Does playing a Wii game = exercise?

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One smart move by Nintendo (or maybe it's just a happy side effect of their innovative controller) is that in the blurbs about the Wii I've read in no less than 3 mags (that don't focus on gaming) it's mentioned that unlike any other console ever made your kid will actually get some exercise while jumping around with the controller. I may be wrong, but I doubt you really do get much exercise playing a Wii game. Isn't it mostly (completely?) sitting on your ass and making small gestures with your wrist?

Just kind of seems like lazy/clueless reporting to me by these mags. Am I wrong?
 
With Wii Sports, if you get into it, it can be some what a workout. Boxing especially, if you're flailing around like a mad-man, can break a sweat. But Zelda? No.

I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo released some sort of physcial fitness software for the Wii though, in the same vein as Brain Age.
 
Well it really depends on how into a game you get. For me I like to stand and make the full motions when playing a game like Wii Sports even though small gestures will do. On the other hand when I'm playing a game like Zelda I just sit and make small motions. I know that I really hurt my shoulder after my first two days of bowling in Wii Sports because I was just being too aggressive when making my motions. Now though I've come to a happy medium in which I still go through all the motions just not quite as violently.
 
[quote name='wubb']One smart move by Nintendo (or maybe it's just a happy side effect of their innovative controller) is that in the blurbs about the Wii I've read in no less than 3 mags (that don't focus on gaming) it's mentioned that unlike any other console ever made your kid will actually get some exercise while jumping around with the controller. I may be wrong, but I doubt you really do get much exercise playing a Wii game. Isn't it mostly (completely?) sitting on your ass and making small gestures with your wrist?

Just kind of seems like lazy/clueless reporting to me by these mags. Am I wrong?[/quote]

Play the racing games on Rayman Raving Rabids and tell me it's not excercise (or MANY of the other ones.). Nadden has this also in one of the minigames on the 40 yrd dash. And yes it does depend on the game. When i play Tennis or Baseball, Im not sitting on my ass. Im up and doing stuff. When I play Zelda yes it doesn't constitute excercise. BUT, do you want all games where you have to get up and do stuff? Sometimes it's relaxing just to sit back and play.

I saw a commercial today and it was a WII game and a lady was doing the arm pumping action for running, and on the screen was a track meet. What is this? Maybe it's on WII Play? Anyone seen that commercial?
 
[quote name='Onifrio']Wii not WII[/quote]

Thanks for pointing out something so important as 2 capitalized I's. That really added to things.
 
What I've noticed is that people start out with huge motions and then when they realize they don't actually need to take a step forward and swing their arm wildly to hit the ball in Wii Tennis, they stop. So no, playing a Wii game isn't really exercise unless you really make an effort.
 
For me, I usually get up and move a lot during Wii Sports. But Zelda, Rayman and Trauma Center? Nah, no exercise. Just sitting.
 
I agree that Zelda wasn't too strenuous, but I just spent a good 10 hours yesterday finishing up Red Steel and my arm is SORE as hell today.

Probably from all those damned sword fights in the last few stages.
 
It's not really excercise, just activity. Wii is like hand washing dishes and excercise is hand polishing a car. Wax on, wax off.

I just spent 2 hours playing Eyetoy Play with my kid, though, and that felt like excercise.
 
Maybe we'll get a DDR Wii-mix so we can dance around while swinging controllers at the same time. :)

Now that's excercise.
 
Well to be honest, it's ALL a bit more "EXERCISE" then most.

If you play a game on 360--any game, for let's say an hour 1/2 straight. Well you will burn more calories then just sitting there watching tv for an hour 1/2 straight, because your moving your thumbs around. Sounds silly, but you would burn more (not a significant)

If you play Wii for an hour 1/2 straight..any game.. you would most LIKLEY burn MORE calories then playing that 360 game for the same amount of times.. since your usuing both of your arms (sometimes) but your flicking your wrist and stuff. It wouldn't be a HUGE workout..but it would probably burn more calories then just sitting there playing ANY game.

So in a way, the answer is "yes" since with the Wii you will probably overall burn more calories in 1 game sitting then any game.
 
If you want to play and game and burn a lot of calories, play Indigo Prophecy. You'll work up a sweat at certain parts of the game.
 
Let's ask this man.

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"Wii can do iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Awww Tony Little, what can't you do?

Holy crap, I never noticed this, but his neck must be like 18 miles long.
 
Wii boxing is pretty solid cardio if you get into it. I play by constantly dodging back and forth (to permit bullet time counters), and I build up a solid sweat if I play for 30 minutes or so. It may not be the most intense exercise in the world, but to me it feels at least equivalent to my routine cardio (4 miles on a stationary bike).

It's obviously a bonus for parents with fat, lazy kids (i.e. most American parents).
 
I just got my Wii this morning, and after about three hours of Wii Sports today, I'm sore as hell. Granted, I haven't worked out in about six months, but my arms are going to hate me for the next couple of days.

Like others have said, it might not be the best possible exercise in the world, but dude...you're playing a fucking video game. If I can break a sweat and have that much fun at the same time, great.
 
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