Back in July last year I blogged about a study by the American Council on Exercise to measure the potential fitness benefits of Wii Sports. As I said back then, the results of the study weren’t earth shattering - yes, playing Wii Sports is better for you than simply sitting on the couch. As this study was done prior to the launch of Wii Fit, I mentioned back then that a similar study on Wii Fit would be interesting.
Later this year our questions regarding the effectiveness of Wii Fit may be answered scientifically when the results of a study by the University of Mississippi are finally published. The six month study which started last fall is tracking eight families who have been loaned Nintendo Wiis and will be evaluated for fitness, physical activity and body composition. The effectiveness of Wii Fit itself will be determined by comparing results taken in the first three months without Wii Fit in the home to the last three months with Wii Fit in the home.
It's a bit difficult to assess the study without having the exact details behind it and the results could vary significantly depending on numerous factors. If during the three months with the Wii Fit, the families are given specific strict training routines to follow then I would expect to see some improvements in overall activity and balance (maybe even body composition if diet is involved). If however the families are simply given the console and left to their own devices, the results may not be that great and that wouldn’t really surprise me. I've always maintained that Wii Fit was never intended to be a proper fitness tool, but rather a way to market the Wii Balance Board and create opportunities for third-party developers.
Case in point would be EA Games with their forthcoming EA Sports Active title scheduled for release in May. Now this is shaping up to be a full-blown fitness tool and EA is going all out to promote it with endorsements from fitness pros Bob Greene and Carmen Bott. Personally, I'm less interested in the results of the Mississippi Uni study and more interested to see what users have to say once this title is released. Could it be the Wii exergame we've all been waiting for?