5 Video Games That Are Actually Good For You!

New high-tech research from Nottingham Trent University claims that playing video games has the potential to become part of a beneficial daily physical exercise regime. Which is reassuring, if hardly news for anyone who’s been dabbling in the more vigorous side of video-gaming in recent years. Here’s five of the best that just might make you tone up…

1. Wii Sports

Okay, you’re only ever going to build up your wrist muscles with this one – not that’s there’s anything wrong with that – but between whopping tennis balls back over the net, slugging baseballs out of the park, and boxing a pal into a corner, the original Wii workout is still capable of mustering up a mighty healthy sweat.

2. Mario & Sonic At The Olympic Games

Retro nerds will be wincing at memories of the button-bashing Track & Field, but this motion-madness update of the genre will have you flapping and gesticulating all around as you attempt to physically master various Olympic disciplines. And the tram-am-poline.

3. Wii Fit

The obvious choice, but still possibly the only game around that tries to convince you that jogging on the spot is fun, and that monitoring your Body Mass Index is better than counting your Beer Bottle Intake. (Note: Wii Fit Girl pictured above not actually representative of people who play Wii Fit.)

4. Rock Band

Yeah, you can slouch back on a couch and twang away if that’s your ‘tude-laden style, but anyone relegated to the role of straggly-haired drummer will end up giving their calf muscles a Stair-Master level workout.

5. Dance Dance Revolution

When the DDR phenomenon first caught on you couldn’t bust a move for reports of how this person or that had used it to lose 30 pounds, and to this day if you ramp up the intensity you’ll feel your heart rate bloom. Next level option: Play it after vodka Jell-O shots.