Wii Fit Considered To Train New Navy Recruits
Nintendo's Wii Fit has been a quiet revolution. The device has been stamped with an approval by the American Heart Association, it has sparked many to exercise, it has been used in schools and physical fitness programs, and now it just might find its way into the Navy. Think of a video game that could have accomplished that five years ago. Or good luck trying, we should say.
A new report on the Wii Fit has shown that the U.S. Navy is considering its use to get recruits in shape, as many would rather exercise with a video game than just hit the boring, old-fashioned gym. There's debate over whether Wii Fit actually leads to substantial results, but even the consideration is huge news. Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam Robinson admitted that "using versions of such games, in combination with the traditional physical training that new sailors get at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill., would help newcomers to military service build up the endurance they need to get in shape safely." He stated: "There are lots of programs now that people can [use to] become very physically active while they’re using interactive computer games. So, in other words, this isn’t about [starting] with computers and stopping [everything else] — because we’re not going to do that. This is about incorporating those types of activities into something that people can use to become more physically active."
And a preference for video games over the gym isn't the only reason this is being considered. Due to society's shifting over the years, recruits are said to be weaker than in past, requiring more effort to get them battle-ready than in generations before. Robinson stated: "I have no doubt that today’s youth and the people that we’re talking about are capable of becoming physically fit. But I think that there has been a definite difference in the amount of time that people have devoted to physical activity, and I think that is a manifestation of physical education in the school systems in America."
Still, the idea of using video games to help train recruit is still in the "early stages," and no implementation date has been established. But we could definitely see this taking off, and so long as helps our military become stronger, we don't see how anyone could argue with that. Just make sure those recruits wear their Wii remote wrist straps!
A new report on the Wii Fit has shown that the U.S. Navy is considering its use to get recruits in shape, as many would rather exercise with a video game than just hit the boring, old-fashioned gym. There's debate over whether Wii Fit actually leads to substantial results, but even the consideration is huge news. Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Adam Robinson admitted that "using versions of such games, in combination with the traditional physical training that new sailors get at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill., would help newcomers to military service build up the endurance they need to get in shape safely." He stated: "There are lots of programs now that people can [use to] become very physically active while they’re using interactive computer games. So, in other words, this isn’t about [starting] with computers and stopping [everything else] — because we’re not going to do that. This is about incorporating those types of activities into something that people can use to become more physically active."
And a preference for video games over the gym isn't the only reason this is being considered. Due to society's shifting over the years, recruits are said to be weaker than in past, requiring more effort to get them battle-ready than in generations before. Robinson stated: "I have no doubt that today’s youth and the people that we’re talking about are capable of becoming physically fit. But I think that there has been a definite difference in the amount of time that people have devoted to physical activity, and I think that is a manifestation of physical education in the school systems in America."
Still, the idea of using video games to help train recruit is still in the "early stages," and no implementation date has been established. But we could definitely see this taking off, and so long as helps our military become stronger, we don't see how anyone could argue with that. Just make sure those recruits wear their Wii remote wrist straps!
