The Life Ledger

Fitness is a way of life.

I hate the first of the year.

Okay, that’s a bit harsh.

What I hate is how many people set themselves up for failure. Sometime after the holiday ham and before the midnight bubbly, the average American takes this long look inward. Maybe it’s that change in the last digit of your checkbook. Or the lengthening days that hint at the coming promise of spring. And just as the moon pulls at the sea, we make those same resolutions as last year only to be foiled a few months down the road. And we are used to the cycle. We see those same articles dusted off : Most common resolution, First to go, How long can you last? ….. Sorry, that last sounds abit like spam.

And in droves We the People stimulate the economy: our gym memberships, exercise equipment, fad diets, IRA contributions, increased savings at the Banks. Companies love that financial shot in the arm. They know that very few people keep their resolutions because…

Exercise:
Off to the gym we go, shiny new gear in the trunk. Wait, everyone else seems to have gotten the same deal! Packed parking lots, queues for machines, and not enough clean towels just made my 30 minutes at lunch become 2 hours! After work is even worse. Can’t go outdoors because I’m above the 39th parallel. Anyways, I don’t remember being this sore last year when I started up.

Savings:
It’s time to improve my retirement savings plan. 10% into the 401k, plus 100 a month into an IRA. Hmmmm….. The bills from Christmas just came in. I know, I’ll start next month. But then that’s Valentine’s Day. Oh and taxes, can’t forget Uncle Sam. I’ll try to remember to start this up again in May.

Diet:
Oy, after all that holiday food I need to lose some weight. Time to diet, I’ll try those pills I saw on TV. Shoot, George brought in left over Christmas cookies. Maybe after the Superbowl because Sam always makes the best wings. One or two chocolate hearts aren’t going to hurt. What the hell?! Why aren’t I losing weight!?

So your motivation drops, and with it the focus of your resolutions. With no visible forward progress, you got frustrated and decided to try again in another year. So I say to you, be contrarian in the timing of your resolution. Pick a time that is away from birthdays and holidays. It could lead to a greater chance of keeping it.

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A good friend of mine started his journey to fitness a couple of years ago, and maintains and refines his fit lifestyle to this day.  Ironically, one of the initial inspirations that helped him settle in to an exercise routine - video games.

Granted, games like Dance Dance Revolution shouldn’t comprise you entire workout routine.  But when studies show the benefits of small exercise sessions throughout the day are cumulative, DDR not only offers a fun way to shed a few calories, but can also act as a “gateway” of sorts for people just starting out, but are intimidated or overwhelmed.

So, I have a Playstation 2 which I don’t use very often (which, if you don’t and find this article interesting, you can pick up from various sources including eBay for anywhere from $50-$100), and find myself thinking - how much money would I spend if I were to get DDR, and what should I buy?

As using DDR for exercise isn’t a new story, there are probably lots of places on the Internet with recommendations for which game pads and games to get; this one started this morning when someone asked:

I decided that I am going to join you on the DDR bandwagon, since I already have a PS2, and a game and a pad are much cheaper than any other home exercise equipment.  Now the question is:  Which game do I get?  Are they all about the same quality and level of fun?  Is there one that you would consider better for beginners?  Please enlighten me.

Also, I have read several posts saying that the red octane pads are good, so that is the one I am considering at the moment.  Any others I should look into?

So, we need a game pad and at least one version of DDR.  First, the game pad - people are almost unanimous in recommending the RedOctane pads, which appear to run in the $60-ish range.  As for the version of DDR, here’s some of the responses:

I have DDR Max II, and my friend has Extreme..  If you want to use the Workout Mode a lot, mine is better than his - you can set a calorie goal (or time goal), input your height and weight etc. and then pick your songs and have it show you at the end of each song how much farther to meet your goal.  Plus it shows you a comparison of what you’ve done to distance in running, jump rope, or swimming laps.

 

The advantage of the Extreme is that you can have it in “Workout Mode” while still playing regular Game Mode as well, so it will show you calories burned at the end of each song, then keep a tally until the end of the set (4-5 songs) at which time its memory will erase…

I have played every version out there and I own Extreme, Konamix, Max, and Supernova. Workout mode wise, I like extreme the best because you can continue to unlock songs and it tell you how many calories you burn at the end of each song, as well as the total after the end of each 3-song set.

And someone points to an alternative game:

the one thing i absolutely LOVE about pump it up is that its only 25 dollars for the pad and the game together. as long as you get it at EB games. so way way cheap. and mines lasted almost a year. i dance almost every day.

And one other suggestion of note:

However, I should mention that you get very little workout at first. Yes, do the Beginner version of every song in the beginning, but there is very little exercise involved at first. After you get a little better, you can start playing on Light and Standard modes, and then you will be getting more of a real workout! Can’t wait until you hit the Heavy level, then you can easily burn more like 30 calories a song, which equates to 300+ calories flying off in a half hour. At least, flying off much faster than most other forms of exercise.

So, we have $60-ish for a RedOctane pad and DDR Extreme or DDR Max2 for between $35-50 (or less if you can find it used), $110 or less for a fun way to exercise.  Not bad, if you actually use it.

Help me out - do you use DDR?  What versions do you like, and why?