exergaming

Sweat it out with exergaming

Exergaming is all about playing and losing—the kilos that is. As the name suggests, It involves a video game that gives you a thorough workout while you are playing. Exergames are a happy byproduct spewed out during the rapid evolution of video games. Gaming stores all over the world now brag a fresh pile of exergame titles anchored to various activities: baseball, tennis, bowling, biking, dancing and golfing. All you need is a gaming console like Nintendo, PlayStation, XBox or Wii and the gaming software of your choice. We asked orthopaedic surgeon and exergaming enthusiast Dr Dilip Nadkarni to review three exergaming software.

Just Dance 3
If you love burning up the dance floor, you’ll love shimmying to Just Dance 3. It baits you to match your dance moves and timing to that of a character and song on screen, and thus gain points to move up to next level and unlock new dances and playlists. The vigour of your effort is measured in sweat points. You are awarded a grade for each move—ranging from bad to perfect. This constant assessment spurs you to invest greater effort while the repeating moves, thus burning more calories in turn.
Calorie meter: Upto 380 calories per hour
Workout spots: A great cardio programme that gives you a full-body workout. The joy of dancing also releases mood-lifting endorphins.


Virtua Tennis 4
Virtua Tennis 4 brings you an invigorating game of tennis at home. It comes with a racket that can be attached to the console’s remote. While the player on screen controls the movement, you control the racket. As in an actual tennis match, you can compete with another player and energise things further. An inbuilt fitness test helps you calculate your fitness quotient, based on your stamina, speed and balance.
Calorie meter: Upto 184 calories per hour
Workout spots: Though a tennis exergame offers a good upper body workout, it also involves the risk of injury. In the absence of a physical ball, the force of your racket is absorbed by your shoulder.

XAVIX POWERBOXING
XaviX Powerboxing puts you through the punishing rigours of in-the-ring action and helps improve your endurance. Your boxing moves are wirelessly picked up by optical sensors on the gaming console that detect the swing and direction of your boxing gloves. You can challenge opponents for the championship belt, jump straight into a match, train, exercise or just practise.
Calorie meter: Upto 438 calories per hour
Workout spots: An effective way to tone your back and upper body. It is a great cardio workout that also improves hand-eye coordination.