Gaming Can Be A Workout Too!

If you are a geek like me (or a bigger geek like my husband), exercise can really eat into your gaming time.  Yeah, it's good to be in shape.  But what about getting another quest completed and turning in your Golden Wienerschnitzel to the Keymaster?  What about getting the high score on level fifteen-one-thousand-eighty-seven?  What about the Flying Monkey achievement?  What about the GAMES???


Fear not, Shaman of Dark Molasses, these days there are exercises you can actually play on  your favorite gaming console.  For points! High scores! Unlocking special characters! Multiple difficulty levels!  Multi-player! Off the couch!!!


This morning, husband and I played Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 2 on the Wii (I have been hunting for another version because we love it so much) for a half hour.  It is a great way to use your entire body to gain points, burning calories and gathering sweat along the way.  After a half hour of jumping, stomping our feet, waving our hands in the air like we just don't care and bumping into each other on occasion, we both were panting and sweating as if we'd been to see Jane Fonda at a 1987 Jazzercise convention.  


If you have a Wii or other gaming console, check out the exercise games that are available.  From dancing to boxing, tennis to track, there is a game that you will enjoy that can get your heart rate up and push you to move from the recliner you normally game in.  Granted, playing the games aren't EXACTLY like playing the sports they imitate, and you will find that it is a lot easier to learn to hit grand-slams in your living room than it is at Fenway Park, but on a day that is too hot/cold/wet/snowy/sickly to be outdoors it is a fair substitution.  


The best part about gaming to lose weight is that it is a ton of fun whether you play by yourself or with a friend.  You can get as competitive or relaxed as you want to without having to answer to the glare of a Coach or Personal Trainer and are able to enjoy yourself while you burn calories you didn't even know you had.