Did Santa stash a Wii Fit under your tree this year? Don't expect it to transform your family from couch potatoes to fitness buffs, warns a recent study from the University of Mississippi. Similar to another study of Wii's effectiveness (which analyzed calorie burn), this one found that having Wii Fit in the home doesn't necessarily improve a family's fitness level. While children showed improved aerobic fitness after three months with the Wii Fit, there were no other significant changes in daily physical activity, muscular fitness, flexibility, balance or body composition for the 8 families who participated in the study.
Eight families is a very small sample, so it's tough to draw any firm conclusions from this research. But it is a reminder that Wii games, while still an improvement over totally sedentary video games, are not a substitute for other kinds of physical activity and active play. And there are plenty of ways to make that more fun too!
