Have you ever played Dance Dance Revolution and afterwards you've been so tired you have to sit down and rest? Probably felt like a nice aerobic workout didn't it? Though you might've burned some calories, and there are certainly more virtual programs out there to help you burn fat, the real life experts say don't rely on them too much.

From the article:

Sony and Nike Motionworks aimed its virtual video game workout "Kinetic" at women aged 18 to 34, figuring that they could get a new demographic hooked on its PlayStation 2 consoles already being used by their children or friends.

"It's been extremely successful for us ... Kinetic is not a game for gamers. Anyone can pick this up," said Sony spokeswoman Alyssa Casella.

"Kinetic" workouts are led by virtual trainers Matt and Anna, who keep an "eye" on trainees through a camera called an EyeToy that mounts on the top of a player's television and measures the force and direction of the user's movement.

The program offers 12-week training programs or individual routines targeting specific areas of the body. The trainers, who owe their realism to motion-capture technology, lead routines inspired by aerobics, the Brazilian martial art capoeira, kick boxing, yoga and tai chi in four different environments -- the Dojo, Dance Studio, Zen Garden and Loft.

Michael Seril, a California-based trainer named top in his field for 2006 by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, said his virtual rivals are not as effective because they cannot tailor workouts to a user's specific goals but "are not that bad if you have gone to your doctor and been cleared to exercise."

"If you can't afford personal trainer four or five days a week you can incorporate this into it with a couple of days with a personal trainer," Seril said. "But I would not recommend it if you haven't exercised in three or four years."

Read the full article over at yahoo.com