McGill Lab Studies Wii Fit
As expected, the Wii Fit has made quite a splash on North American shores, and now researchers are taking note. Jill Barker, with the Canwest News Service, notes interest fomenting around videogames for physical pursuits.
Research money is flowing into the digital and video game market, with studies looking at how games can promote healthy eating and physical activity, improve cognitive skills among the elderly and stroke patients, and teach respiratory exercises to children with cystic fibrosis.
Barker followed the Wii Fit into Tania Taivassalo’s kinesiology research lab over at McGill University in Montreal. This was lab research, and has not yet been published as far as I can tell from the article. It is nonetheless interesting.
After viewing several of the [Wii Fit’s] games, we decided to measure the energy expended while playing two of the aerobic activities: running (which is done on the spot) and a hula hoop game where users rotate their hips and try to catch virtual flying hoops.
According to Jean-Philippe Marchand, a kinesiology master’s student who tested the product in the lab, both the running and hula hoop game required the testers to work out at the equivalent of 60 per cent of maximum aerobic power for children. These results classify the games as light physical activity with the potential to improve fitness among those new to exercise, but with little potential to do the same among the fit population…
“It is definitely meant for sedentary people or for kids to have fun while exercising – as opposed to sitting and moving their thumbs only,” commented Julie Robillard, a master’s student who performed the testing with Marchand.
To sum up, researchers decided the Wii Fit was no substitute for “real” exercise, yet was beneficial for the truly sedentary, for whom exercise is not a regular occurrence.
So while Wii Fit is no substitute for regular exercise, it is a step forward in the emerging field of using video game technology to improve the health and wellness behaviours of children and youth. “Considering that we have miserably failed at convincing kids and teenagers that physical activity is more fun than video games, encouraging exercise through video games is probably a good compromise,” said Robillard.
References:
Barker, J. (2008, June 20). Fun fits into life, too. Canada.com [Online.] Retrieved June 22, 2008 from http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/games/story.html?
id=a2494468-1b52-41d5-b06c-082fcc7e53b4
Tags: Canadian Research, Candadian research, Canwest, Jill Barker, McGill University, Montreal, Tania Taivassalo
Medical Games, Nintendo, Research, Serious Games, Video Game Research, Wii | John Rice | 
June 22, 2008 8:54 pm
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By jocuri, June 25, 2008 @ 5:50 am
Nice article. i like it. a lot.
By Kristen, January 10, 2009 @ 9:24 am
This is a good article and very helpful to me since I am doing a science project based on the Wii Fit for my school.
By Wepa, December 23, 2009 @ 5:45 am
Wii Best games!!!!www.gamesliveon.com/