Can Video Games Turn A Fat Couch Potato Into A Stud?

When I was a young kid my buddies and I used to sit around for hours on end playing video games, drinking soda, and munching on junk food. Ah, those were the days. Thankfully we did other things such as climb trees and swim all day which kept us in good shape. If we hadn’t done those things, I’m positive the video games would have turned us into fat, lazy adults.

Back in the days of Sega Genesis and the original Nintendo, all you really did was sit on your butt and move your fingers around the controller. Usually there was a bottle of soda or some sugary drink on one side, and a bag of junk food on the other. These were designated for when the games were loading.

Thankfully the creators of video games today have gotten much smarter and more health conscious. They finally started to realize the dangers of obesity the children of today are facing, and they’re finally starting to take the right actions to correct it.

Nintendo Wii, in my opinion, is one of the best products any company has come out with in a very long time. It lets children (and adults) simultaneously have a lot of fun while getting a great workout in.

Although not every game makes you move around a lot, some of them, the boxing games in particular, are spectacular for some great gaming fun with a good workout. A few weeks ago I played for about 45 minutes straight with my girlfriend’s cousin and by the time I was done I had worked up a pretty good sweat.

This is the perfect opportunity for an otherwise “lazy” person to be able to workout and honestly not even realize it. Granted, someone playing a video game on Nintendo Wii won’t get into great shape, but for someone who never exercises it can produce some pretty great results if played consistently enough.

Other Ways To Exercise While Playing Video Games

It doesn’t have to stop with playing the game as it’s supposed to be played, does it? Say, for example, instead of just playing the boxing game, you drop down for a set of pushups after round 1. Then after round 2, pop off some bodyweight squats for 30 seconds. Round 3 can be for some core work, and so on and so forth.

You see, by getting a little creative anybody can work out while playing video games. People who don’t like to exercise can try to challenge themselves to complete some type of exercise before the game loads or before the next round comes back.

When I play video games I like to sit on an exercise ball and tense my stomach while I’m playing, then perform some type of exercise when the game is loading for the next round, checkpoint, game save, etc.

If I get bored with that I’ll also jump up and down, in essence jumping rope with no rope, on either 1 foot or both for a minute or 2. This is one of my favorites because not only does it provide a workout, but it makes the game a little harder since the controller is a little harder to handle when you’re bouncing up and down.

Another benefit of doing this is because it will prompt you to drink water while you’re doing it. I don’t know a single person who drinks soda or beer while working out, and I hope I never meet a person that does. Most people are dehydrated nowadays, so this might help.

Although I think this is a great opportunity for otherwise lazy folks who can’t motivate themselves to work out, I don’t condone using this as your only means of exercise. If you haven’t exercised in years, you can follow this plan for a month or so. Then I would suggest figuring out a real workout plan and sticking to it.

If you aren’t a video gamer, you can substitute the video game for watching TV, which I’m certain 99% of people today do on a regular basis. Instead of plopping down on the couch, sit on an exercise ball. Hold a plank when the commercials come on, then the next commercial do a set up pushups, then the next do some squats, and then do some hyperextensions for your back on the next.

By doing this and sticking to it, you’ll never have an excuse that you don’t have time to exercise. Fat, lazy couch potatoes can be turned into athletic fitness gurus just by starting with this one simple idea.

If you happen to be a couch potato or just want a new exercise to do, I urge you to try this out. It’s great for days when you’re feeling unmotivated and can be tons of fun. You might even want to challenge your friends to a round of video game exercise to see who has the best overall skill in video games and fitness!