Nintendo Wii for Weight Loss?

Exercise is boring, right? Whether it's walking on the treadmill or swimming laps, don't you find that you compete with yourself just to put come excitement into the routine? Isn't competition so much more fun? The Nintendo Wii system can apparently make losing weight and working out fun!

The first time Mickey DeLorenzo tried boxing with his new Nintendo Wii system, he wound up winded and sweaty. He knew that he was getting a good workout, and decided to test his theory. He began a six-week experiment that ended on January 15th.

He didn't diet. He didn't increase his water intake. He didn't pass on the holiday turkey and pumpkin pie, either. All he did differently in his routine was to add 30 minutes of workout time each day with the Nintendo Wii sports games. He used the Boxing, Tennis, Bowling, and Baseball games. Golf, which also comes with the Sports pack, would not likely be a good choice for a cardio workout.

Mickey measured everything: weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), heart rate, body fat percentage, pain and soreness, and calories burned per session. At the end of six weeks, he had lost nine pounds!

The idea of this appeals to the competitor in me. Now I admit, I'm not a "gamer." I can't stand the idea of sitting on the couch for hours at a time, exercising only your fingers; I swear I can almost feel my butt spreading to massive proportions as I play. But this Nintendo Wii system, one that gets me up off the couch and moving, that's a system I could grow to love.

The fact that I can program my opponent to look like an ex-spouse is a complete bonus!

And then there are the friends and acquaintances that I would love to beat up on in the Boxing game, jabbing and punching without any police arrest afterward. It might even be worth it to invite them over for the night; after I've practiced a bit, of course.

The Nintendo Wii system has been called a "simple" system, one that's perfect for those of us who aren't really fans of computer games. Well, I'm one of those people. It works for me, since it doesn't look so intimidating. I wouldn't have the first clue how to go about playing some of the games my twelve-year-old nephew plays.

If you're wondering about any drawbacks, Mickey did mention a problem with so-called "Wii elbow." The first three to five days, he was very sore from his shoulders to his wrists. I could live with that; I have heating pads.

So thanks, Mickey DeLorenzo, for sharing your experiment with us. Now, where's the nearest electronics store?

(Lisa Baertlein, "It's official. Wii use can cause weight loss." Reuters. URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070119/tc_nm/nintendo_wii_weightloss_dc)