Kinect Will Save You A Fortune In Gym Memberships

Quote: "Here’s the thing, though. If you have an Xbox 360, you really don’t need a gym membership. All you need is a Kinect, and some cool games to play."

[theBAWSE]

That can go for every dance game..wii fit..ps move fitness games...what a rubbish article

motion control will never take the place of dedicated gym enthusiasts

[Army_of_Darkness]

I don't think this author ever stepped foot in a fitness gym before to even say that!
Kinect was probably the only workout he ever did and broke a sweat lol!

[DatNJDom81]

Well it is true that you dont need a gym membership to be in shape. But to say kinect will save you a fortune is horribly misleading. You dont need kinect to stay in shape either.

[iamnsuperman]

@DatNJDOm81

I agree. The fact is the Kinect isn't a good fitness device. There is nothing better for you than going to you local swimming pool or a going outside for a run especially with apps on smart phones etc. Gyms are pointless if you are not going their to lift weights.

I find it insulting that people rave about these gaming devices as fitness machines. They are really not. Proper eating and going for a run either every day or every other does wonders to your fitness

[nukeitall]

It's true you don't actually need anything that isn't naturally around you to get fit. However, if it ain't fun you won't do it!

So if Kinect or any other motion control device gets you going, then that is awesome.

[MikeMyers]

Kinect will never replace a gym but what it can do is get kids (and adults) active, that's the point. You could easily have a mat on the ground and some free weights and use Kinect as a trainer. People do this now with DVD's and such. So if they can utilize videogames that kids love and somehow intertwine it with getting people active what's so bad about that?

Kinect could also help people use proper form. By seeing yourself onscreen you can tell if you are doing the exercises correctly. So many times you go into the gym and see people lifting too heavy of weights or doing it wrong that is not isolating the muscle correctly.

[math]

Yeah, but I like going to the gym to look at girls and their butts in tight yoga pants.

Can you do that Kinect? Well can you?

[shaun mcwayne]

You read my mind. tight yoga butts rock.

[Wintersun616]

Wow, I didn't know it can transform to a plethora of workout devices.

/s

[mandf]

Exercise is free. The best is jogging. Not not to mention who wants to sweat all over their floor and stink up their house.

[nevin1]

I advised people to walk/jog every morning for 30-60 mins.

[Soldierone]

It won't. I've used almost every single "gym" game there is, including dance ones.

If you are fat, then maybe it will help a bit, but other than that it won't do a lot. Pretty much 90 percent of all of it is cardio. It makes you burn tons of calories, that about it. Won't increase strength or anything like a gym would.

You are better off just running or jogging around your neighborhood. Then go buy a pull up bar and weight bench with the money you save on not buying a kinect and over priced game.

[Belking]

"It makes you burn tons of calories, that about it. Won't increase strength or anything like a gym would."

Which is ok because being healthy is the goal. Sometimes burning calories is all it takes for some people. Kinect can definitely help with that.

[Soldierone]

It doesn't really increase endurance or push you though. I'm not saying its completely useless, but they still haven't replaced the gym for me at all. It might be good for beginners, but just because it makes you sweat doesn't mean its what you need. (personally I'm too skinny, so burning calories is the exact opposite of what I want)

It kind of gets into a pattern, and your body gets used to it, and it can be easy. And the assortment of exercises are rather lame. The thing that really pushes me away is how bad some of the game track you, and ends up glitching out or saying "do it proper"

[Viper7]

Agreed, but instead of bench I'd say Squat rack instead (in proper one you can bench as well)

But if you can't build a home gym where you can squat, dead-lift and bench then you are better off with Gym membership in a proper gym.
(E.g Gym that isn't equipped with Lunk alarm, and allows you to do the above exercises without a problem)

Bench is good, but squat and dead-lift are both far better. Squat is after all the king of exercises. But doing all 3 is just super.

And no, I can't do these move with Kinect so I still need my gym membership.

[MGSmarioPRO]

"Here’s the thing, though. If you have an Xbox 360, you really don’t need a gym membership. All you need is a Kinect, and some cool games to play."

Really? As a professional in the matter, you only need a pc and watch some videos about fitness. Follow programs for 2 months with 45 minutes per day and you will like the results if is fat you wanna loose. It's even cheaper than have xbox 360, buy kinect and buy "cool" games.
Even cheaper is just run and make the exercises outside or inside if you have space...

[mamotte]

It'll help you with cardio, maybe. You wont grow a single muscle out of it, though.

[Belking]

That's not what it's for. You would be surprised what some good cardio could do to your appearance. It does bring out your muscle tone and can help shape your muscles. Just take a look at some pro athletes like tennis players. Look at the great muscle definition and tone to their bodies.

I don't think Kinect ever claimed or was advertised in a way to increase your muscle mass. It's mostly just marketing stuff. It could help you drop some pounds provided you are eating right to go along with it.
So it is possible that kinect could help you with your goals. It's more believable than others having pro bodybuilders advertise a protein product and don't mention anything about the PE or Steroids that they take along with it.

[Arksine]

That is all true, but mamotte's response is to the title of this opinion piece. If cardio and fat loss is your only goal, you don't need a gym membership. You don't need Kinect either.

If you want real muscle definition you need to lift weights. You don't need PEDs to get there either...just a clean diet and commitment to the gym.

[Hicken]

A gym is for that. It's for cardio, and gaining muscle.

If Kinect can only do one, then it can't do what the article suggests. Why are you addressing the comment as if mamotte was responding to marketing?

And why the random shot at bodybuilders? What relevance does that have to anything?

Geez, dude. The Kinect can't do everything. It can't do what the author of this article says, and multiple people- mamotte included- have pointed out this fallacy. You saying, "That's not what it's for" only hurts the cause you're trying to help.

[optimus]

Maybe you all read the article wrong... He specifically said kinect wasn't for bulking up...he mostly plays dance central but there are other games out there that does keep track of your fitness level and can help with your overall goal...nike training helps in that respect and it isn't All cardio...

Sure you can run, jump, walk around your house but the point he was making was that it usually isn't fun...and with a kinect it IS... A gym membership will run you about 30 bucks a month on average, and you have to deal with people not wiping equipment, waiting your turn, potentially sick people coughing or sneezing near you, and not to mention driving to and from there...all of that is what makes people say "i'll go tomorrow"... You can avoid all of that with kinect.

[DigitalRaptor]

You won't find one person who is serious about staying fit and healthy that will take Kinect over a gym membership, which is a lifestyle and commitment choice rather than an excuse to pretend that games make you healthy and to stay at home instead.

"I'll go tomorrow" forms a lazy principle that you'd rather stay inside your house than get out, go running, or be social and healthy in an environment designed for health and fitness. Like I said if you're serious about it, you'll find a way that works. If you're not, you'll use Kinect.

[bub16]

anyone can run on the spot, just buy a simple dvd. no need to spend money on an xbox. then kinect. how lazy has this generation become. so lazy we cant even be bothered to go the gym!

[GraveLord]

Advertorial.

[PhoenixRising37]

The amount of weights i can lift with kinect!!! my god!!!
/s

[smashcrashbash]

Do you really think Kinect is a good substitute for a gym? How naive can you get? I am guessing Microsoft has you brainwashed like everyone else.I could run up and down stairs and get better exercise then Kinect.Please don't fall for the hype and come here talking nonsense.

[DigitalRaptor]

So true. Until these people actually join a gym or go on regular endurance sessions and work hard on cardio, it's incredibly stupid to believe you're going to get results that you want, from a game. A video game.

Your body gets used to certain levels or exercise and the only way to push yourself to stay truly healthy is to go outside, diet properly and test your body's stamina in ways it's not used to, not by sitting in front of a television set.

"Wow, I jumped up and down in my living room and I'm kinda breaking a sweat. I am healthy". Just wrong. Some of these people need to realise that hard work and commitment to self improvement is what is needed, not a lazy excuse in the form of a video game.

Not to mention, Kinect allows for some killer weight training... ha!

[smashcrashbash]

You have to understand these things are not made for people with common sense. They jump around playing a video game and think that they are burning a whole bunch of calories or losing tons of weight and think that they don't have to go outside or go to gyms.It's not even right to try to exercise from video tapes as you can hurt yourself if you are doing it wrong.But people fool themselves into thinking that they can simply do some game and because they sweat a little and make a little effort that means that they can avoid doing real exercise but the developers and Microsoft are more the happy to help you believe that so they can sell Kinect games to you.

[optimus]

Are people really this ignorant?? Fact: the wii is used in hospitals and rehab centers around the country...BECAUSE IT WORKS... Using the kinect will not turn you into mr.olympia! Nobody said it would. You people are reading way too much into this and are missing the point...
The guy who wrote the article did so because he lost weight just dancing with the kinect. It WORKED for him, who are you to say otherwise?...there are forums out there dedicated to those games with people saying they lost weight using kinect, wii, etc.

Exercising on a regular basis no matter where you are WILL give you results, period. If using a motion control game motivates you to run, jump, etc for 2 hrs as opposed to sitting down and watching a movie or playing a game and not burn an ounce of fat then so be it...not EVERYone likes to go to a gym so why force them too? ...there are countless of workout dance videos that sell millions...zumba this, hip-hop that, they even have these classes at THE GYM! So why pay a gym thousands of dollars a year when you can get the same thing at home??...people just love to complain for the sake of complaining.