Wii Your Shape game

Can the new Nintendo Wii replace a qualified professional trainer?
I have just read a really interesting and funny article in the Globe and Mail, test-running this new game.

The concept is pretty cool. The game which retails at around ($75 CDN) comes with a camera which you mount on the TV. You then enter a bunch of information, age, gender, weight etc and then the camera does 2 body scans of you. Now the fun beings......

The voice of 'Jenny McCarthy' then instructs you through a series of exercises, of which you have 480+ to chose from; you see a visual image of yourself next to this perfect blonde virtual trainer and you also get instruction from her about incorrect form and posture.

I am talking blindly about the game of course because I have never seen it and actually don't have a huge desire to try it either.  (Though I imagine it could be a fun drunken party game!!)  I think that is the key for me, it appears to be just another game. When I think of the time and effort I take to make my workouts effective, constantly changing up the weights, tempo, rest times, number of reps and number of sets - it makes me wonder just how effective Your Shape really is.

Have any of you tried this game? Have you had any positive results from it? I would interested to hear your thoughts on this.

Have a fun weekend!!!

Improved brain power in weight-training seniors

I read an article in yesterday's Globe and Mail that seniors who pumped iron had 12% improvements in their attention and decision-making abilities.

University of British Columbia studied 155 women aged 65 to 75, who were given resistance training programs once or twice a week and saw a measured improvement in cognitive abilities.

The article doesn't tell us exactly what type of strength training they were doing, but the participants used both free weights and resistance machines with measured progression thorough the program.

Previous studies have always been focused on the benefits of aerobic exercises like swimming and walking, so this is a welcome change.

click here to read the full story from The Canadian Press and remember next time you are visiting Granny to throw her a few cans of baked beans so she can pump out some incline presses!

And speaking of seniors, its looks like Jane Fonda is putting on her spandex and relaunching some new exercise dvd's at the fine old age of 72!!



(image courtesty of www.dialogueplus.ca)

Canadians are getting flabby and fat!

and thats official!!
I was listening to a radio report on the CBC today, produced by Statistics Canada surveyed over 5,000 Canadians across the country, ranging in age from 6 - 70.
As part of the study, researchers took direct measurements, such as:

- Body measurements, such as waist circumference and body fat distribution.
- Cardio-respiratory fitness, including aerobic fitness as measured in a stepping test, and heart rate.
- Musculoskeletal fitness, such as grip strength and the ability to do partial curl-ups.
- Blood pressure.

The figures are pretty shocking, but not totally surprising to me. And I am sure the same numbers would show up across the globe.  I remember reading recently that Australians are the fattest people in the world - thats not what I remember from Home and Away!!