FitSugar

Physical Therapy Out - Wiihabilitation In?

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:00:00 -0800

When I tore my rotator cuff, I had to do some serious physical therapy to help it heal. Although it worked, I have to say the exercises were so repetitive and boring that it was difficult to motivate myself to do them. Now rehab therapy is trying to spice things up by using the Nintendo Wii. Strangely enough, many of the movements required to play Wii are similar to movements in traditional physical-therapy exercises. Since many of the games require you to beat the opponent on the screen, it creates a sense of competitiveness that makes patients want to move their bodies. Plus it's more fun so patients play longer and heal faster.

Wiihabilitation, as it's called, can be used for patients who are recovering from broken bones, surgery, strokes, or other ailments and injuries. The Wii Sports games, such as tennis, baseball, boxing, and golf are the most useful, and it's great for patients of all ages, too, since the games are pretty simple. So the next time you break a leg, don't be surprised if your physical therapist hands you a Wii controller.

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Wii Counts For Something, Just Not Everything

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:00:00 -0800

You're lucky if you've been getting some good use out of your brand new Nintendo Wii that Santa left under the tree, but don't think that hours of bowling and playing tennis virtually will replace real time spent at the gym.

A new study has found that those who play sports video games on the Wii burn more calories than they would playing regular video games, but not as many as if they played the actual sports. So enjoy that Wii, but be sure to make some time for some good old fashion exercise.

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Wii, The First Fit Video Game?

FitSugar — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 03:30:00 -0800

I am so excited to welcome geek to the Sugar team! And while, she and I may not always see eye to eye on the benefit of video games, the Nintendo's Wii ($250) is one video game that I actually think is totally great too.

Wii is quite possibly one of the first "Fit approved" video games because instead of sitting sedentary on your couch eating chips, Wii players actually get up and move... a lot.

Check out the video that geek found showing one girl burning some serious calories while playing Wii.

And for more info on the Wii, go here.

Just Released: Three Fitness Video Games For the Wii

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 03:00:47 -0700

Confession: I love playing video games - I especially love them on the Wii because I get to move, jump, and shake myself into a tizzy. Three fitness games were released for the Wii this last week and even though it's not like doing the real deal outside, the games are a fun way to burn calories and whip your bod into shape.

Nintendo Wii Fit Plus ($20) Wii Fit Plus is Nintendo's follow-up to the popular Wii Fit. There are new exercises, balance board games, and strength and yoga activities, as well as targeted exercise routines for things like reducing tummy fat and toning your figure. A great improvement is the addition of a calorie counter - after you complete each exercise the game tells you how many calories you've burned.

To hear about the other two games, continue reading.

Nintendo Wii Wiimotes Get Weighty

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0700

I'm a big fan of keeping hand weights by the TV for impromptu lifting sessions, and for all you Wii Fit devotees, the Riiflex Wiimote weights have a similar appeal. These snap-on weights affix to your Wii Remote and Nunchuck accessories to make workouts (or play) more challenging.

Available as a set of two 2-pound weights ($35) or two 4-pound weights ($40), the brightly colored dumbbells look comfy to hold and let you access the Wii's assorted buttons and triggers. Even if you don't have a Wii Fit, you can snap them on your Wiimote to make any Wii game work a little harder.

Interested? The Riiflex weights are available for pre-order, so grab yours now.

Cell Phone Elbow - Seriously?

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0700

The injuries known as tennis elbow and golf elbow I have heard of, but cell phone elbow? It sounds like a joke, but it's actually a condition filed under the category of overuse injuries.

This isn't the first time technology has led to health issues. There's carpal tunnel syndrome caused by typing; Nintendinitis, the thumb pain brought on by hours of uninterrupted Nintendo play; Wii-itis, the elbow pain from hours of Wii Tennis; and BlackBerry Thumb caused by extended amounts of texting.

Add to the list of reasons to hang up your cell phone the injury health practitioners refer to as cubital tunnel syndrome. When the ulnar nerve, which runs through elbow joint, is compressed, it loses sufficient blood supply, causing numbness and pain in the ring finger and pinky. Not limited to chronic cell phone users, cell phone elbow can strike anyone who leans on her elbow a lot to type or talk on land lines. Since about half the people on the planet have cell phones, it's recommended to switch often between which hand holds your phone, and using one of those hands-free Bluetooth headsets can prevent your elbow form bending in the first place. Do any of you think you have cell phone elbow?

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Jillian Michaels Gets Wii Fit

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Jillian Michaels is a tough cookie when it comes to training, and I love her hardcore attitude. The Biggest Loser trainer teamed up with Nintendo to create her workout for Wii Fit called Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 ($37), and the final product looks like a fun way to get fit.

She visited ABC News to discuss the game and explained that she "got fat" as a kid playing video games, and hopes the Fitness Ultimatum will be an effective solution for combating childhood obesity. She's targeting kids by making the game fun and interactive, complete with cool graphics, but it's something the whole family can use. Jillian says eventually you can burn 300 to 400 calories an hour doing things like kickboxing, running, and squats.

To see a video of Jillian demonstrating with the Wii Fit, read more.

Get Wii Fit with the Balance Board

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Nintendo is out to prove that video games and fitness are not mutually exclusive. They recently unveiled the Balance Board, a Wii video game accessory for their soon to be released Wii Fit games. I have to say geeksugar and I are super excited about this new development.

The Balance Board looks somewhat like a scale but it is really a gaming controller. When you stand on the board it senses your motions so you can interact with the video game playing on your TV. The range of games will satisfy fitness enthusiasts of all kinds with Wii Fit games like yoga and soccer, as well as hula hooping and something close to Dance Dance Revolution. It looks like many of the games will activate and work your core.

The balance board will also take measurements of your body and plot your fitness level over time. If you are feeling extra competitive you can compare your progress with other members of your household. Sometimes a little friendly competition is in order.

Interested in seeing the Balance Board in action? Then read more

There is more to see. You should also check out this cool video geeksugar found showing what Nintendo's Shigero Miyamoto had to say about the Balance Board.

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Wii-itis IS The New Nintendinitis

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Sports injuries are a serious bummer, not only do they disrupt well planned training schedules, they are also painful. As luck would have it, "sports" injuries sustained during long sessions of Wii sports video games are painful as well.

A recent letter in "The New England Journal of Medicine details the first documented case of acute “Wiiitis” caused by extended play on Wii tennis. Yep, hours on the virtual court can lead to over use injuries, just like in reality. Well not quite...the Wii games can captivate a player for hours and "unlike in the real sports, physical strength and endurance are not limiting factors," according to the diagnosing physician. I would add to that list weather conditions (sun?) and other players waiting to get some court time can force a game wisely to end.

According to geeksugar, this is not the first Wii related injury. Seems there were some strap malfunctions in some early models. It is also interesting to note, "Nintendinitis" (love the play on words here) became part of the medical vernacular in the 1990s when a doctor used the word to characterize thumb pain brought on by five hours of uninterrupted Nintendo play, by a 35 year female patient.

Once again, it seems like the moral of the tale is one of moderation. So if Wii is your only form of exercise (please say it ain't so, especially with this gorgeous weather) you should treat it like any other form of exercise and warm up! Or at least take some Gatorade breaks to "replenish" your athletic self.

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Fitbit Tracks Your Workouts and Your Sleep

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Although I think healthy living is often about simplifying things, I still love techy health gadgets. If you're a health nut like me, you probably wonder everyday if you've gotten enough sleep or how many calories you burned on your morning jog. Most fitness gadgets only monitor your workouts, but the Fitbit ($99) keeps tabs on your sleep too. So it keeps track of you day and night.

It contains a motion sensor like the ones found in a Nike+ Sports Kit or the Nintendo Wii. The Fitbit measures the duration and intensity of your walks or runs, how many calories you've burned, the number of steps you've taken, and distance you've traveled each day. It also monitors your bedtime habits by tracking how long it took you to fall asleep, the number of times you woke up during the night, and how long you were actually asleep. It has a small blue OLED display that shows your steps, calories, distance, and overall activity level. Interested in more details? Then read more.

Fitbit is also wireless. Your data will automatically be uploaded to the Fitbit website as soon as you walk within 25 feet of the base station, which comes with the Fitbit. This tracking device isn't shipping until late December/early January, so if you want to be the first on your block to have one, you can preorder on the website.