Does Wii-Fitness Work?

It's been a huge hit since the day it hit store shelves, and Nintendo's Wii has also been hailed as a fitness tool.  A recent report shows just how effective this video game is at shedding calories.

It didn't take very long for Wii Sports to become the best selling video game title of all time, De-throning the legendary Super Mario Brothers late last year.  Anyone can see why - Wii Sports blends the best of both worlds - entertainment and fitness.

Both young and old can and have enjoyed the Wii.  Kids burn up hours playing their favorite games.  Those in their golden years have taken advantage of "Wii-hab" - a method that uses Wii games to aid in strength and flexibility for the older generations.  The question remained - how fit does the Wii really make you?

Children at rest burn about 72 calories per hour, whereas people playing your run of the mill Xbox game will burn about 107 calories per hour.  But by playing the Wii, those numbers increase drastically.

• Wii tennis - 179 cal/hour
• Wii boxing - 174 cal/hour
• "Real World" Doubles Tennis - 318 cal/hour
• Punching an actual boxing bag - 382 cal/hour

Although the benefits may not be quite as profound as pure exercise, the Wii can certainly make your favorite games at least somewhat beneficial to your health.