Get digital: Are workout video games as good as the gym?

When the Bucktown resident doesn't feel like waiting around for an open elliptical machine at the gym, she fires up "EA Sports Active" on her Nintendo Wii.

"It's my backup plan," said Arnold, 28, who estimated she has used the game about once a week since buying it in April. "Sometimes it's nice to be able to just stay in and get a decent workout."

Nearly three years after the arrival of the Wii vaulted the fitness video game industry into the mainstream, workout warriors such as Arnold have more alternatives to jogging on trails or hitting the gym--and fitness experts have a better grasp on their effectiveness as tools for health. Proponents tout the convenience and fun of "exergames," but detractors say the games are poor substitutes for the real thing and can't replace human trainers who tailor individual workouts.

"Dance Dance Revolution," a frenetic rhythm game in which users burned calories as they busted a move, launched the rise of exergames about a decade ago. Now the genre encompasses dozens of titles made mostly for the Wii--"Wii Fit" was the No. 2-selling video game worldwide last year, according to industry research firm NPD Group--though that could shift next year as Microsoft and Sony release accessories for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 that are compatible with fitness games.

Celebrities such as Daisy Fuentes and the "Biggest Loser" trainers have even gotten in on the craze. And last month, Beyonce Knowles told Billboard magazine she's considering making a dance fitness game.

"Usually with working out at a gym a lot of people feel like, 'Hey, this is just not fun,'" said Tommy Seilheimer, vice president of Chicago-based Exergame Fitness, which sells exergame products and custom installation service. "Exergaming is making fitness fun and keeping people engaged."

While exergames can be helpful in small doses, they are not meant to be replacements for professional trainers who can monitor fluctuations in an individual's body fat and heart rate and modify routines to make them more effective, according to exergame researcher Dr. Stephen Yang of the State University of New York-Cortland.

"They definitely aren't a magic pill to good fitness," Yang told RedEye. "I see these as gateway games. ... They can help you be confident enough to play a real sport or go to a gym."

This week, the American Council on Exercise released the results of a study that measured calories burned using "Wii Fit" and described the simulated activities as "a very, very mild workout" compared with their real-life counterparts.

Daniel Lang, 31, of Logan Square said he's melted 60 pounds from his 275-pound frame since he started using "Wii Fit" almost two years ago and said the draw to exergaming was the convenience of an in-home workout versus the "chore" of trudging to a gym.

"This way I can work out in my underwear in my own house and save an extra hour," the tech worker said. "It's completely changed my life."

Yet despite the transformation of his body, Lang said he doesn't attribute his sustained weight loss strictly to exergames. Cutting french fries from his diet and consuming more water also have contributed, he said.

While Lang estimates he has used "Wii Fit" five days a week for the past 18 months, Louis Schoenberg of Lakeview said her use has nose-dived to only twice a month since she bought the game last year. The activities are just too slow for her liking, she said.
"It was nice to use right after my son was born, but I got bored and it's just not an alternative to a gym membership," said Schoenberg, 28.

For Chicagoan Ron Popp, who bought "Wii Fit Plus" in October, exergaming represents a way to remain physically active in the winter--and have a little fun in the process.

"Some of the games are pretty entertaining, and I do feel winded after some of the exercises," said Popp, 31, of Lakeview.

Two weeks after buying the game, Popp said the verdict still was out on his gaming experiment, especially after the game's initial assessment of his health, a test that measures users' weight, balance and body mass index. Popp was less than flattered by the game's conclusion: overweight.

"I've never paid that much for anything that calls me fat," he said. "It's very traumatic."

HEALTHY SALES
"Wii Fit" is the No. 2-selling game in the Americas this year through October, according to vgchartz.com, which lumps North America and South America in its sales figures. Two "Wii Sports" games also are in the top four. While they use motion control, they are not specifically designed for fitness.

Game/2009 sales
Wii Sports: 5,616,404
*Wii Fit: 4,559,223
Mario Kart Wii: 2,331,226
Wii Sports Resort: 2,314,465
Halo 3:ODST: 2,305,087
*Exercise video game


GET YOUR GAME ON

Much like the countless fitness videos that clog the DVD shelves, the number of exergames available for the Nintendo Wii is growing. Here are a handful of higher-profile home gaming workout titles. R.S.

>> Wii Fit Plus
$99.99 for game and Wii balance board ($19.99 without board)
The king of exergaming mixes fun games such as virtual hula hooping, endurance exercises and yoga. It's frequently the entry game for newbies.

>> EA Sports Active
$59.99 (includes leg strap and resistance band)
The game features 25 exercises and activities such as inline skating and volleyball using the balance board and included accessories.

>> EA Sports Active: More Workouts
$39.99 with nutrition book (accessory pack, sold separately for $19.99, includes leg strap and resistance band)
This personal trainer in a box, which drops Tuesday, features 35 new workouts and emphasizes abdominal exercises.

>> The Biggest Loser
$39.99
Based on the TV show, the game features trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels as they motivate you through programs of yoga, cardio, and upper- and lower-body workouts.

>> Gold's Gym Cardio Workout
$19.99
The game features exercises such as cardio boxing, running and sit-ups, and maintains a calendar of your exercise activity. (It also includes a seven-day trial membership at the real gym.)

>> Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party 3
$69.99 (includes dance mat)
The newest version of this old-school exergame franchise utilizes Wii-specific motion controls to complement the usual dance steps.


PLAYTIME WITH OPRAH'S TRAINER

Celebrity fitness expert Bob Greene admits he's no fan of TVs and computers.

"They've made us stop moving as a culture," said Greene, perhaps best known as Oprah Winfrey's personal trainer.

Yet Greene, author of the best-selling "Best Life" and "Get With The Program!" book series, is promoting "EA Sports Active: More Workouts," a fitness video game for the Nintendo Wii that drops Tuesday.

RedEye caught up with Greene this week to ask more about his perspective on fitness games and whether a certain talk-show queen might like them. R.S.

Does it feel unusual to be a health expert advocating a video game?
Actually, it does. To be honest with you, if you've ever seen one of my speeches I'm pretty brutal on the television and the computer. They've made us stop moving as a culture, and it's been a detriment to our fitness, especially for this generation coming up. But this company, EA Sports, contacted me and they set up a meeting. I didn't know what to expect, I'm not a tech person or a gamer. Then I got to look and try out some of the exercises and a lot of them were things that you would try to get your clients to do, it really opened up my eyes.

How does it compare to other fitness video games?
I haven't played a lot of them, but I did get a chance to try the first-generation ones and, you know, you're not really moving, you're doing yoga or a beach volleyball type of thing. I don't know how satisfying they really are. But I was really blown away by these exercises in "Sports Active." I was sweating, and my legs were burning.

How much hands-on involvement did you have with the game?
I had a lot of input into saying we should have people twist at this angle or bend at that angle, and I gave them all my notes and then they would let me know how they would incorporate all those things. It was great because I wasn't just working with software people, I was talking with trainers, so we were speaking the same language. So yeah, I was really hands-on and the people at EA Sports were really receptive.

How does this game fit into someone's overall fitness regimen?
It really depends on the person. I've seen people have some pretty incredible results. There was one guy who was 45 pounds down from using it, so it speaks well about the product. We're also not recommending, "Hey, go ahead and throw away your gym membership." It's great for some, but it's really great if you supplement it with going to the gym.

Would you recommend the game to Oprah? Has she tried it yet?
We're sending it to her. She's really busy, obviously. I actually think she's a great candidate and in many ways she represents many women who might try it. I mean, 15 years later she's so sick of looking at a treadmill and she's up front and says on camera, "I hate exercise. I hate it every time I have to do it." This game is something fun and different. You know, you've got water sports and throwing a ball around and jogging where it feels like you're jogging on an island and I think she may enjoy some of those exercises.

A lot of people say it's hard to stay fit in Chicago because of cold winters and amazing food like deep-dish pizza. Any advice to Chicagoans?
I grew up in New Jersey and I'd throw on my layers and get my workout in, so I was never that sympathetic to people who use weather as an excuse, until I went to Chicago! Wow, the winters can be pretty brutal. Honestly, a product like "EA Sports Active" is phenomenal to use in inclement weather. On the eating side, I keep a drawer [of menus for] my favorite restaurants. It's nice because it helps me choose a restaurant that I know has healthy options and it also tells you, "Oh, hey, here's a favorite place. I haven't been there in awhile." On exercise, Chicago is actually a pretty good city to exercise in. You've got the lakefront. It's very bike-friendly. But there are days even in the winter when it gets warmer for awhile and if you layer yourself you can go out and it's pretty wonderful. The results in cold weather are actually quite good.