Technology Makes Fitness Fun
For many dancers and dance teachers, myself included, there’s nothing more dreadful than going for a workout. It doesn’t matter if I opt for a treadmill, StairMaster or elliptical machine—they’re all just as boring and monotonous as the next. Listening to music sometimes helps, but it’s not nearly enough to keep my creative mind appeased. Not to mention making time for said workout, which can be a huge pain in the neck for all of us with hectic schedules.
Is there a solution? While nothing burns calories as quickly as a good old-fashioned run, there are other ways to get your heart rate up without sacrificing the element of fun. And the best part is you can do them right inside your home, any time of the day. Thank you technology!
It might sound crazy, but I’m talking about video games. Video games have changed enormously since the days of Super Mario Brothers. I can remember sitting in front of the television for hours as a kid, trying relentlessly to rescue Princess Toadstool from her castle. But those days are long gone. Now, video games are getting people of all ages off the couch and on their feet.
One of the best fitness video games out there is DanceDanceRevolution (D.D.R.) by Konami, which was released in Japan in 1998 and in the U.S. the following year. It seemed to amass a cult following overnight, but I was always slightly skeptical. I never doubted its entertainment value, but I found myself wondering how a video game could possibly get your heart rate up enough to have any legitimate, long-term effects.
After playing D.D.R. for the first time while researching for this article, I am no longer a skeptic. My experience with the game was somewhat humbling, even. While standing there on the mat waiting for the disc to load I thought to myself, “How challenging can this really be? I’m a classically trained dancer.”
The truth is D.D.R. is a lot harder than it looks. Not only do you have to follow the direction of the scrolling arrows—forward, back, left and right—but you also have to stay in rhythm. Every time you complete a round, the level of difficulty increases. The arrows start scrolling more frequently and in different sequences, often forcing you to keep jumping as you change the position of your feet on the mat. All the while, the game keeps track of cumulative calories burned based on your individual weight.
The most current version of D.D.R. has extensive weight management features. In addition to saving workout stats, it also produces graphs depicting the total calories burned over a period of months. Then, you can compare your results to other workouts to see how long you’d have to run or swim to burn the same number of calories. The game is so effective that many public schools are starting to incorporate it into physical education classes.
But D.D.R. is not just for kids—after only a couple rounds I noticed I was really breaking a sweat, and the best part is that I was having a blast. When I really got the hang of it, I was able to add some of my own stylization by swinging my arms in opposition and grooving along to the beat of music. I wanted to keep going all day, conquering new songs, skill levels and techniques. I suppose that’s the only problem with D.D.R.—it’s completely addictive.
D.D.R. can be played alone or by up to four people on a variety of video game consoles including PlayStation, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii. The great thing about the Wii in particular is that it hosts a number of other fitness games, including Wii Fit. Just like D.D.R., Wii Fit is ideal for dancers and teachers who’d like to jumpstart their day with a workout, but don’t have time to squeeze in a trip to the gym. All you have to do is roll out of bed, turn on the television and you’re ready to go.
Wii Fit has a few different training modes including yoga, balancing games, strength training and aerobics. Most exercises use the The Wii Balance Board, which acts as a scale in addition to reading movements and transferring them to the screen. You can set fitness goals, determine your Body Mass Index, log your activity or graph your progress. Some advanced dancers may not find Wii Fit challenging enough, but it also works as an injury rehabilitation tool.
As technology continues to improve we can expect to see more and more interactive video fitness games, aka “exergames.” This fall, Majesco Entertainment Company and Interactive Game Group are releasing Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2010, a follow-up to the first edition, which sold almost 600,000 copies. In this game, players will be able to engage in one-on-one workouts with celebrity fitness trainer Jillian Michaels and make “Fitness Resolutions” for the next six months. In Gold's Gym Cardio Workout, which was released earlier this year by Ubisoft Entertainment, players can participate in a variety of cardiovascular and strengthening exercises including sit-ups, skipping rope, jogging and lifting.
Although nothing works quite as well as a jog in the park, video exergames are becoming a more legitimate and accepted exercise method. For dancers recovering from an injury or those just looking for an activity that is less stressful on the joints than running, these games are especially beneficial. And the best part is it’s almost impossible to get bored. After playing D.D.R. for 30 minutes straight, I can certainly attest to that.