2012: New Year’s Resolution
After the holiday season’s overindulgences of cakes, sweets, alcohol, smokes, meats and carbs, a lot of people swear that their first resolution of the new year will be to lose weight… sound familiar, right? Well, technology has come a long way in helping motivate people to meet that resolve and get off the couch and sweat it out. Notwithstanding the competition, the three biggest enablers are Nintendo’s Wii, Sony’s Playstation3 + Move, and Microsoft XBox-Kinect – all of whom provide gaming consoles.
In all cases, get your motivation going and you just need a good size screen (32” min. and up), ample room in front of it to move around, the game console, its accessories and the ability to follow hook-up directions. All 3 companies sell numerous video games of war, speed, and adventure as well as sports competitions.
Wii-Fit Plus begins by developing your personal profile (balance, BMI – body mass index, body control, and tracks your progress); it offers 5 training modes (Yoga, Balance, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Training Plus). Depending on your age, fitness level and preference you can select the activity that best suits you and move up to a more energetic level… burning calories all the way.
Sony’s Playstation Move is another option in the body movement sector. It claims to be a more immersive and realistic motion gaming experience than its competitors, having full range of movement. There are not as many games available – yet – but you could still get a good workout with its current bundles.
Microsoft XBox 360 + Kinect has several advantages over the prior two: no hand-held controller, full body gaming (your body is the controller as it is sensed by the console), it is voice responsive and recognizes you so you can be truly interactive… you can even share your activities online with your friends. Leave it to Microsoft to figure that one out! Its sports, dance and fitness bundles have plenty to keep you moving… and that doesn’t even get to the action and family games.
Prices? The least expensive is Wii and the most is XBox – ranging from about €100 to €300 – depending on the number of games you choose. As with all software, you can spend as little or as much as you want.
So as 2012 gets under way, if you’ve decided that one of these devices is a good way to get started on your healthy exercise regimen, go for it. As always, compare what you get with each and get what you want to best suit your needs. Or, just get a dog and go for a walk/run every day with him/her and take advantage of our wonderful tropical climate… it’s free! Happy and Healthy New Year to all!
