Hooray, Gamers Are Getting Fit!

The Wii really is getting people to work out.

Bob Casswell at computers.net has posted an extract from a Wall Street Online that requires subscription:

“It’s harder than playing basketball,” says Kaitlin Franke, a 12-year-old from Louisville, Kentucky. She’s mostly into the bowling and boxing games, which require some practice of specific motions and fancy footwork.

In Rochester, Minnesota, Jeremy Scherer and his wife spent three hours playing tennis and bowling Wii games. Jeremy mentions his score improvements at the expense of his shoulders and back that were still aching the next day. “I was using muscles I hadn’t used in a while.” Jeremy is a computer programmer who calls himself as “not very active,” but is now on the nightly “Wii workout” plan to get in better shape.

A Wii Workout: When Videogames Hurt

All good to hear but how long will it last before people revert to the Toolbox method? I remember getting completely knackered the first few times I played EyeToy’s Boxing Chump. That lasted about a day until I realised that it was much funnier to just flick that robot-mouse-thing in the head.

Still, it’s a good motivator. The only reason I don’t work out regularly is that I find it unbelievably dull. A few games should help. By this time next year I’ll probably have incredibly well-toned arms and the same weak, feeble legs.

Bugger.

[via Digg]

Edit: Updated links as she article has moved to TechConsumer.com. There was also a poll but that seems to be no longer available.