Get Fit Playing Games: New Generation Exercise, Play Console Games

SnapHow.com : Web & Computing Tips. Gone are the days of simple game consoles with a wired controller with two buttons that you mash while sitting on the couch eating greasy snacks. Today’s video games are becoming more and more people friendly in that they are geared for all walks of life; toddlers, teens, adults, senior citizens, mega-gamers and even the casual gamer.

One niche that is growing rapidly is fitness and there are a number of games being produced to help users get active and stay fit while having fun in the comfort of their own home. Let’s take a look at a four of them.
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Top 5 Interactive Games to Help Stay Fit

# Yourself Fitness (Link)

A fitness training game for the Xbox and PS2 consoles. The game features a personal trainer named Maya who helps the user choose their health and fitness goals. She then works with the gamer to achieve their goals as she guides workouts that feature aerobics, Pilates, strength training, yoga, and guided meditation. The coaching is step by step from warm-up to cool-down and sure to get a gamer sweating. Released in October of 2004, Yourself Fitness was one of the first games in the fitness genre.

# Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus (Link)

A game for the Nintendo Wii console, is designed with fitness and fun in mind and geared for everyone, young and old. Released in the North America in May of 2008, it features Wii “fit players” that the gamer creates to work toward specific fitness goals. The games consist of a number of activities that use the Wii Balance Board peripheral. Currently, Wii Fit is considered the third best selling console game in history. The Balance Board can be used to calculate a player’s body mass index. The game also has over 40 different activities including yoga poses, push-ups, strength training, aerobic activities like Hula Hoop, Rhythm Boxing, and Free Step, and balance games like the ski jump, snowboard slalom, and tightrope walking. New activities can be unlocked by earning “Fit Credits” which can be saved in the “FitBank”. Wii Fit also features an activity log where players can keep track of activities they do outside of the game. A follow-up to Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus, was released in October of 2009 and features 20 new games that also use the Wii Balance Board peripheral. Click here for more information on Nintendo Wii Fit & Wii Fit Plus.
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# EA Sports Active (Link)

An exercise game that was released in North America in May of 2009. The game comes with a strappable pouch for holding the Wii Nunchuk remote as well as a resistance band. The game has a number of activities and sports themed challenges that use the motion controls of the Wii platform. The game also has a virtual personal trainer and includes a number of 20 minute workout routines and a “30 Day” challenge mode that allows players to set workout goals such hitting a certain number of sessions or an amount of calories to burn over 30 days.

The idea behind the “30 Day” mode is that if the player reaches or exceeds their goals for burning calories, weight loss will happen automatically. This assumes somewhat proper eating. The game also awards players with trophies for reaching specific game related goals such as completing 10 total workout hours. Players can develop routines that utilize their favorite exercises or target certain areas of the body such as upper body, lower body, or even cardio. The intensity of the workout can also be altered, affecting a single exercise’s difficulty or the difficulty of the entire workout.

# Just Dance (Link)

For the casual gamer that wants to be active without a specific exercise regimen, Just Dance might be the game for you. Just Dance is a music video game with three different modes. The “Classic” mode has the player pick a track and try to dance along with the on-screen dancer. The “Last One Standing” mode has players earn points for dancing correctly in a dance competition. If a player makes too many mistakes, they get eliminated. The “Strike a Pose” mode has players start and stop dancing as directed by the on-screen dancer. The game has 32 different music tracks. Songs include Cotton Eye Joe (Rednex), I Like To Move It (Reel 2 Real), U Can’t Touch This (MC Hammer), and Girls Just Want To Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper) among others. This fun game will definitely have you moving, grooving and burning calories.
This is just a small taste of the games that will help keep you fit. There are many more available and a number of new ones being planned or in production. As technology improves, we can expect the fitness genre of gaming to explode and make fitness a bigger part of everyday life.

About Author : This article has been contributed by Nick from Building body muscles. His blog is dedicated to gaining muscles and reviewing the latest home gym equipments. Subscribe to his rss or email newsletter to receive posts directly from Nick.