anyone else using video games to work out?

I used to love Dance Dance Revolution, had 3 of the games for PS2. Haven’t had the dance mats in years, sadly. But nowadays sometimes I run in place while watching Dying Light virtual run videos on YouTube on my tv, and that’s a video game; does that count? Hehe.

ashmherrin wrote: »

I told a colleague about it, though, and they seemed to kind of just laugh it off as if it weren't a real workout, so I was just curious if anyone else incorporates video games like this into their fitness routine?

If you don't, is there a particular reason? If you do, do you have any other suggestions?

Ignore your colleague. It is a real workout, but it depends on how much effort you put into it. If you're just sort of mildly swaying around, then no, it's not a workout, but, yeah if you're moving your entire body at a good pace, it'll burn calories.

I do FitVR on the Oculus Quest which is a boxing "game". It's kinda like Beat Saber, but for me it's a little more intense and purposeful. I'm trying to decide right now between Holofit and VZfit for cycling. I may not commit to either one and just use youtube for indoor cycling but we'll see. It's starting to warm up so I may not be staying indoors for long.

I do occasionally with my kids...it's fun, and good exercise. I would, however, be in the camp of it not specifically being a "workout". There's nothing wrong with that either. Any deliberate choice to go out and be active and move is exercise...but I don't consider all exercise to actually be a "workout." Most of what I do, I don't really consider to be a "workout"...I just enjoy being out and active. We are meant to be active and moving and all of that exercise (moving) provides for great health benefits, both physically and mentally.

I hit the weight room a couple times per week...which I consider to be a "workout" and I'm currently running a structured cycling program that has me doing 2x per week structured "workouts" on the bike...otherwise, I enjoy just going out and riding...sometimes road and sometimes trail on my hardtail...not really "workouts", but good and fun exercise. I walk pretty much daily...good exercise and it's also my mental "meditation" time...but not really a "workout". I enjoy a good hike in the mountains for a few hours on a nice spring, summer, or fall morning...picking up some kayaks this weekend and looking forward to spending some time kayaking around the Rio Grande with the family this summer and maybe a few trips to the lake...good exercise and lots of fun...but not really a "workout"

It may seem a bit sematic, but for myself, a "workout" is something that is structured and designed with particular protocols to achieve some end...generally performance related. Most of what I do is for fun and recreation...but a "workout" isn't always particularly fun...it's work...and it is work that is designed for me to improve on whatever particular element of my physical fitness I am working on. I personally keep "workouts" to a relative minimum...they definitely have their place in what I do, and do provide some structure...but I do not want so much structure as to be forgoing other opportunities to just be out and active and enjoying myself or to be getting out of bed loathing some "workout" I have scheduled.

For myself, being active in life is my primary objective these days...I've long since divorced the notion of doing things just 'cuz calories...at this point I think of that more as a nice bi-product, but not the immediate purpose. Being active keeps me in good health...being active is a lot of fun...and there are so many ways to just be active, whether that's playing a video game with my kids or jumping on the trampoline with them or playing in the pool or going for walks or hikes or hitting the trails on my hardtail...just a whole lot of fun to be had while also getting regular exercise and treating your body right.

ETA: Some people...a lot of people tend to think that everything has to be some kind of sufferfest "workout" for you to be fit and healthy...the whole "go hard or go home" mentality. Outside of very specific and often advanced fitness and/or aesthetic goals, this isn't remotely true. I've had comments in the past like, "I could never get where you are"..."you must workout all the time"...not really...I'm just an active person and choose to actively participate in life. If I have the choice between Netflix and a nice hike on a Saturday afternoon, nine times out of ten I'm taking the hike. Plenty of time for the boobtube later in the evening when we're settling down.

I enjoy Just Dance on the Switch...it's fun, challenging, and I can do it in my living room without shoes. It isn't designed exactly for working out, which is both a benefit and drawback. Benefit: it's honestly fun, more focused on fun than heart rate. Drawback: unless you go out of your way to make a workout list, you may not get a real cardio or strength workout or one that fits your exact goals.

I also do Ring Fit which is much more directly fitness focused. It's...OK. The exercises are based around calisthenics and running in place. The game makes it more fun, but it's still a lot of squats and so on. The video game isn't very sophisticated as a video game, but the graphics and gameplay still makes a 30 minute workout better than just a workout video.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I do occasionally with my kids...it's fun, and good exercise. I would, however, be in the camp of it not specifically being a "workout". There's nothing wrong with that either. Any deliberate choice to go out and be active and move is exercise...but I don't consider all exercise to actually be a "workout." Most of what I do, I don't really consider to be a "workout"...I just enjoy being out and active. We are meant to be active and moving and all of that exercise (moving) provides for great health benefits, both physically and mentally.

I hit the weight room a couple times per week...which I consider to be a "workout" and I'm currently running a structured cycling program that has me doing 2x per week structured "workouts" on the bike...otherwise, I enjoy just going out and riding...sometimes road and sometimes trail on my hardtail...not really "workouts", but good and fun exercise. I walk pretty much daily...good exercise and it's also my mental "meditation" time...but not really a "workout". I enjoy a good hike in the mountains for a few hours on a nice spring, summer, or fall morning...picking up some kayaks this weekend and looking forward to spending some time kayaking around the Rio Grande with the family this summer and maybe a few trips to the lake...good exercise and lots of fun...but not really a "workout"

It may seem a bit sematic, but for myself, a "workout" is something that is structured and designed with particular protocols to achieve some end...generally performance related. Most of what I do is for fun and recreation...but a "workout" isn't always particularly fun...it's work...and it is work that is designed for me to improve on whatever particular element of my physical fitness I am working on. I personally keep "workouts" to a relative minimum...they definitely have their place in what I do, and do provide some structure...but I do not want so much structure as to be forgoing other opportunities to just be out and active and enjoying myself or to be getting out of bed loathing some "workout" I have scheduled.

For myself, being active in life is my primary objective these days...I've long since divorced the notion of doing things just 'cuz calories...at this point I think of that more as a nice bi-product, but not the immediate purpose. Being active keeps me in good health...being active is a lot of fun...and there are so many ways to just be active, whether that's playing a video game with my kids or jumping on the trampoline with them or playing in the pool or going for walks or hikes or hitting the trails on my hardtail...just a whole lot of fun to be had while also getting regular exercise and treating your body right.

ETA: Some people...a lot of people tend to think that everything has to be some kind of sufferfest "workout" for you to be fit and healthy...the whole "go hard or go home" mentality. Outside of very specific and often advanced fitness and/or aesthetic goals, this isn't remotely true. I've had comments in the past like, "I could never get where you are"..."you must workout all the time"...not really...I'm just an active person and choose to actively participate in life. If I have the choice between Netflix and a nice hike on a Saturday afternoon, nine times out of ten I'm taking the hike. Plenty of time for the boobtube later in the evening when we're settling down.

I tend to disagree. It may be semantics but what you've described as a "workout" I would describe as "training" - like, training for a marathon, training to lift a certain weight etc. which, as you say, has some end goal. A "workout", to me, is any exercise you do above your normal daily activity (I don't count walking from the carpark to the office, but I would count going for a walk around the neighbourhood, for instance). So playing a video game that gets you moving, gets your heart rate up, burns calories, I would count as a "workout" for someone like me who doesn't, say, dance for a living.
Besides, one could argue that the video game is designed with protocols to achieve some performance-related goal, in the form of a scoreboard...

TwistedSassette wrote: »

cwolfman13 wrote: »

I do occasionally with my kids...it's fun, and good exercise. I would, however, be in the camp of it not specifically being a "workout". There's nothing wrong with that either. Any deliberate choice to go out and be active and move is exercise...but I don't consider all exercise to actually be a "workout." Most of what I do, I don't really consider to be a "workout"...I just enjoy being out and active. We are meant to be active and moving and all of that exercise (moving) provides for great health benefits, both physically and mentally.

I hit the weight room a couple times per week...which I consider to be a "workout" and I'm currently running a structured cycling program that has me doing 2x per week structured "workouts" on the bike...otherwise, I enjoy just going out and riding...sometimes road and sometimes trail on my hardtail...not really "workouts", but good and fun exercise. I walk pretty much daily...good exercise and it's also my mental "meditation" time...but not really a "workout". I enjoy a good hike in the mountains for a few hours on a nice spring, summer, or fall morning...picking up some kayaks this weekend and looking forward to spending some time kayaking around the Rio Grande with the family this summer and maybe a few trips to the lake...good exercise and lots of fun...but not really a "workout"

It may seem a bit sematic, but for myself, a "workout" is something that is structured and designed with particular protocols to achieve some end...generally performance related. Most of what I do is for fun and recreation...but a "workout" isn't always particularly fun...it's work...and it is work that is designed for me to improve on whatever particular element of my physical fitness I am working on. I personally keep "workouts" to a relative minimum...they definitely have their place in what I do, and do provide some structure...but I do not want so much structure as to be forgoing other opportunities to just be out and active and enjoying myself or to be getting out of bed loathing some "workout" I have scheduled.

For myself, being active in life is my primary objective these days...I've long since divorced the notion of doing things just 'cuz calories...at this point I think of that more as a nice bi-product, but not the immediate purpose. Being active keeps me in good health...being active is a lot of fun...and there are so many ways to just be active, whether that's playing a video game with my kids or jumping on the trampoline with them or playing in the pool or going for walks or hikes or hitting the trails on my hardtail...just a whole lot of fun to be had while also getting regular exercise and treating your body right.

ETA: Some people...a lot of people tend to think that everything has to be some kind of sufferfest "workout" for you to be fit and healthy...the whole "go hard or go home" mentality. Outside of very specific and often advanced fitness and/or aesthetic goals, this isn't remotely true. I've had comments in the past like, "I could never get where you are"..."you must workout all the time"...not really...I'm just an active person and choose to actively participate in life. If I have the choice between Netflix and a nice hike on a Saturday afternoon, nine times out of ten I'm taking the hike. Plenty of time for the boobtube later in the evening when we're settling down.

I tend to disagree. It may be semantics but what you've described as a "workout" I would describe as "training" - like, training for a marathon, training to lift a certain weight etc. which, as you say, has some end goal. A "workout", to me, is any exercise you do above your normal daily activity (I don't count walking from the carpark to the office, but I would count going for a walk around the neighbourhood, for instance). So playing a video game that gets you moving, gets your heart rate up, burns calories, I would count as a "workout" for someone like me who doesn't, say, dance for a living.
Besides, one could argue that the video game is designed with protocols to achieve some performance-related goal, in the form of a scoreboard...

Also, it all adds up. If you're playing Just Dance rather than Mario Kart, you're burning more calories.

I do Zumba on the Wii. Its a great workout. There are 3 levels easy, medium and hard. I do the medium level and I burn between 600-700 calories. It's fun and you know you are getting a good workout.

had a xbox 360 with connect and on days we couldnt get outside we would play kinect sports or the adventure games. Beach Volleyball was the best and made us sweat more than our hiking would have.

kenyonhaff wrote: »

Also, it all adds up. If you're playing Just Dance rather than Mario Kart, you're burning more calories.

Actually, long before the Wii was even a gleam in some Nintendo developer’s eye, I was getting a lot of exercise playing the old 8-bit Nintendo. Learned early that it was easier to stand, could keep hand and arm more relaxed that way. Also used a stationary bicycle and a stepper sometimes. I routinely do walk in place moves while playing games on the iPhone these days but sometimes one of my old handhelds surfaces. I prefer the sidestep movement for playing games and reading, was never much for marching.

Games like Mario Kart would be great for getting such exercise. I would do a Simpson’s game in the old Nintendo that had a lot of skateboarding scenes, and the stepper was great for that. You just can’t help yourself trying to match the action on the screen. I would probably fall off the stepper nowadays!

I think the most important thing is getting up and being active, while it being something tolerable (if not enjoyable). It sounds like you're getting that with the video games and if other people turn up their noses up at it, that's their problem, not yours.

I honestly used to be one of those people and like someone else said, I do mentally differentiate between a "workout" and moving/ being active. I used to think walking wasn't a "real" workout. While it still doesn't get my heart rate up as high as my actual "workouts," I think it's important for so many other reasons to get outside and walk when I can.

Ad much as I try to get my kids outside a d playing, I've resigned to the fact that them along games on Kinect Sports is their exercise some days. At least they are up and moving their bodies, not just their thumbs!

Hey I also love Just Dance! When I do play it for an extended amount of time I'll totally count it as my workout for the day. I also get lots of enjoyment from Ring Fit Adventure. Try not to let your coworker get into your head, if you're moving, breaking a sweat and having fun it definitely counts. If you ever want a friend to tune into world dance floor with, I'm your girl.

jwoolman5 wrote: »

A while back I saw a YouTube review of a game on an old version of Wii using the balance board that made me wonder if getting a used one would help me improve my balance. My balance has always been terrible - I tilt when tired (a friend watching me says I walk like a drunk st sometimes.... veering off the path in the snow and occasionally veering in the other direction to avoid a tree) and have had close calls for many decades, but let’s just say it hasn’t improved with age. I do better if I get more steps, though, and diligently do a few minutes of yoga warmup stretches every day.

Has anyone had experience with particular Wii or other video games that might be good for improving balance?

The game is called Wii Fit. I had it back in the late aughts/early teens. It does give IMO good feedback for improving balance and posture, although I don't have a balance disorder. There are parts of the game where you need to stand still on the board and keep your center of balance in a particular place, it gives you visual feedback in real time. It might be worth trying if you can find all the equipment (Wii console + Wiimotes, balance board, copy of Wii Fit).

I’m just trying to get back into it now, but years ago to get into workouts I also used the Kinect and the game Your Shape Fitness Evolved. It’s been ten years since I’ve played that game routinely and I still miss it! Now I have my switch, and at times playZumba, Just Dance, Ring Fit Adventure and Fitness Boxing, but they’re not quite the same. I like them, but I do miss my Kinect!