“A great adjunct to your fitness programme” |
| A great adjunct to your fitness programme Posted: 16 Feb 2011 08:48 PM PST By Amy Yeong Do you have problems sticking to your exercise routine because the gym is often closed by the time you leave the office? Or do you simply need an effective, guided home exercise regimen? If so, it is time to check out Kinect, an add-on to Microsoft's Xbox gaming system. Launched late last year, the Kinect device has a unique body tracking system that creates a 'digital skeleton' based on thousands of tracking points all over your body. This means that it can sense when your body is moving, and how much you are moving, making it possible to play entire games without a handheld controller. Indeed, Kinect-ready games rely almost entirely on your body's movements.Pair it with Ubisoft's fitness program, Your Shape Fitness Evolved (YSFE), and you get a powerful workout tool. I tried the Kinect system along with YSFE for two weeks and was impressed by how effective it could be. Even though I go to the gym regularly, I found the workout routines on YSFE sufficiently challenging. I attribute this to the fact that it focuses on how each move is executed. As most would know, slow and controlled moves are far more effective than speedy actions, particularly for the toning and sculpting exercises which the programme excels in. It guides you through each movement at a speed that ensures you are using your muscles, rather than relying on your body's momentum. Kinect's sophisticated body tracking system and the programme's immediate feedback tell you if you're doing each particular movement correctly. The system also records how well you perform each move, and even generates a score and calorie count at the end of each workout to tell you how well you did. YSFE also offers personalised training programmes. Based on your fitness ability (measured by how well you do on a series of fitness tests), age and lifestyle, the programme can recommend a variety of workouts targeting various concerns. If you want something a little less regimented, gym games such as Virtual Smash make working out a fun affair. There are also two workout classes in the programme - Zen (a blend of tai chi, yoga and calisthenics) and Cardio Boxing - that one can play with. Exercise programmes in YSFE are broken up into manageable 'routines', and one gets adequate rest in between to allow the body to recover. Workouts are also short, mostly under 20 minutes. This is good for the time-pressed, while others can choose to repeat a workout or do several different workouts in a row. While I thoroughly enjoyed using the system, there were a few downsides. For one, the Kinect system requires a great deal of space to perform well. YSFE, in particular, is best used if you have at least 2-2.5m of space in front of the Kinect sensor. Otherwise you risk getting faulty readings that can compromise your workout's effectiveness, or worse, risk sustaining injuries to your knees simply because there isn't enough space to move. Also, YSFE is best for toning and sculpting workouts. While it boasts some vigorous cardio programs (such as the ones by Michelle Bridges), it lacks dedicated workouts for the core muscles. There are also a few bugs in the programme, such as its inability to keep proper track of your workouts if you switch between different routines. According to online forums, the issue has already been surfaced to the YSFE creators - hopefully a fix will be offered soon. Verdict Your Shape Fitness Evolved is a gem of a fitness software that makes excellent use of Kinect's body tracking system. It is terrific for those whose irregular work schedules make it difficult to hit the gym, or for people who already have a gym membership but want to have a 'back-up' at home for those days when they are unable to go for their regular workout. While it is not a complete fitness solution, it comes pretty close. The Kinect and Xbox4GB console bundle (including the game Kinect Adventures) is available for $469. Your Shape Fitness Evolved is priced at $59.90 This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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