Burning Calories with Xbox Kinect – Still

We’re big fans of using the Xbox Kinect to burn calories and lose weight. Still. I know, the Kinect is abandoned and considered obsolete. But, it still has the capacity to benefit the health and fitness of gamers to this day.

Below is a breakdown of the games we’ve played and how the Xbox Kinect has influenced the way we burn fat. And this list is constantly evolving as we add more titles and record new sets of data.

These games are listed in order of how effective they are for calorie burn per minute.

The above are stats based on my personal experiences with the Xbox Kinect. I cannot guarantee you’ll have the exact same result. But for me, the system has been responsible for a lot of weight loss.

In fact, I’ve lost more than 80 pounds with the Kinect being the major factor.

How the Data is Collected for the Xbox Kinect

I know it’s not terribly scientific, but the case studies above show how playing the Kinect impacts the body. And I can personally attest to just how much of a sweaty mess I am towards the end of any session.

Eventually, I want to get some videos up on the YouTube channel to demonstrate how the game system helps you burn calories.

Using the Fitbit Charge 3

Currently, I use the Fitbit Charge 3 to record physical activity. The more active I am, the higher the heart rate. This translates into calorie burn which then influences weight loss.

After experimenting with my own weight loss process and tracking food intake versus calorie burn, I can say that the Fitbit is quite accurate. Well, it was in my case.

Some games will have a much higher degree of how much you can burn simply because of the movements involved.

Keeping the Body in Motion

The key to burning fat is by keeping the body in motion. This is why I prefer to play certain games on the Xbox Kinect. For instance, playing Kinect Sports Season 2: Tennis keeps me moving and is one of the better games in my collection.

Even during loading screens, I’ll walk in place or perform some other type of movement just to make sure I am constantly in motion. Because if you just stand there to play, you’re not getting the heart rate up.

As I said before, some games just have a much higher degree of activity than others.

Intervals of Time

We try to do more than 20 minutes during gameplay. I strive for around 25 to 30 minutes while the girls usually focus on a 20-minute workout playing the “Just Dance” games.

I’ve found that I can burn more calories in 30 minutes of playing the Xbox Kinect than many people will while at the gym.

Again, this all depends on how hard you work the Kinect play. And I play extremely hard while in front of the Kinect.

Using Hand, Wrist, and Leg Weights

You don’t need to use weights while playing the above games, but I’ve found them to be of great benefit. Not only does it cause the body to work harder to move, but it defines and tones muscle mass.

It’s all about resistance training, and adding an extra pound or two to each hand makes more of an impact than you think. In fact, there were days when I could definitely feel it in my shoulders, back, and obliques depending on the game.

So far, the results show how adding the extra weight increases the calorie burn per minute slightly.

Exercising with the Xbox Kinect Doesn’t Mean Much without Proper Eating

You can burn 400 calories inside of 35 minutes, but it won’t matter much if you eat 1200 calories worth of cinnamon rolls afterward. No amount of exercise will help you lose weight if you’re still consuming more than you burn.

The key to a healthy weight is to monitor what you put into your body versus the activity you perform. However, there is a lot more to it than just keeping your intake at a logical level.

For example, those who are into lifting weights and pushing their bodies to the extreme often eat more carbs. This is because the body requires glucose to keep muscles in motion.

But, you need to stay active to burn that carb intake. Otherwise, you’ll balloon past 300 pounds and increase the risk of your heart stopping. And yes, I am speaking from experience.

For me, it’s all about connecting the Fitbit with MyFitnessPal to track intake versus output. And it’s made an incredible impact in my life.

How Hard Do You Game on the Xbox Kinect?

I’ll always have an affinity for the Xbox Kinect. The system has brought me down from 300+ to just under 220. And I’m still working on the last of the fat. So, I suppose you can say that the Kinect helped in saving my life.

Don’t discredit something because it looks silly. It could very well be the thing that gets you into shape while keeping the mind engaged.