You've probably noticed the ads with the happy family working out in front of their HDTV, in their perfectly white home, with their latest Wii Fit, Xbox Kinect or Playstation Move software. But today we answer the top question on everybody's lips...
How good are tools such as Wii Fit, Playstation Move and Xbox Kinect for weight loss and toning up when they are compared to going to the gym?
Being a Personal Trainer, it would probably be acceptable of me to dismiss these products as a fad. However, that is not what I am going to do. While many trainers would be happy to just advise you to use a real gym, we can undoubtedly see that Nintendo Wii Fit, for example, has huge potential. Here are a few reasons why we believe this software actually has a massive future.
* Tools such as Wii Fit are fantastic for people who lack the confidence to workout in front of others at the gym
* Owning an Xbox Kinect, Playstation Move or Wii Fit allows you to squeeze in a workout at just about any time
* The one time cost makes this very affordable. Cheaper than a home gym and a gym membership.
* In two years time the technology will have moved forward an awful lot.
While many insecure fitness instructors and personal trainers would scoff at the prospect of getting a good workout from a computer game, they often really simply fear it as a threat to their own profession. After all, who needs to go to the gym when you can do it at home, right? The truth is, as a trainer myself, you should be very optimistic about the development of this kind of keep fit software. It will only enhance gym,s helping countless potential members build up the confidence to finally take out that membership and push on to the next level of fitness.
Tools like this are excellent starting points for anyone who falls into the categories we listed above, and given the ability to download new workout routines to your console, workout with network friends, and the ever evolving nature of computer games in general I say this particular avenue of fitness is one which is very exciting indeed.
But is it as effective as physically going to a gym? At the moment the technology is great (and always improving) at providing great body weight workouts, cardio sessions and stretching but is understandably somewhat lacking when it comes to resistance training. Steps have been taken already to move in this direction however (such as the inclusion of resistance bands with EA Sports Active 2, for example). As things stand right now, the gym wins hands down when it comes to weights.
When it comes to a heavy weights session, or any other form of resistance training, the software isn't in the same league as hitting a gym for real. However, given the constant progress made in the gaming world I wouldn't be surprised if one day you and I met via a Playstation for one of my workout routines instead of face to face.
If you are considering buying a Wii Fit, Xbox Kinect or Playstation Move for keep fit purposes I fully recommend you do so. They are already sound and have proven results but the most exciting aspect is that they get better with every single month which passes by.
How good are tools such as Wii Fit, Playstation Move and Xbox Kinect for weight loss and toning up when they are compared to going to the gym?
Being a Personal Trainer, it would probably be acceptable of me to dismiss these products as a fad. However, that is not what I am going to do. While many trainers would be happy to just advise you to use a real gym, we can undoubtedly see that Nintendo Wii Fit, for example, has huge potential. Here are a few reasons why we believe this software actually has a massive future.
* Tools such as Wii Fit are fantastic for people who lack the confidence to workout in front of others at the gym
* Owning an Xbox Kinect, Playstation Move or Wii Fit allows you to squeeze in a workout at just about any time
* The one time cost makes this very affordable. Cheaper than a home gym and a gym membership.
* In two years time the technology will have moved forward an awful lot.
While many insecure fitness instructors and personal trainers would scoff at the prospect of getting a good workout from a computer game, they often really simply fear it as a threat to their own profession. After all, who needs to go to the gym when you can do it at home, right? The truth is, as a trainer myself, you should be very optimistic about the development of this kind of keep fit software. It will only enhance gym,s helping countless potential members build up the confidence to finally take out that membership and push on to the next level of fitness.
Tools like this are excellent starting points for anyone who falls into the categories we listed above, and given the ability to download new workout routines to your console, workout with network friends, and the ever evolving nature of computer games in general I say this particular avenue of fitness is one which is very exciting indeed.
But is it as effective as physically going to a gym? At the moment the technology is great (and always improving) at providing great body weight workouts, cardio sessions and stretching but is understandably somewhat lacking when it comes to resistance training. Steps have been taken already to move in this direction however (such as the inclusion of resistance bands with EA Sports Active 2, for example). As things stand right now, the gym wins hands down when it comes to weights.
When it comes to a heavy weights session, or any other form of resistance training, the software isn't in the same league as hitting a gym for real. However, given the constant progress made in the gaming world I wouldn't be surprised if one day you and I met via a Playstation for one of my workout routines instead of face to face.
If you are considering buying a Wii Fit, Xbox Kinect or Playstation Move for keep fit purposes I fully recommend you do so. They are already sound and have proven results but the most exciting aspect is that they get better with every single month which passes by.
About the Author:
Author: Russ Howe is a qualified Personal Trainer. Watch your exclusive video review of Wii Fit vs Xbox Kinect.
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