Exercise Video Games (like Wii and DDR)
Pikashel
Posts: 61 Member
Does anyone still use their Wii Fit, Wii Sports, or DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) for exercise? That is my main cardio at the moment until I can work my way up to running.
Cardio (6 days a week):
-DDR for 30 min on medium/hard (standard/heavy). About 16 songs and working my way up to more
-Rest day: Wii Fit or Wii Sports (30 min) and walking my doge (15 min)
Strength:
-Biceps and triceps with 18 lbs weights (usually 3 sets with 10 reps)
Current stats:
Height: 5'7"
SW: 289 lbs
CW: 280 lbs
GW: 140 lbs
Thoughts on my routine? Am I doing anything wrong or should I add to my regimen? Is anyone else using video games as a main source of exercise?
Please also feel free to add me if you have similar stats and goals! Leave me a note saying why you want to be friends
Cardio (6 days a week):
-DDR for 30 min on medium/hard (standard/heavy). About 16 songs and working my way up to more
-Rest day: Wii Fit or Wii Sports (30 min) and walking my doge (15 min)
Strength:
-Biceps and triceps with 18 lbs weights (usually 3 sets with 10 reps)
Current stats:
Height: 5'7"
SW: 289 lbs
CW: 280 lbs
GW: 140 lbs
Thoughts on my routine? Am I doing anything wrong or should I add to my regimen? Is anyone else using video games as a main source of exercise?
Please also feel free to add me if you have similar stats and goals! Leave me a note saying why you want to be friends
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Replies
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I liked it but never felt like it helped as much as I wanted. I did better just jumping into running with a c25k app and repeating days if I wasn't ready for the next intensity. I used to hate strength training but now I love it and muscles will help in the long run. I do pushups, squats, lunges and other items also. You have a great start but don't be scared to just jump into running.0
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mysticatgal1 wrote: »I liked it but never felt like it helped as much as I wanted. I did better just jumping into running with a c25k app and repeating days if I wasn't ready for the next intensity. I used to hate strength training but now I love it and muscles will help in the long run. I do pushups, squats, lunges and other items also. You have a great start but don't be scared to just jump into running.
Maybe it's an excuse but I feel like I am too heavy right now to just jump into running. If I do I probably won't go very far lol. I was able to do the elliptical for 10 min last week. I'm going to gradually increase the duration and frequency..but probably very slowly. I think I'll add squats and lunges too. Pushups...I was never able to do push ups, even when I was 70 lbs lighter.
Which games did you play?0 -
any reason your strength training is on two small body parts - biceps and triceps - what about the rest of your body??0
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Muscleflex79 wrote: »any reason your strength training is on two small body parts - biceps and triceps - what about the rest of your body??
I workout at home. I only have a bench and weights. I'm not too educated on weight training and would like to get more ideas if you have any ideas for beginners! I also want to incorporate chest exercises but haven't begun any research on that yet.0 -
You get the biggest bang for your workout buck if you exercise your largest muscles, since they take the most energy to move (including strength training). Abdomen, back, thighs, butt (shoulders too, if you have extra time). Doing squats, push ups, lunges and leg lifts can work all of these without any added weights (but after a month, you might add some weights). Add some walking, and you're off to a great start.1
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Since you workout at home, look into the You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning. They're both body weight training programs.
Years ago I used the Wii to workout. I would us the walk program for about 60 minutes while watching tv and it helped. I used it as my rest day after doing an P90X workout.0 -
I do a lot of DDR for exercise, it's great for those of us who despise running. A forty minute session on the higher level songs will have me dripping with sweat, haha.2
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Since you workout at home, look into the You Are Your Own Gym or Convict Conditioning. They're both body weight training programs.
Years ago I used the Wii to workout. I would us the walk program for about 60 minutes while watching tv and it helped. I used it as my rest day after doing an P90X workout.
Thanks, I will look into those! I think Wii games are great if you are very out of shape and just starting to get back at it.0 -
You get the biggest bang for your workout buck if you exercise your largest muscles, since they take the most energy to move (including strength training). Abdomen, back, thighs, butt (shoulders too, if you have extra time). Doing squats, push ups, lunges and leg lifts can work all of these without any added weights (but after a month, you might add some weights). Add some walking, and you're off to a great start.
Are there any resources you'd recommend me to look into some beginner exercises for large muscles?0 -
I use video games as a way to relax when I'm not working out.0
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You get the biggest bang for your workout buck if you exercise your largest muscles, since they take the most energy to move (including strength training). Abdomen, back, thighs, butt (shoulders too, if you have extra time). Doing squats, push ups, lunges and leg lifts can work all of these without any added weights (but after a month, you might add some weights). Add some walking, and you're off to a great start.
Are there any resources you'd recommend me to look into some beginner exercises for large muscles?
The "you are your own gym" search that someone else mentioned is a GREAT place to start.0 -
I use my WII for exercise. I have a lot of knee pain so running is not an option. I am getting ready to join the YMCA here specifically for the water classes. Little to no impact on joints but awesome cardio!
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Your moving and that's good. Forget the fads, crazy diets etc. Losing weight is about the basics no "magic bullet".0
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I use our old DDR games as part of my routine and it helped me get to goal weight. If you enjoy doing it you're more likely to stick with it, and you're moving, so that's always good! 1
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i know a few people who have lost a bunch of weight DDRing it up. I play it but only occasionally.........that needs to change!
Thanks for the reminder. I like the paranoia's on the easier settings 0 -
I have a wii and I have a lot of dance games and I love them. thats how I started losing weight. I still use the just dance or the zumba games every so often when I want to do something different.hey exercise is exercise, and if you like to dance and use it for your cardio then do that. you dont have to run if you dont want to.0
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@andycool22 yeah, reviving the DDR! I don't know what I'm going to do when my dance pad breaks. They don't really sell good ones anymore. Paranoia is hecka hard... I can only play on easy right now.0
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I have a Wii boxing game. I haven't played it in a while. Walking on a treadmill at a high speed, and/or incline will also help boost your lung capacity for running. I'm not sure what you are worried you can't do in regards to running. Without that information it's hard to know what to suggest.0
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I have a Wii boxing game. I haven't played it in a while. Walking on a treadmill at a high speed, and/or incline will also help boost your lung capacity for running. I'm not sure what you are worried you can't do in regards to running. Without that information it's hard to know what to suggest.
I currently weight 280lbs and have been sedentary for over 5 years. I want to work slowly towards running but just don't feel like I'm ready for it yet. I did however run a very short distance to catch my bus the other day and didn't feel as winded as I normally do (I've been doing other cardio daily)0 -
I say throw in body weight squats and lunges. Holy crap, can't tell you how much of a difference I already see, just two weeks in. I do it only 2 days a week and I know it's just me losing fat (not gaining muscle) but my legs are slimmer and I can feel my muscles much more easily beneath my skin. That and pilates. I swear pilates is my golden ticket. I enjoy it, I like doing it even while it hurts a little (pushing through the last 2 reps after doing all my squats and lunges can get a little tense haha), and I have always felt crazy strong and tall after I'm done with even a short little video. The one I did today was 10 minutes but it is 10 minutes of watching my legs look all sexy and awesome so I love it!
I also love just Dance! It's super fun and I giggle the whole time because I'm sure I look just awful but it's too much fun to stop.1 -
Maybe it's an excuse but I feel like I am too heavy right now to just jump into running. If I do I probably won't go very far lol. I was able to do the elliptical for 10 min last week. I'm going to gradually increase the duration and frequency..but probably very slowly. I think I'll add squats and lunges too. Pushups...I was never able to do push ups, even when I was 70 lbs lighter.
Which games did you play?
When I started running, it was all I could do to run for 10 minutes, and I felt like I was going to die. If you can go out and run 10 minutes today, that's seriously impressive. And in those days I couldn't even go a mile in that amount of time. But I wouldn't be able to run any further if I hadn't gone through that part.
With that said, my knees hurt after I ran back then, and I didn't run terribly often because of it. You shouldn't be afraid to try it if you want to, but on the other hand, your fears aren't entirely unfounded and you should take it very easy if you do.1 -
I do Just Dance games maybe once a week. I usually dance for 30-40 minutes. It is fun.
My main source of exercise is walking 30-60 minutes a day plus doing workout videos from You Tube. I'm using a playlist rotation from Jessica Smith right now. http://jessicasmithtv.com/plug-play-weekly-youtube-workout-rotation-playlist/0 -
I used to play DDR a lot as a teenager and it's part of what helped me go from 190 pounds to 119 pounds back then. I recently went on a three day trip with my 8th grade students as one of their chaperones and on the resort there was a DDR machine. I decided to play for the sake of nostalgia and according to my Fitbit Charge HR I burned 194 calories playing for 44 minutes. I'm 5'3" and 111 pounds; I was playing most of the songs on Standard and a few on Heavy. Anything that keeps you moving is a good exercise!1
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I play DDR a few times a week. I don't play specifically for exercise. I just love playing it and it's an added bonus that I get my steps in. I've had days where I played for 1-2 hours. I play on light since my feet can't keep up with the arrows on standard or heavy. Not to mention I live in a 3rd floor apartment. I make it a bit more challenging by increasing the speed of the arrows to 1.5 or 2.1
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Omg, whenever I play Just Dance I'm so out of breath it's not funny, it's also great to get a friend to play it with, you end up egging each other on and working harder than you realize/normally would playing alone! As for other strength things to do at home, you could try either following a you are your own gym program (there's an app for like $2, it has a lot of variations of common exercises to help you work up to the most intense version, variations I had never though of! So you can't do a push up? That's ok! Do one on an elevated surface! Still too hard? That's ok, let's try them on the wall first!) or try some yoga, can't recommend Yoga with Adrienne enough on YouTube! She's got some fantastic videos!
You're already doing great! There's something about Wii games that can make you work a little harder to beat your score!1 -
Just Dance is definitely my favorite work out. I have so much fun with it, I forget that I am exercising.0
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I've been thinking of getting the Wii for the UFC training game0
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sharkizord wrote: »I've been thinking of getting the Wii for the UFC training game
If you're just starting to exercise I think it would be a great motivation. I just got Wii boxing (even though no one plays this anymore probably). And my arms got so tired airpunching. It was a lot of fun.0
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