Did you ever think about what other fun way there is aside from our typical way to exercise? What fun weight loss games are there to help us shed some pounds? Of course, I can think of dancing. That is always fun, and you can shed some calories doing it for sure.

Here is one that you may not have thought of, playing video games. It may sound crazy, and I’m sure the first thing you are thinking is, how do I exercise and lose weight playing video games? Well, would it shock you to hear that you can do this?

The best thing about this is that you can do this with the entire family. I have done it and continue to every time I have the chance. It combines dancing and playing, and you will move your whole body.

If you are a regular gamer, you probably know what I mean. Still, if you are not, then you should consider it, especially if you get bored easily when doing repetitive exercising routines or don’t have the motivation to exercise if it does not contain that fun element.

 The Games

I have enjoyed many a day of burning calories dancing to ‘Just Dance’. The game is available on all video game platforms – Nintendo, PlayStation, and Xbox.  It allows for multi-player so that you can play with more than one person. It usually allows up to four players.

The music tracks in the game are music and hits that we hear over the radio and tv, and many are by well-known artists. You play this game dancing in front of your tv set, similar to when you follow an exercise show on tv or an exercise video that you may play on your DVD player. Of course, you have to have one of the three video game consoles and the Just Dance game for that console to play it.

By following the dance moves of your chosen character, you will dance to the music, and the characters even interact during the dance routine, so if you are playing with someone else, you both interact with each other.

Another super fun video game that gets you moving and playing many traditional games is ‘Wii Sports’. The game has baseball, bowling, tennis, and even golf. Playing the games is a fun way to shed pounds, and you can include the entire family.  You move as if playing the games and must do it in front of the tv, so it keeps you active instead of sitting on a chair when playing.

My family and I own a few of the game systems, if not all. My favorite is Nintendo Wii U since it brings slim remote controls that connect the characters to the player. I got mine from Walmart and have purchased remote controls to replace old broken ones and different video games on eBay. (***When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network). Since then of course now there is the Nintendo Switch.  Luckily the game is also available for that game system. See video games and consoles specials at eBay.
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How You Burn Calories

It’s straightforward and to the point how you burn calories. You dance, and you sweat. You sweat because you are moving, so your movements raise your heart rate the same way regular dancing exerts energy. So the same way you lose calories dancing, you lose them by dancing while playing this game.

How Many Calories are Burnt When Dancing?

According to healthadvisor.org, “half an hour of aerobic dancing may help you burn up to 620 calories.”

That is a ludicrous number of calories to lose in half an hour. I have walked on my treadmill and exercised on my bike for the same amount of time, and I have only seen on average that the calories burnt are roughly 100. So it goes to show that dancing is a very effective way to burn calories. And when you burn calories, you know you are losing weight.

Fun Ways to Exercise Is More Effective

According to PubMed, dancing is a way to adhere to physical activity. It is more likely to stick to an exercise routine if it incorporates fun than rigid traditional repetitious exercise. Harvard Health Publishing states that exergaming, a form of exercising through video games, can be a way to liven up exercise routines.

It is well known that we expend many calories when playing games where we physically move. A game of volleyball or  basketball, get our bodies moving. Ping pong, hockey, football, and so many others, get us moving and sweating.

We are in an era when the physical activity on the outside for many has decreased. A lot of it has been due to the pandemic. But, as I shared earlier, there are ways to get physically fit and lose weight in the process with video games.

Most Games that Involve Movement Are a Fun Way to Lose Weight

As I shared before, most games that get you moving are a way to lose weight while having fun at the same time.  Traditional games on the outside are no exception.  There is tag, hide and seek, tug of war, hopscotch, capture the flag, traffic cop, hoola hoop, jump rope, double dutch, red light green light, spud, musical chairs, hey even leapfrog if you like.  They are all fun, and the best part,  you can play with the entire family.

If you have questions or comments about this article or topic, I would love to hear them.

How far have you made it in your weight loss journey so far?  If you are still saying I will start tomorrow, what could be stopping you from starting today?  Our decision to begin a weight loss regime sometimes involves a struggle with our minds.  Sometimes our image keeps us from making the first move and keeps us from reaching our goals once we start.  In my next post, I share more about this topic.