As the gift-giving season winds down, you’ve probably seen what gaming systems are capable of these days. From ninjas to yoga, they are making us get up and go!
For You:
There’s a new sheriff in town, here to stay, and it’s called the “motion sensor.” Even the equally maligned and lauded “Modern Warfare” game now has people on their feet to shoot. Like it or not, my stepson is now standing, weaving and bobbing for hours at a time rather than sitting on his duff simply clicking buttons.
I bought his old Wii system and now I’m in on the craze, taking “balance breaks” while I write. It’s pretty darn silly to see yourself as a funky little Wii character trying to ski down a mountain or walk a tightrope. And boy do I have work to do to get balanced, so to speak! Wii told me so, loud and clear. Each time I fall off the rope, my little Wii person drops to the ground pounding her fists in defeat. I just have one to thing to say… “Hey Nintendo! Can I at least get a “Nice try” please?” I’m wondering who actually IS balanced. Their standards are tough, but silly enough to keep us plugging away with a breathless giggle nevertheless.
If you’re at all competitive, these fitness, dance, and sports games from all the systems are pretty darn fun for a rainy day. Many even keep track of your goals and progress over time. It’s great, immediate feedback (except after eating holiday party treats all day). As a result, you want to go one step further. Imagine if we can be as dedicated to these exercise programs as our kids are to those “shoot-‘em-up” games. World domination of fitness and longevity could be ours!
If you don’t have access to a home gaming system, no worries, Olga and friends are always here with a do-it-yourself idea each week.
For those strength and balance combined, we suggest some squat throws. Olga sent Chris P fresh off the set of our PATH Adventure “Brainstorm” to show you what this looks like:
- You’ll need a weight (five pounds of sugar or potatoes, or a dumbell can get you started).
- Squat and twist to one side. Push up from the squat as you throw the weight up across your body toward the sky.
- Use your abs and arms to twist and stop the momentum of the weight and bring it back to the low squating position.
- Repeat for one minute and then switch sides. Two minutes total is one set. Repeat for 3-4 sets.
You in Your Workplace:
Consider setting up a fitness game station where people can take “energy breaks” and have a little laugh at the same time. Any of the gaming systems will work. We like Wii Fit because of the balance board but you could do balance exercises without a system entirely. Put up a bulletin board with balancing exercises people can try on the spot. All they have to do is walk over. What a great, one-minute pick-me-up that could be!
See you on a balanced PATH Ahead!