Wii Like to Burn Calories

A good friend of mine has a rule in her house when it comes to her children playing Wii. You’re not allowed to sit on the sofa. You have to play standing up.

I’ll admit, the fitness instructor part of me scoffed at this strategy. What kind of exercise can you really get from playing a video game?

But it turns out, she’s right.

A scientist at Brigham Young University has discovered that middle-schoolers who play Wii Boxing and Playstation’s Dance Dance Revolution can get the recommended moderate to vigorous exercise they need daily.

In fact, children who played Wii Boxing for 20 minutes burned as many calories as they would if they walked a brisk mile.

Parents everywhere can smile at this good news. Especially at our house.

I was a little worried last December when Santa dropped off a Wii for my kids under the Christmas tree next to the Legos and doll clothes.

It came with the Wii Sports game that includes tennis, boxing, golf and bowling.

My husband and I set it up that morning and spent the rest of the day trying not to laugh out loud at my 5-year-old son who was jumping a foot off the floor and waving his arms wildly in the air. And then we noticed, he kept at it. For long periods of time. His hair even got a little sweaty.

Interactive video games are by no means a replacement for playing outside or joining a sports team, but it’s far better than sitting on the sofa with a clicker in your hand. Just remember what doctors recommend: no more than two hours of screen time daily for your children.

Alice Warchol is a fitness instructor and freelance health writer.