Canadian Gym Adds Nintendo Wii Workout Station

Posted by Lolita Beckwith Categories: Video Games

Who would have thought that The Next Big Thing would be the highly unlikely alliance of fitness and video games? We recently told you about Gamercize, which hooks up to your exercise machine and video game console, so the controller only works while your working out. Recently at E3, Nintendo intro’d Wii Fit, a fitness game due in 2008, composed of over 40 different exercise activities designed to burn calories. But Studeo 55, a Canadian gym, is currently incorporating the Wii as a “Workout Station”, which patrons can use as part of circuit training, warm-up or cool-down. Studeo 55 owner Nathan Mellalieu, inspired to utilize the Wii after seeing kids sweating during gameplay, says “It’s used here to break up the monotony of traditional workouts.”  He claims clients are happy with results, but that the biggest result is “…the smile on their faces.” Mellalieu estimates a “session” of Wii boxing, bowling or tennis burns between 75 to 100 calories, although he did not specify how long a “session” is. A Nintendo Canada spokesman said Studeo 55 is the first gym they know of that incorporates the Wii. A sign of things to come? We hope so.

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