Experience with XBOX 360 kinect

chrishg
chrishg Posts: 35 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

Has anyone used the Xbox360 Kinect system for fitness? If so, what was your experiencea and does it give results? I guess I'm asking specifically about the workout games like "Your Shape" (rather than the generally active games that do burn calories but aren't solely for that purpose). Can you actually work up a proper sweat and burn calories?

I'm looking into this as a supplement to bike riding and to plug the cycling gaps when grim winter makes getting out more difficult.

Thanks

Chris

Replies

  • FionaAnne22
    FionaAnne22 Posts: 178 Member
    I love computer games as exercise, and have many. I have your shape fitness evolved for the kinect, and yes while I definitely was sweating, I had problems with the sensor picking up my arms! I tried wearing a long sleeved top, then a dark long sleeved top and it still wouldn't pick up my movement properly, however my house is very light, so it could have been this that was interfering with it.

    I'd have a read of reviews, see which one comes out top, but yeah, the kinect is definitely great for burning calories, also now there is a fitness app type thing for free on the marketplace which will track all of your calories burned in games like this :)
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    I use my kinect with Fitness Evolved 2012 and a heart rate monitor. The workouts can be really challenging and there's so many different activities that it's hard to get bored. One day I could do weights and aerobics, another day african dance and kickboxing.
    The calorie burn it shows you on screen is VERY low compared to my HRM. I found with the fat-burning programmes I was burning about 500cal per hour.

    I also love the dancing titles like Dance Central 1+2 and Just Dance which I also use in conjunction with my HRM. It's a lot of fun to be able to work out indoors when the weather is rubbish or I'm not feeling up for a run. I actually did a lot of Kinect working-out while I was writing my dissertation because I didn't go out much!
  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    I love my Kinect for burning calories. The games that REALLY get my heart rate up are Just Dance 3, Just Dance Best of 1 and 2, Zumba Fitness, Zumba Fitness Rush, and the Black Eyed Peas Experience. The games I use for days I just want to move but don't really want anything intense are Country Dance, Dance Central 1 & 2, and Let's Dance (too many menus to go through to keep your heart rate up consistently).

    Dance Central 1 & 2 are a bigger calorie burn if you play on medium or hard, but until you do all of the break it downs so you can get straight into play, it won't be that hard. The other problem is that you have to choose each individual song and keep going through all the menu options to play, unlike the Just Dance series where they have a play list that is constant shuffle and it just goes straight from song to song.

    I wasn't crazy about the Fitness Evolved, to be honest. Most of the aerobics and kickboxing sections are less than 15 minutes, and I didn't find the strength very challenging.

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