Can Nintendo Switch get you fit and help with weight loss? If you pick the right game, I can confidently say the answer is 'YES'. Getting fit while playing video games was largely unheard of until the introduction of the Nintendo Wii, which brought physical movement into the realm of video games, most notably with Wii Fit. Fast-forward 14 years and Ring Fit Adventure, among other titles, is taking the Nintendo Switch to a hole new level of swole. These dedicated fitness games with special controllers are designed to transform you from Mario to Luigi, and then into erm, one of those really ripped Nintendo characters. Er Trevor Belmont or Samus Aran. Someone like that.

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I decided to put a selection of Nintendo Switch games to the test to find out if they are any good at helping you to lose belly fat fast. In order to keep track of the calories burned playing all the games in question, I used a heart rate monitor because these are still the most precise fitness wearables to track heart rate and also because I didn't need other sensors, like altimeters or GPS, as found in running watches in this test.

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Each game was played for approximately half an hour and if there was an option, I chose the most physical way of playing them. For instance, in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, you can play using buttons only but for the test, the dual or if not available, single controller setup was chosen. In Ring Fit Adventure, I chose the 'Extreme' difficulty setting. For the other two games on this list, I used the default controller settings.

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My initial thought was 'no' but after trying the games, I must say they can definitely improve your physical fitness, should you play them correctly and regularly. As the saying goes, not all Nintendo Switch fitness games were created equal and they are all great for different reasons, we'll list what each game is best for in their respective sections.

Overall, the game that can not only help you lose weight fast but potentially get you stronger as well is Ring Fit Adventure, not surprisingly. Thanks to the special controller that provides some resistance and the variety of exercise you can perform in the game (once they have been unlocked), playing Ring Fit Adventure can effectively help you build muscle mass. The concept is not without issues but all will be explained in more detail below.

There are a million different ways to add more protein to your diet

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It is worth mentioning that the best way to lose belly fat is not to over-eat and to have a healthy, balanced diet. Playing fitness games on Nintendo Switch is great fun and they can also help you tone up and boost metabolism, but without proper diet, you won't see any results.

We have a range of diet guides here on T3 if you need some inspiration, including a keto diet meal plan and tips on losing weight with intermittent fasting. You might want to consider cutting alcohol for quicker weight loss and even exercising early in the morning for better results.

One thing that might help is keeping a tab on foods to avoid and include in a healthy diet and, of course, protein. Protein is great for both muscle building and weight loss and conveniently enough, we have a guide to the best protein powders as well as the best protein bars and even the best jerky too.

Playing Ring Fit Adventure regularly can get you in shape for sure

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: all fitness needs, even building muscles but definitely losing weight

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 245 kcal

Ring Fit Adventure is an amazing game. It is not easy but it makes exercising a little bit more fun without compromising on the quality of the workout. There are over 40 different exercises you can do in the game (once all unlocked), not to mention the mini games that targets certain muscle groups and the custom workouts you can put together for yourself.

You'll have to grind through the main story mode in order to unlock new moves. Needless to say, the story is not overly complicated but you don't play this game for the immersing story. Different moves have different attack points and you must use some strategy if you want to beat your opponents before they take you down.

Ring Fit Adventure is an indoor game and Nintendo thankfully included some features to make working out with this game more neighbour friendly. You can play in "Silent Mode" where you can squat pulse as opposed to stationary jog in order to move your virtual avatar forward on the screen, reducing the amount of vibrations and sounds you make as you defeat your opponents.

Thanks to the special controllers and the way they are worn, playing Ring Fit Adventure provides a full body workout. You can train your legs and improve your cardiovascular system just by stationary jogging/squat pulsing, let alone doing actual squats during Fit Battles in the game.

One of the downsides of the game is the lack of variety in the exercises at the beginning of the game: you can only choose from 4-5 to start off with and you unlock one at the time as you progress in the story. You can also choose which exercises you want to do in each battle and although I appreciate the flexibility, a more structured approach could ensure that players don't slack off picking the easier exercises to progress.

Playing Ring Fit Adventure is not a like-for-like replacement for working out with kettlebells, dumbbells or suspension training systems, but it is a fun way to introduce people to resistance training and get them healthier too.

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Get those arms toned with Fitness Boxing

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: improving aerobic fitness, toning the arms

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 183 kcal

Fitness Boxing is seemingly the love-child of the original Wii Fit and Just Dance 2020, or any generic dance game for that matter. In Fitness Boxing, you need to perform a set of moves while following the beat of the music, with the cues floating into the screen from the bottom.

It's fun to do, especially if you like to work out to listening pop music. There are even incentives, like unlocking new music and the ability to dress your instructor up in new outfits, as you put the hours into the game. Better still, you can do workouts that target different body parts and even set the time you would like to work them out for. When training the biceps, your workout will include a lot of uppercuts and the pecs will be attacked by doing hooks.

Needless to say, your legs won't be worked too much, all that is required from your lower body is some light bouncing around, at least at the beginning. If you want to build leg muscles, check out our best glute workout piece for inspiration.

Due to the sensors in the Joy Con controllers not being as precise as an atomic clock, some of the punches are not registered and even if they were, getting them 'perfect' each time is anything but easy. If you don't mind the lack of precision, you'll be rewarded by being able to relive the glory days of aerobic boxing workouts of the early 90s with Fitness Boxing.

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Compete with friends in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: HIIT upper body workouts, group exercising

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 191 kcal

The Mario & Sonic at the Olympics series is not new the first game came out in 2007 and given the subject matter, the games in this series always had a sporty aura around them. This is the case in the latest iteration, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, which probably should be renamed Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2021 at this point but never mind.

In the game, you can try mimicking different sports using the dual Joy Con setup and from my experience, the running-related sports are the most challenging. Some other principles, like climbing, are pretty impossible to do using the sensors: it just wouldn't register the position of the arms, even if you wave them around like a lunatic.

Where Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 really shines is the multiplayer mode.If you have a big enough TV and big enough space four people can play this game simultaneously, making it the perfect fitness party game.

There is even a story mode if you prefer to play alone and better still, there are some retro games available in this mode that can also be played later using classic characters from both the Mario and Sonic franchises.

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You won't burn many calories exploring post-apocalyptic Hyrule

(Image credit: Nintendo)

Best for: puzzle solving (not for improving fitness for sure)

Calories burned (in 30 minutes): 30 kcal

Zelda: Breath of The Wild is an amazing game with a lot of depth and it will most likely entertain you for at least a few months after you start playing with it. This game will keep your mind occupied with its shrine-puzzles and complex mechanics, not to mention the cooking feature and the bazillion side quests available to complete.

One thing Zelda: BoTW won't get you is fit, though, since you don't use any muscles to move Link around on the screen. Sure, your brain is responsible for a big chunk of your resting metabolic calories burned, but even focusing really hard on this game won't increase calorie expenditure much.

Maybe you should try doing 10 pushups every time you unlock a shrine might help you building some arm definition?

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Which Nintendo Switch can get you fit? When it comes to burning fat there is a CLEAR winner - T3

DEAR DR. ROACH: My adult son has lost over 100 pounds on an intermittent fasting diet (16 hours fasting per day) and now wants to continue fasting in the morning and just eat a heavier lunch and dinner to maintain his new weight. I am not sure that this kind of long-term fasting is good for his health. For his meals, he eats anything he wants and counts his calories. I have told him that it is better for his health if he eats more of a Mediterranean-style diet, which would include a plate made up of mostly vegetables, a small amount of meat, grains and some good fats. Could you advise us what you think is a good way to maintain weight loss after being on an intermittent fasting diet? G.B.

ANSWER: Most of the studies on intermittent fasting use an alternate-day approach, where a person takes in very little food (25% of needs) on fast days and more (125%) on the intermittent feast day. The studies show effective weight loss, similar to those put on a calorie-restricted diet. There arent as many data on a 16-hour daily fast.

My experience is that intermittent fasting is an effective strategy for some people in whom other strategies have been unhelpful. One of my colleagues, an expert in weight loss, calls intermittent fasting another tool in her box.

While I agree with you that a Mediterranean-style diet has many health benefits, your son has had success with his fasting strategy. I have seen over and over again people having success with their plan (whatever that plan might be), only to go back to their old dietary habits and have the weight come back on. I would recommend he continue with the intermittent fasting, continuing to count calories, but to try to make sure what he does eat is as healthy as possible.

DEAR DR. ROACH: In a recent column, a reader was concerned about his enlarged prostate and possible UTI. You wrote that he may possibly benefit from changing the pH of his urine, but you did not specify which way. It implied that acidic urine could be a problem. However, doesnt the drug Hiprex given for recurring UTIs help prevent infections by making the urine acidic? J.B.

ANSWER: Methenamine (Hiprex) is converted in an acidic environment (a pH below 5.5) to ammonia and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is not an antibiotic, but does have general bacteria-killing effects. Hiprex also contains two organic acids, hippuric acid and mandelic acid, which help keep the urine pH low so the drug will work. Other physicians prescribe vitamin C in addition to help ensure an acidic urine.

So, its not the acidic urine that kills the bacteria with methenamine, its that the drug is converted to bacteria-killing formaldehyde in the acidic urine. Most bacteria are relatively resistant to the acidic pH changes that are possible in the urine.

Methenamine is not an oft-used treatment. The antibacterial effect of the formaldehyde is weak compared with antibiotics. You are correct that it is most commonly used to prevent infections rather than to treat them. I have given it in women who have had allergies to multiple antibiotics.

* * *

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to [emailprotected] or send mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.

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Intermittent fasting is one more tool in weight-loss toolbox - Lewiston Sun Journal

Usually the two folks participating in the Salisbury Post wellness program have lots of alternatives for exercise. With the YMCA and the Forum shut down for the whole month, Robin Satterwhite and Isaac Miller had a few extra challenges.

I asked them to recap with a broad stroke the program so far. Robin Satterwhite, humanities department chair for RCCC, said, The past five months have been an eye-opening experience and a great learning process. FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real) is my worst enemy. The whole wellness experience for me has been equally mental and physical. I think I cant do things, but I have had to work to overcome that. Some of this may be remnants of the anxiety I have suffered my entire life, but regular exercise continues to help.

The knee discomfort is history, so Im back to where I was at the beginning of March. I will not give in to injury or fear! Life is full of obstacles and roadblocks and we have to keep pushing forward. I am very fortunate to be in this program and want to give my best for maximum results.

Salisbury Police officer Isaac Miller said, The first little bit was rough but once I got into a groove, I have loved working out. There has been plenty of ups and downs, but the last five months have been great. We have the gym at the PD, so a good run mixed with weight training workouts has been my standard.

In mid 2018, I had a heart issue that put me in the hospital for a week and out of work for a few weeks. I was at my heaviest weight ever, around 340 pounds and this was a wake-up call for me. This program was what I was looking for to try and save my life. I now exercise 5-6 days a week. With Robin as my accountability partner and David as my coach, I want to only go back to the hospital as a visitor.

I asked about their strengths and weaknesses so far. Robin said, For strengths, I have had great support from family, friends and the community. Everyone cheers me on! Regarding weaknesses, I have always been a procrastinator! I fight this bad habit daily! Also, menopause seems to make weight loss a bit more difficult. It gets frustrating to follow what my coach says to do, but see the pounds melting slower than expected. Another weakness is patience, obviously!

Isaac added, My strength is my desire to be better than yesterday. I always push myself to surpass goals that I set for myself. My weakness would be that I dont know when to stop. I will go to exhausting lengths to beat my personal best. Sometimes I push a little too hard with no regard to the negative effect it will have on my body.

Our gyms will likely still be closed for the most part through June 26although certain legal challenges to the shutdown have begun. Isaac does weights, Robin does YouTube classes, and both run. I asked both what else they can do.

Robin said, I am very disappointed the gyms are remaining closed for almost another month! As the humidity picks up outside, running becomes more of a challenge. I plan to keep running outside and doing a better job of running earlier in the day, plus mixing in YouTube videos. I have a step bench at home and use online classes there. Zumba videos are another option I am experimenting with. I miss the kickboxing classes at the YMCA and cant wait for them to resume.

Isaac said, I need to be consistent. Using MyFitnessPal to track my calories lets me adjust if Im struggling to lose weight.

Neither Robin nor Isaac had met a monthly goal through April and Robin said, My past monthly weight loss goals have been a bit unrealistic. For June, I would like to see at least four pounds gone and want more. Isaac again wants to lose 10 pounds.

With an exciting, fast finish to May, Robin lost five pounds and Isaac lost 10 and is down to 292. Robin is now down 10 pounds and Isaac 32 for the year.

The best month yet! Robin and Isaac want another one in June. See you in a month!

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The 5:2 diet is a popular intermittent fasting plan that focuses on fasting for two days a week, while eating a normal diet for five days a week. It's a very handy way to avoid weight gain at home, during lockdown. As with all diets, there are a few variations of the 5:2 diet, particularly when it comes to how many calories you eat on your fast days, and what foods you should or shouldnt eat on your days off. It's a good way to Get fit in 2020.

The term intermittent fasting refers to meal plans that revolve around regulated, periods of eating and then not eating, and there are several ways you can use intermittent fasting for weight loss. The most popular variations of intermittent fasting are the 5:2 and the 16:8 diets. On the 16:8 diet you only eat during an eight hour period, and therefore fast for 16 hours a day (obviously, the period when you are asleep is included in this, which helps a tad.)

The 5:2 diet applies the principle of intermittent fasting to days, rather than hours, and so you fast for two out of every seven days. It works by significantly restricting your calorie intake on those days, which means your overall calorie intake is lower, providing that you dont compensate and eat more than usual on your off days.

The original 5:2 diet plan, popularised by the Doctor and journalist Michael Mosley, recommends that on fast days women should consume 500 calories and men should consume 600 calories, which equates to roughly 25% of their normal recommended daily intake.

Since the publication of Mosley's first 5:2 diet plan, The Fast Diet, in 2013, variations have arisen, including from Moseley himself. His most recently-revised plan, published as the blood sugar diet because of the benefits of intermittent fasting on blood sugar levels well touch on this later recommends eating no more than 800 calories on fast days.

(Image credit: Pexels)

One thing that makes the 5:2 diet so popular is that in theory you can eat whatever you want on your 'off' days. It's true that no food is off limits and you don't have to totally deny yourself the foods you love. However, its important to be aware that what you eat on your 'off' days will impact your weight loss.

While the 5:2 diet only requires you to restrict and count calories for two days a week, naturally the better you eat on your 'off' days, the more likely you are to a significant amount of weight. If youre looking to lose weight fast youll need to be reasonably strict on your 'off' days and follow a Mediterranean diet on the non-fasting days.

If, however, youre looking for a sustainable diet that will help you lose weight and keep it off long term, then you can expect to lose around 1lb a week by fasting for two days and eating normally for five.

So what should you eat on your fast days? Its important to choose nutrient-dense foods that will fill you up more, making the calories you consume work harder for you. Vegetables, eggs, fish, lean meat and natural, unsweetened yogurt and are all good choices.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

The most obvious benefit of intermittent fasting is weight loss, because of the restriction on calorie intake. Whatever you eat, weight loss essentially comes down to calories in versus calories out: also known as your calorie deficit. In short, if you consume more calories than you burn in a day, the excess energy will be stored as fat. If, however, you burn more calories than you consume, your body will start to take energy from your stored fat, resulting in weight loss.

As well as this, intermittent fasting also benefits our blood sugar levels. When we fast whether thats not eating or eating less the insulin levels in our blood drops. Insulin is used by our cells to absorb sugar from the food we eat, so without insulin the cells are less able to use sugar for energy and so the rate of fat oxidation increases. Fat oxidation simply means when fat molecules are combined with oxygen to provide energy its what you or I would call burning.

What's more, some studies have shown that intermittent fasting helps you to lose fat without losing muscle, because fasting increases the level of human growth hormone in your body which in turn helps build muscle mass.

(Image credit: Pixabay)

The main difference between the 5:2 and 16:8 diets is the period of time for which you fast. On the 5:2 you fast for two days out of seven, but fasting is defined as consuming 500 - 600 calories. On the 16:8 you fast for just 16 hours at a time, but this means you consume nothing but water during the fast period.

Importantly, the weight loss principle is the same for both diets. By restricting your calorie intake for an extending period of time 16 hours or 24 hours your body runs out of carbohydrate to burn and instead begins to burn fat for energy.

Because neither diet restricts what you can eat, which one will work better for you comes down to lifestyle more than the diet itself. For people who have a regular routine around which they can plan meals, or who prefer not to eat early in the morning or late in the evening, the 16:8 diet is arguably easier to follow than the 5:2. On the other hand, the 16:8 requires you to fast every day, whereas the 5:2 only requires it two days a week.

What's more, the 5:2 is more likely to have a positive impact on your overall eating habits. People who normally skip breakfast and eat dinner around 7pm may find themselves accidentally following the 16:8 diet (providing they don't snack after their last meal). This could mean they don't make any conscious changes to what they eat. It's very unlikely that anyone's normal diet limits them to 500 - 600 calories, and so with the 5:2 there has to be a conscious effort to adapt your diet and make healthier choices. We think that's a good thing if you're serious about losing weight well and keeping it off.

Some users have found that it takes a little while for the weight loss to kick start, but nevertheless, the 5:2 diet works: "Initially there were two weeks when nothing happened, but after four weeks I started to lose weight," says Jackie, who began the 5:2 diet in January 2018.

Before starting the 5:2 diet Jackie weighed 9 stone 6 lbs, which put her towards the top end of the healthy weight range for her height and age. She wanted to lose half a stone on the diet, but ended up losing 1 stone 3 lbs in around five months.

"The 5:2 diet made methink more about what I was eating and how much I was eating on my 'off' days. While I didnt give anything up, I did reduce my portion sizes, particularly when it came to treats like cheese and cake. I found that fairly easy to do," says Jackie.So eating cheese and cake is compatible with losing weight? It seems so.

What Jackie found hardest was getting into the routine of cooking the lunchtime meals suggested in Mosley's book, and instead she found herself eating easier to prepare but less satisfying lunches like a sandwich made from one piece of bread. "I was always relieved to get to the end of the second fast day. Not so much because I was hungry, but because of the thought that the next day I could have things I really wanted - just not in great portions," she says.

As well as the necessity of good meal prep, users not surprisingly note that following the 5:2 diet requires willpower in order to overcome hunger on fast days. Other side effects include tiredness and low energy levels, and so its vital that you speak to a healthcare professional before starting the 5:2 diet if you are at all concerned about your health, are pregnant or have previously suffered from an eating disorder.

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The 5:2 diet: it requires willpower but can be powerfully effective - T3