18 February,2011 07:32 AM IST | | Kumar Saurav
Can new-age video games help you battle the bulge? Active! finds out
Do the new generation of video games give you a real workout in your living room? The answer, surprisingly might be yes. But is the idea practical? Vesna Pericevic Jacob, director of Delhi-based Vesna's Wellness Clinic, says, "Every activity that uses your body is an exercise, whether done in the real or the virtual world."
However, she adds, it might be incorrect to assume that a virtual workout can be as affective as a real one. "Playing virtual tennis will not guarantee the same benefits as playing it outdoors. When you play in a real court, you run over a larger surface area, use greater force to hit the ball, and use resistance when the ball comes to you.
Since the exertion on your body is greater, the calorie-burning process is also more effective," she says. Recent studies indicate that videogames can assist in your daily workout. When The International Sports Sciences Association asked doctors and scientists about how they evaluate the idea of combining exercise with video games, one of the participants, Dr Josh Trout, Professor of Kinesiology at California State University Chico said, "Exergaming and exertainment is an excellent way for getting kids hooked on physical activity."u00a0
Researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center who studied children between the ages of 10 to 13, found that exergaming burnt at least as many calories as moderate exercise and bowling.u00a0 PlayStation recently rolled out Move for PlayStation 3. which allows users to play as if they are inside the game.
It comes with a built-in Heart Rate Monitor, 70 plus exercises, a nine-week programme designed by certified personal trainers and a built-in personal trainer, EA SPORTS Active 2 provides total body conditioning using progressive exercises. EA's Sports Active 2 offers customised workouts. "Apart from regular workout exercises like squats and lunges, the game also has a lot of fun fitness activities," says Jayont R Sharma, CEO and Chairman, Milestone Interactive Group. So, the next time anyone calls you a couch potato, you know how to deal with it.
