In an ever changing world were the need, or so we are led to believe, for things to be done faster and faster to make our lives easier is forever thrust upon us, I can hear those immortal lines “the public wants what the public gets”, we go against what fundamentally mother nature and evolution had designed us for.
The biggest impact upon health in our society in the last couple of decades in my view has been the ever expanding market of the gaming industry. What was once marketed as family leisure time for those that could afford them has grown into a must have for every growing child but not only that but a device that rather than something that all enjoyed but one of isolation for children, teenagers and adults alike. Countless individuals across the globe spending vast amounts of their time glued to a television screen, fingers moving at high speed as they worked their way through the latest game.
In recent times things started to change with the introduction of a new kind of gaming console which enabled the user to move their whole body more rather than just sitting idly on the sofa. Along with these new machines came a whole new genre of games for the user to explore but not only that but a series of gaming programs targeted specifically at health & fitness.
Question was would they work?
Owning one of these machines myself, a Nintendo Wii, and being a bit of an exercise fanatic when its comes to being opened minded and wanting to try anything and everything out there just to see if there are any benefits. I was quite surprised when I found that in there own right the programs could be quite challenging as well as entertaining when the whole family is involved at the same time.
When I looked deeper into the potential application of these systems it became quite evident that there was a genuine attempt by the manufacturers to get people fitter. Don`t get me wrong they are nowhere near the same as going to the gym or spending time with a qualified instructor but the programs were well thought out with various levels of intensity built within the systems to cater for the general home user.
Yet if you look beyond that they are, in my own honest opinion, a fantastic starting point for a number of people who are in desperate need of exercise. I can hear all the sniggering now from the army of self styled “guru`s” and coaches the length and breadth of the globe. But lets admit it not everyone wants to go to a gym, not everyone can afford to pay gym prices never mind the extortionate fees personal instructors charge irrespective of how good or bad they are. Family commitments may also be a contributing factor to why some cannot find the time to set off to the gym.
Most importantly I feel is that a large amount of these people may not feel comfortable exercising in front of others they do not know in a gym environment.
Lets face it gyms can be quite bitchy places to be. People checking each other out in the mirrors, behind each others backs. And if you are new, timid or out of shape that is not the type of environment you care to be in. And I don`t blame them either. The exercise/fitness industry as whole has to be the most self obsessed environments I have been in and with that self obsession comes a culture that if you don`t fit into a particular box you are shunned or even ridiculed.
That is not very welcoming to new comers or those in desperate need of help.
So if a machine/console can help someone out there get fitter and feel better about themselves, maybe even help them on the path of rehabilitation for an injury or disability, then I am all for their use.
Which I know, as previously stated above, will annoy my fellow exercise enthusiasts to the very cores they endless training week in and week out in their pristine palaces. The consoles and programs may not be perfect but the technology is improving and most importantly they are getting people up and moving who previously would have not.
Steven. A. Barlow© 2011