players, and even those who aren’t playing get involved in a spectator role.

Wii has proven health benefits – even the UK’s National Health Service are endorsing it – and is an ideal tool for the elderly to keep fit and exercise. The games include the ever popular bowling, golf and tennis, and for those who are not able to play the real games anymore, they offer a chance to take part in a favourite sport.

Many older users believe that playing Wii keeps their minds sharper and studies that have been conducted around the world would agree. Dr Alison Stewart of the University of Aberdeen in the UK has been using the Wii balance board to help improve mobility and balance in older people. Stewart emphasises that in terms of cost the Wii Balance Board is far cheaper than traditional clinic tools used for these purposes and additionally states that in the fact that Wii is highly enjoyable means it enjoys a better ‘compliance’ rate.

As life-expectancy has grown, many have concerns about quality of life and try out a more active and healthier lifestyle. In its own small way, Nintendo Wii is adding to the quality of life that elder people can now enjoy.

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