Kinect Sports as Exercise

  Kinect Sports is a fun game that is good exercise. It has six different games that can be used as a fun way to get exercise.  In this blog, I will talk about the six games in Kinect Sports and compare them in terms of fun and exercise. Another great thing about Kinect Sports is that you can play it together with other people. My family enjoys playing Kinect Sports together.
    Soccer (Exercise 2/5 - Fun 3/5):  Soccer for Kinect Sports is a fun game. You're not actually playing Soccer though. You have to step in in front of the ball when someone else is kicking it to intercept it. And then you have to kick it to either pass or score a goal. It doesn't require a whole lot of physical exertion because a lot of the time you are standing still waiting for someone to kick the ball to you. 
    Boxing (Exercise 4/5 - Fun 5/5):  Kinect Boxing is probably my favorite game for Kinect Sports. It's a lot better than boxing for the Wii. Unlike Wii Boxing, Boxing for Kinect Sports involves some strategy. It's not just mindless flailing. You have to time your punches. You can throw different kinds of punches. You put your hands up to block which builds up combo points. These can be used for powerful punches which stun your opponent. To do these, you lean back before you punch causing your punch to be a lot more powerful.  "Falcon Pawnch!" ;)
   Volleyball (Exercise 3/5 - Fun 4/5):  Kinect Volleyball is a fun game that is decent exercise. I'd say it's more exercise than Soccer, because it involves jumping and spiking and I seem to get more tired when I play it. It's a lot like actually playing Volleyball. The only bad thing about Volleyball is that we have a low ceiling where our Kinect is hooked up. So when I try to jump and spike the ball, I end up hitting the ceiling. Volleyball seems to be the only Kinect game that gives me trouble with hitting the ceiling. 
   Track and Field: (Exercise 5/5 - Fun 2/5):  Kinect Track and Field is probably the best exercise of any of the Kinect Sports games. Unfortunately it is also probably the least fun. Track and Field is actually five separate games. There's Long Jump, 100 Meter Dash, Hurdles, Discus, and Javelin. All of these except Discus involve running, so they're pretty good for getting exercise. For some reason I can't get the hang of Discus. My 4-year-old consistently beats me at it. I don't know what I'm doing wrong!
   Bowling (Exercise 1/5 - Fun 5/5):  Bowling is definitely the worst of the games in Kinect Sports for getting exercise. But it is still a lot of fun. My parents are not video game players, but even they enjoy playing Bowling on our Kinect. It's just like real bowling. You have to line up your shots. You have to plan how to pick up spares. You can even put spin on the ball. The only difference between Kinect Bowling and Real Bowling is that you're not actually holding a ball. Oh, and you don't have to pay money to go to a Bowling Alley whenever you want to play it. 
    Ping Pong: (Exercise 3/5 - Fun 4/5)  Kinect Ping Pong (or Kinect Table Tennis) is another fun way to get exercise. You're moving around a lot, but like with Volleyball, there is a little downtime while you're waiting for the next serve. You can put spin on the ball depending on the direction you hit it. It's a lot easier than real ping pong because you don't have to worry about the angle of your hand. You just have to make sure your hand is in the right spot at the right time, and the computer makes sure you get it on the table. Regardless, it's still a lot of fun. I love it when the opponent pops one up and I get to slam it!
   Extra Stuff: Kinect Sports also has some extra features in addition to the five games I mentioned. There are various challenges you can try. For example, you have an unlimited number of bowling balls and you can throw them as fast as you can to knock down as many pins as possible during a set amount of time. My son enjoys these challenges a lot. But I prefer the six main sports. There's also a party mode where you can choose a mascot and pick teams and play with large groups of people. We had a bunch of relatives doing that one time and we all had fun playing it. 
   Overall, Kinect Sports is a pretty good game in my opinion. If you want a game with a deep story, then this isn't the game for you. But if you want a fun game that gets you off the couch, then I'd say this game is worth buying.