Using Video Games to Get in Shape

Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 2DDR Dancing with the Stars

Dancers have the best bodies. They are lean, flexible, athletic and strong.

Now you and your favorite couch potato can get fit by playing video games that incorporate dance.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has researched games such as Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) to see if they provide the same fitness benefits as more structured aerobic workouts. And they were pleased with the results.

You can boogie to your PlayStation or Wii and burn calories at varying intensity levels. They are finding that people from different age groups are playing and dancing together.

Hmmm, I’ve been looking for an excuse to buy a new gaming system. DDR sounds like a fun way to workout, relieve stress, burn calories and improve balance and coordination.

To read the full details of the ACE study, click here for a pdf version of the Sep/Oct issue ACE Fitness Matters.

I originally found this story at Yahoo! Health.

2 responses to “Using Video Games to Get in Shape

  1. Call me crazy, I just do not see teenage boys going for it. I could be wrong.

  2. I think they will love it. But there are some useless devices for doing exercises, like the Wii fit. You don´t need to be a genious to notice that.