Exercise Can Be Fun (part 3)

Ok, today wraps up how exercise can be fun. The reason I've been writing about this subject over the past few days, is because I want you to know that you can exercise in many different ways and still have fun. You don't have to pound the pavement, walk on the boring treadmill, or even hit the gym to get your cardio in. All of these things can be done either in or around your home. Exercise should be fun. If it isn't fun, chances are, you aren't going to do it. Find something you like and get moving. :)

I'm going to talk about a couple of different things today. There are still many other things I could blog about (heck, I could make this a week long event LOL) but, I don't want to bore you. :) A few of the things that you could consider as fun exercise are: The Nintendo Wii (I don't have one, but I've heard it's fun and it gets you up off of the couch). You could play basketball, baseball, tennis, soccer, golf (they even have a virtual game for golf that looks like fun, again I haven't tried it. I prefer to actually golf outside - oh and in case you're thinking about the virtual golf you play from the couch like the Tiger Woods PGA golf, no, that isn't considered exercise. LOL). You could also swim (water aerobics are lots of fun), or you could find a fun class like yoga, pilates, kickboxing, Tai Chi, self defense, etc. As long as you're having fun, that's what matters. :) Ok, on to today...

The first thing I want to tell you about today is the EyeToy Kinetic. I have this and it's a great workout! It's a full body fitness program that has four fitness zones. They are: Combat - which helps you to increase strength, flexibility and reaction speed, Cardio - which will get you sweating through aggressive routines to improve your cardiovascular fitness, Toning - which targets specific body parts or complete body conditioning with a trainer, and Mind and Body - where you do Tai Chi type moves to help relax while working on your posture, balance and breathing.

Basically how it works, is you hook up your Eye Toy camera to your Playstation 2 or Playstation 3 and the camera puts you on the TV. It analyzes your every move to provide immediate feedback on your performance. What you do depends on which program you choose. For example: in the Combat and Cardio sections, you'll punch and kick balls that try to attack you. Check out the video below for an example. The actual game disc comes with a 12 week customizable training program and has over 20 exercises inspired by aerobics, martial arts, dance, yoga and more.

(Click here to see more videos of this guy working out with some of the various exercises)

I have another program for my Playstation 2 called Yourself! Fitness (it's also available for the XBox and PC). Basically, it's like having a certified personal trainer and nutritionist in your living room, only much much cheaper. The personal trainer's name is Maya and she helps you to choose health and fitness goals, and then works with you to achieve them. There are over 500 unique exercises featuring yoga, pilates, cardio fitness, strength training, felxibility, and weight loss routines. No two workouts are ever the same. You get to pick the scene and the music, as well as use fitness equipment you may already own (such as a balance ball, hand weights, or step).

When you first get started, Maya will ask you for basic information such as your age, height, gender and weight. She will determine your fitness level by using several simple evaluation tests, and combine it with your long term goals to figure out your workout plan. At the beginning of each workout, Maya asks you how you're feeling today. This tells her how much verbal encouragement you'll need during the workout and it helps her determine how hard the workout will be. If you're feeling great, the workout is going to push you a little harder (don't worry, she stops every now and then to ask you how you're doing and she'll adjust according to your answer). The funny thing about Maya is... like a real trainer, she asks you to set up a workout schedule (something you know you can commit to) and then gets on you if you skip it. LOL! Here's a video I found to help give you an idea of what it's all about...

(Click here to see an additional video of just the game)

For more fun ways to exercise, check out this website I found called Exergames. There are some really good ideas there, some of them are pretty expensive too, but neat to look at. :) Check out this video of a guy using the Nintendo Wii for exercise.