Hi...

I have a PS2 and have a dancemat and Eyetoy that go with it... I am just wondering are these as good for fitness as the Nintendo Wii? I have been hearing lots about Wii benefits lately (calories burned etc.) but haven't been seeing the same info regarding PS2/dancemat/eyetoy...

Does anybody know anything about this???

Are you using your dancemat for DDR? I have it on Xbox360 and definitely think it gives me a workout. Granted I use it in addition to my normal workouts like weight-training and running. I would never rely solely on a game to achieve my fitness goals. That said, I know that if I really get into it, for a couple of hours, I burn about 400 calories (and get a hell of a workout in my calves!). Of course, that's nowhere near what I would burn if I was in the gym for two hours...

Playing DDR with the dancemat can burn some serious calories--if you're doing it right. Several of the games have a workout mode, which will count your calories for you. If you want to use it as a method of exercise, you need to be doing some of the faster songs (usually 150 bpm or more) and going for at least 30 minutes in order to get anything significant out of it. I got a little obsessed with DDR Ultramix for Xbox 2 summers ago and would play for several hours at time, working up a pretty good sweat in the process.

I would not recommend substituting DDR for other forms of exercise such as running, cycling, weight training, etc. unless you are VERY intense about it, but it can certainly be a fun addition or a way to burn some extra calories with your free time

The fitness benefits of DDR are old news, in the Wii is new so that's probably why you're hearing more about the wii.

There's some interesting articles posted over at ddrfitclub.com about using the ps2 and ddr for exercise.

Having played wii sports and ddr, I find it impossible to play a higher level of DDR without breaking a sweat, whereas I really have to try to get much of a workout from wii sports. The benefit to a wii is that as more games come out for it, you'll have different methods of exercising and interacting. Whereas there are only a handful of motion games for ps2.

I plan on picking up a Wii in a few months, hopefully by then they will have annoucned DDR for Wii.

Going to the gym gives you a more even, intense workout, but DDR is great for motivating yourself since it doesn't feel like work. Any excercise is better than nothing, so if DDR is all you feel like doing, it still beats the heck out of sitting on your butt in front of the TV. But if you're really looking for results you'll want to start running, cycling, swimming, etc.

Kelly,

DDR for Wii has been announced, but not dated just yet. Konami (I think that's the company who develops it...) says that it will also include hand movements using the wii remote and nunchuck, I guess perhaps in a drumming sort of way.