There is a fun way to have a productive cardio workout, without ever thinking about looking at a progress bar. Two arcade games, In The Groove and Dance Dance Revolution (known as ITG and DDR in arcade circles), offer a wide range of songs to dance to, at four different levels. Best of all, it’s easy to burn hundreds of calories with only a relatively short amount of play time!
Basic Overview of Dance Games
Players get to pick three songs, each song being about 3 minutes long. The players’ goal is to follow the arrows on the screen, stepping on the corresponding arrows on the dance pad (up, down, left and right). In the harder levels, the player is required to hit more than one arrow at the same time. The arrows follow the music’s beat, so good inner rhythm is helpful. If too many arrows are missed or hit at the wrong time, the song is failed.
Dance Levels
- Beginner
The easiest level, and unless the player is very young, this level can usually be skipped. This is not the level that will promote cardio!
- Medium/Light
Arrows usually fall on every beat, and can be fast or slow depending on the speed of the song. This, rather than beginner, is the best level to improve eye/foot coordination. Some of the harder songs on this level will have jumps, where the player hits two arrows at the same time. A mild cardio workout can be achieved on this level.
- Hard/Standard
The arrows will follow the song’s melody for the most part, and there will be frequent jumps. This level is unavoidably a cardio workout, as the player must move faster, hit more arrows, and jump more.
- Expert/Heavy
The ultimate cardio workout! A player can burn an average of 2000 calories with just 45 minutes of play time on this level. The arrows follow not only the song’s melody now, but also include some of the background music, meaning constant movement. There won’t be a song without a jump in it.
- Doubles
For even more of a challenge, DDR and ITG both have the option of playing “doubles.” This is where one player uses both dance pads. As there is much more movement required than playing on a single pad, it’s easier to get a cardio workout, even on an easier level.
Minor Differences Between the Games
Overall, ITG is more challenging than DDR and has some extra features. Sometimes more than two arrows must be hit at the same time, requiring players to use their hands. ITG features mines, which will “explode” if stepped on, and also tremolos, where the player must alternate tapping two arrows at a rapid speed. ITG machines are equipped with a USB port, so players can chart exactly many calories are burned each session!
Of course one can’t expect to play expert level on the first day, but it takes relatively little time to work up the level ladder. And best of all, the work is fun! Progressing through the levels gives a sense of achievement, and that’s more reward than running the same old 2 miles on the treadmill.
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