Introduction to Exercise + Gaming = Exergaming

Game People explores Exergaming.

Let’s go back to January. After a long break watching TV, eating rich meals and nibbles to your heart’s content, you now have to start back at work. You soon need something to look forward to – the first holiday of the year. Rather than a cold rainy commute to the grind you imagine yourself on the beach in the warm sun. So much for the mind, what about the body?

To get in shape for summer you resolve to join the gym or start cycling and running on a regular basis. You think that’s enough to get the beach friendly body you desire. Your new exercise regime should work, if only you could stick with it. But the odds are against you – surveys on new gym members every year show that by April their attendance is nonexistent.

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Fit Game Divide

A Game People guest post.

Keeping fit is all about attitude. Any personal trainer can build an exercise program to suit your physical ability, free time and personal circumstances. But to succeed you need a good positive attitude. My first fit gamer article attracted a lot of people from the USA, so I thought it only polite to take a look at how they have approached fitness gaming. It turns out they are one step ahead of the UK here.

Here in the UK fitness gaming is an alien concept, I doubt if anyone in a position of power could even imagine the concept exists. While in the US, video games are used to dance, cycle, step and balance the nation to health. I spent some time reading up on the UK’s fitness focus to get a better picture of what do we do this side of the pond?

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Top 5 Wii-Fit Tips

Excercise

GamePeople explores Wii-Fit.

Video gaming that gets you to exercise is exactly what you needed to get in shape for summer! Now fast forward three weeks. The balance board has a home at the side of the TV and makes a tempting ebay item, unused and unwanted. What happened in those three weeks to make the savior of your health and fitness goals turn into handy plant stand?

To understand this we must start with the first principle of why you bought Wii-Fit. Most people are not too concerned at how much they weigh, don’t care what their BMI is, or know what BMI means. In my experience most people are driven by the promise of a trim, attractive body without all the flabby bits. Yes, exercise offers the chance to be young and sexy again, but there is a cost, you actually have to do it and over an extended period of time. When starting out with exercise you have a clear idea of how you want to look and your motivation and enthusiasm is at an all time high. However, the results are slow in coming, you cannot see any changes in the mirror and the scales haven’t budged, but and the effort and pain are real and immediate.

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