Is the WII fit free run activity a feasible mode of exercise for regular exercisers: a comparison with treadmill running.

BACKGROUND: This study compared the metabolic responses between treadmill running and the Free Run on the Nintendo Wii when maintaining a constant pace with an aim to see whether this would be a feasible option for exercise in persons who already exercise. METHODS: Twenty eight university students, mean age 20.7±1.38 years, participated in a repeated measures study. Subjects completed 10 minutes running on the treadmill at a self selected pace followed by 10 minutes of Free Run on the Nintendo Wii Fit disc. A metronome regulated the running pace during the Free Run activity to match the running pace on the treadmill. Oxygen consumption, caloric expenditure and heart rate were measured with a Cardio Coach Metabolic Cart. Paired t-tests compared the percentage of age predicted maximal oxygen consumption (% VO2max), metabolic equivalents (METs), caloric expenditure and percentage of estimated maximal heart rate (% HRmax) between the two running situations. RESULTS: For all variables of interest the mean values for treadmill running was found to be significantly higher than those for the Wii Free Run (P<0.001). The mean %HRmax and METs categorized both activities as vigorous intensity, however, the Free Run was at the lower end of the ranges whilst treadmill running was at the upper. The mean %VO2max classified treadmill running as vigorous intensity and Wii Free Run as moderate. CONCLUSIONS: The Wii Free Run activity can be used as an additional form of exercise for persons who are already engaged in physical activity but should not be considered a replacement for treadmill running by those who run.

Balance Training with Wii Fit Plus for Community-Dwelling Persons 60 Years and Older.

OBJECTIVE: This study sought to determine the effect of 6 weeks of training, using activities from the Nintendo(®) (Kyoto, Japan) "Wii™ Fit Plus" disc, on balance in community-dwelling Jamaicans 60 years and older. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single group pretest/posttest design was used. Thirty-three subjects enrolled and 28 completed the study. Participants completed 30-minute training sessions on the Nintendo "Wii Fit" twice per week for 6 weeks. Activities used included "Obstacle Course," "Penguin Slide," "Soccer Heading," "River Bubble," "Snow Board," "Tilt Table," "Skate Board," and "Yoga Single Tree Pose." Balance was assessed with the Berg Balance Scale, the Multi Directional Reach Test, the Star Excursion Balance Test and the Modified Clinical Test for Sensory Integration in Balance. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in the mean Berg Balance Scale score (P=0.004), Star Excursion Balance Test score (SEBT) (P<0.001 both legs), and Multi Directional Reach Test score (P=0.002). There was no significant change on the Modified Clinical Test for Sensory Integration in Balance. CONCLUSIONS: Balance games on the Nintendo "Wii Fit Plus" disc can be used as a tool for balance training in community-dwelling persons 60 years of age and older.

A pilot study using the XBOX Kinect for exercise conditioning in sedentary female university students.

BACKGROUND: There is little research exploring training effects of engaging in active video gaming activities. OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine the cardiovascular and metabolic responses, changes in flexibility and exercise adherence to an aerobic dance exercise programme using the XBOX Kinect over a 6 week training period. METHODS: Training was conducted using the Just Dance 4 disc on the XBOX Kinect 360. Participants attended five, 30 minute sessions per week for the first two weeks, four 45 minute sessions per week for the next two weeks and three 60 minute sessions per week for the last two weeks. Outcomes assessed included flexibility, body mass index (BMI), percentage body fat, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), resting and post exercise blood pressure, heart rate and blood lactate levels. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in flexibility, maximal oxygen consumption and resting heart rate. There were no significant changes in BMI, percentage body fat or blood lactate levels. Nine (37.5%) participants continued to engage in this form of exercise at least 3-days per week over the 3-month post intervention follow-up period. CONCLUSION: Engaging in dancing using dance videogames can lead to improved cardiovascular conditioning and flexibility in sedentary female university students.

Electromyographic activity of the rectus abdominis during a traditional crunch and the basic jackknife exercise with the Ab Lounge™.

The use of nontraditional exercise devices such as the Ab Lounge™ has been promoted as being as effective as the traditional abdominal crunch in strengthening the abdominal musculature. Evidence for this is lacking, however. The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of activation of the upper and lower rectus abdominis using electromyography (EMG) during a traditional crunch with the basic jackknife using the Ab Lounge™. Twenty-two subjects (6 men and 16 women) were randomly selected from the student population at the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus). The mean age of the participants was 20.5 ± 1.5 years, height 166.4 ± 6.2 cm, weight 64 ± 10.3 kg, and waist-hip ratio 0.7 ± 0.1. Surface EMG was used to assess the muscle activity from the upper and lower rectus abdominis while each exercise was performed. The EMG data were full-wave rectified and normalized using a mathematical model that was set up in Microsoft Excel for Windows XP. Statistical analysis was performed on the data using a univariate analysis of variance with gender as a covariate. Significance was determined by p < 0.05. The mean EMG data recorded for the upper rectus abdominis was significantly higher with the traditional crunch when compared with the basic jackknife performed on the Ab Lounge™ (F = 4.39, p = 0.04). The traditional crunch produced a higher level of activity in the lower rectus abdominis when compared with the basic jackknife, but this was not statistically significant (F = 0.249, p = 0.62). There was no significant interaction between gender and the effect of the type of exercise on upper and lower rectus abdominis activation. These results suggest that the traditional abdominal crunch is more effective than the basic jackknife is in activating the rectus abdominis musculature.