Wii elbow, aching backs and sore shoulders

[wraggster]

Playing Wii adds up to fairly intense exertion? "If people are finding themselves sore, they may need to exercise more," says Nintendo

12 Comments"It's harder than playing basketball," says a 12-year-old American girl after a session on the Wii in a Wall Street Journal report.

Jeremy Scherer and his wife spent three hours playing Wii Sports: "I was using muscles I hadn't used in a while," said Scherer, who describes himself as "not very active." He's now vowing nightly "Wii workouts" to get in better shape.

Nintendo's Perrin Kaplan has no sympathy though, saying, "It was not meant to be a Jenny Craig supplement (a firm that offers weight management programs). If people are finding themselves sore, they may need to exercise more."

Customs broker Ryan Mercer (who lifts weights the article points out) is also finding it heavy going, "I was soaking wet with sweat, head to toe -- I had to go take a shower." The next morning he had trouble putting his shirt on...

How are you finding the Wii experience? Let us know below.

[steve-b]

how long until the lawyers get involved? :)

[alienanthropologist]

Good: Nintendo is making fat and underexercised people healthier! That can only be good.

I'm not a great athlete, but I certainly don't have the shabbiness to complain about waving my arms a little bit in order to have fun. If people are discovering "new muscles they didn't know they had" thanks to the Nintendo Wii, they must have got used to pretty awful inactive behaviour.

So, Nintendo's not only good and fun for the under 10, over 40, women and technophobes, but also the fat and unhealthy!

Way to go Nintendo!:thumbup:

[iniquitous_beast]

I'm no exercise expert, but if I remember correctly, good muscles are formed by low-resistance, high-speed repetitions. The wiimote is much lighter than a dumbbell, so people are essentially developing lean, quick muscles. Thus, even some people who bulk up on muscle will likely feel some discomfort at first, as their bodies will be unaccustomed to high-speed movements. Good wording on the part of Nintendo "Maybe you need to exercise more".

[DemoniusX]

well lets see. I am 330 lbs and I played wii sports for 5 hours when I first got it and i didn't have too much discomfort. Obviously I must be healthy if I can play and not feel discomfort.

[KCBlack]

As long as your not making overly crazy movements, you should be fine... I'm far from "fat" but not all too skinny either (kind husky/chubby), but I'm fine playing my Wii.

[jme]

if ur sucha fat muther fugger that u find swinging a 40 gram baton exertive..... then eat afew more salads

[jme]

""well lets see. I am 330 lbs and I played wii sports for 5 hours when I first got it and i didn't have too much discomfort. Obviously I must be healthy if I can play and not feel discomfort.""

yes u must be healthy. definitely.

[Junixx]

Of course if your swinging the Wiimote around and stuff your going to get sore becuase your not used to it...the more you do that the less youll be sore, trust me... thats what happened during football season to me :p

[wolfpack]

i think the wii slogan should be "Wii, get off your fat asses and go play"

[Amethyst]

Customs broker Ryan Mercer (who lifts weights the article points out) is also finding it heavy going, "I was soaking wet with sweat, head to toe -- I had to go take a shower." The next morning he had trouble putting his shirt on...

Being a weight lifter gives him no credibility. High resistance muscle building is completely different from a low resistance cardiovascular work-out.

I have friends that pump iron like crazy but get sore after a good jog. People confuse body building as the suggested form of exercise. Mr. Mercer is tired because he spends too much time on the bench and not enough skipping rope and hitting a light bag.