Computer games: Healthy
Respected scientific journal The Daily Mail has suggested that playing on a Nintendo Wii games console may provide as much exercise as swimming.
The findings are the result of a study conducted at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo. It discovered that one third of games on the Wii require a metabolic equivalent value (MET) of three or more. One game, the single-arm stand on Wii Fit, scores as high as 5.6 – higher than the supposed score of 5.0 for swimming.
Dr. Motohiko Miyachi, lead author of the study, described the Wii as a ‘very easy and fun way to start exercising’, adding that it ‘may contribute to prevention of cardiovascular diseases’. The fact that the study was funded by Nintendo was dismissed as ‘utterly irrelevant’ by those at Nintendo who funded the study.
In response to the findings, British Swimming has strongly advised people not to attempt to boost their fitness level further by playing games on a Wii and swimming at the same time.
Colin Brown, London Swimming Director and an expert is such matters, confirmed that ‘having a Wii in a swimming pool is never a good idea’.
