Is the WII fit free run activity a feasible mode of exercise for regular exercisers: a comparison with treadmill running.

Background: This study compared the metabolic responses between treadmill running and the Free Run on the Nintendo Wii when maintaining a constant pace with an aim to see whether this would be a feasible option for exercise in persons who already exercise.

Methods: Twenty eight university students, mean age 20.7±1.38 years, participated in a repeated measures study. Subjects completed 10 minutes running on the treadmill at a self selected pace followed by 10 minutes of Free Run on the Nintendo Wii Fit disc. A metronome regulated the running pace during the Free Run activity to match the running pace on the treadmill. Oxygen consumption, caloric expenditure and heart rate were measured with a Cardio Coach Metabolic Cart. Paired t-tests compared the percentage of age predicted maximal oxygen consumption (% VO2max), metabolic equivalents (METs), caloric expenditure and percentage of estimated maximal heart rate (% HRmax) between the two running situations.

Results: For all variables of interest the mean values for treadmill running was found to be significantly higher than those for the Wii Free Run (P<0.001). The mean %HRmax and METs categorized both activities as vigorous intensity, however, the Free Run was at the lower end of the ranges whilst treadmill running was at the upper. The mean %VO2max classified treadmill running as vigorous intensity and Wii Free Run as moderate.

Conclusions: The Wii Free Run activity can be used as an additional form of exercise for persons who are already engaged in physical activity but should not be considered a replacement for treadmill running by those who run.