Kinect Games as a Cardio Workout

While I was playing Kinect Adventures yesterday I realized I was getting a really good workout. I've played the Wii before, and there's no comparison. Kinect for the Xbox 360 is much better suited for exercise games. The reason is that Kinect games use the entire body. You can be lying on the couch waving a Wii controller around. But there's no lying down in Kinect games. You're constantly running, jumping, and moving. My legs are actually a little sore today, and I'm in pretty good shape.  I'm surprised there aren't more people who use the Kinect for their cardio workouts. There seems to be a mentality that exercise and fun can't go together. Kinect Adventures is the game that comes with the Kinect. It's a fun game. The obstacle course level is the one that really got me tired. You're constantly jumping, ducking, and dodging. 
     I also own Your Shape for the Kinect. To call it a game isn't really accurate. It's more of an exercise program. If you don't think of it as a game, it's a good way to exercise. But it isn't as fun as other Kinect games. Still, it has some good things about it. With it you can learn a bunch of different cardio workout routines. It teaches Yoga. It has a few mini-games, but they get old fast. Your Shape will definitely give you a workout. And it does track calories and it gives you achievements for calories burned. It just isn't as much fun as other Kinect games. But then again, the goal is to get in shape. And it will accomplish that goal if you use it. 
     I also have Kinect Sports. That game is probably my second favorite Kinect game. There are six games within this game. It has soccer, bowling, volleyball, boxing, track and field, and ping pong. Plus there are a bunch of mini-games. Boxing is probably my favorite. It involves more strategy than the mindless flailing of the Wii Boxing game. If you just flail your arms, you will lose to an experienced player. You have to block and time your punches. There's another Kinect fighting game called Fighters Uncaged. I've never played it, but I've heard it's poorly made. Track and Field is probably the best workout. But they're all decent exercise, except maybe bowling. But bowling is fun nonetheless. Another neat thing about Kinect Sports is that if you have a Gold membership, you can play online against other people. 
     As I mentioned in a previous blog, our favorite Kinect game is Dance Central. I can just play and play that game burning tons of calories. I don't normally like dancing, but I like playing Dance Central. It has a built-in calorie counter, so you can use it as a workout. And it will give you a good workout. Especially fast-paced songs like Body Movin' by Beastie Boys. That's my favorite song to dance to. But almost all the songs are fun. You can download additional songs for Dance Central for around 3 dollars each. And more new songs are released every few months. 
     So my point in writing this blog is this: if you have a Kinect, use it for Cardio!  When exercise is fun, you're more likely to keep doing it. If exercise is boring, you're not going to stick to it. Of course there are plenty of other fun ways to get exercise. Kinect is just one of many options.