People hoping to get in shape and tone up their muscles have increasingly turned to gaming systems over the last few years.

The creation of the trendy Nintendo Wii and similar systems has inspired many folks to purchase the equipment in an attempt to lose weight. But do they really work?

According to fitness experts, using a gaming system for fitness can be beneficial, but should not replace an active lifestyle.

The systems are operated by players moving their bodies, typically while holding a remote sensor that wirelessly beams the player’s movements to the game system. The player’s movements then are simulated on the television screen.

Fitness experts Amy Tully, assistant general manager of the Chesapeake Square OneLife Fitness Center, and O’Nealia Silvers, Stay and Play and Innovation Zone Coordinator at the Suffolk Family YMCA, agree that using a gaming system like Wii for fitness has its benefits. However, they disagree on the extent to which gaming systems are useful for fitness.

Both the Suffolk Family YMCA and OneLife Fitness at Chesapeake Square use Wii gaming systems in their fitness programs directed toward youth.

Both locations use the Wii systems to give kids an outlet and to keep their young patrons active. Wii games require kids to dance, hop, jog in place and more.

“It’s more than just remote in hand,” said Silvers.

Wii games are more complex than games made for traditional gaming systems, where players simply pressed a button to cause movement on the screen. Wii Sports simulates bowling, golf, baseball, tennis, basketball and more.

To play Wii Sports, participants have to move. The basketball game is so complex that even “the way you flick your wrist will indicate whether or not you make a basket,” Silvers said. “You can’t just sit there, you have to get up and move.”

Tully would prefer that people exercise in the traditional manner.

“It is not the best option for folks,” she said, although she likes the idea of using video games for fitness. “It can be a great supplement to use in addition to a regular exercise routine, but I would not recommend using it to replace it.”

Silvers feels that using a system like Wii is preferable to doing nothing at all.

“In my personal opinion, I don’t think that a gaming system can replace a traditional workout, but something is better than nothing,” she said.

Unlike Tully, Silvers actually recommends using a gaming system to people of all ages. “There are tons and tons of activities for all ages,” she explains.

She feels that it can benefit the very young because it is interactive and will keep their attention, while it can benefit the elderly and those who have difficulty moving because they can focus on just a specific part of their bodies.

“If someone felt that it was hard to do a traditional workout — something is better than nothing,” Silvers said, “even if it is just moving their arm.”

“It conditions all over, physically and mentally,” Silvers said. “If you are being physically active and fit, your body naturally releases endorphins and your body will feel better, period.”

Silver explains that Wii games can work several muscle groups including the core, chest, quads, biceps, back and triceps.

She recommends Just Dance I and II, Wii Fit, Wii Sports and NBA Live ‘08 because she said they are physically interactive games.

At the Suffolk Family YMCA, these games also help the children to build friendships with one another and act as members of a team.

Although it may not replace a traditional workout, using gaming systems for fitness can have benefits.

“There are so many things you can do to stay active,” Silvers said. “Just try it, then you can truly form your own opinion.”