Top 5 Fitness Video Games that Jack LaLanne would've approved @ Gaming Target

Written by Matt Swider on January 23, 2011

News: LaLanne never made a modern-day fitness video game, but here are five that do exactly what he encouraged.

Jack LaLanne, known for his unbelievable feats of strength (listed below) and tireless encouragement of exercise, has died today at the age of 96. Although we'd all like to last that long and look so fit into our 70s, 80s and 90s, we don't want to stop playing video games. LaLanne encouraged America's youth to get up off the couch and put down the controller, but here are some video games we think he'd approve:

Dance Central

The first game on our list is Dance Central--it might not have been intended to be an intense workout video game, but the unavoidable sweat produced makes it "fit for our fitness list." Developer Harmonix took its Guitar Hero/Rock Band gameplay experience and applied it to Kinect, resulting in the best game on the Xbox 360 accessory. It's just as exhausting as a workout game, yet contains music that people normally dance to. Win, win.

Current Price: $39.99

Wii Fit Plus w/ Balance Board

Combining yoga, strength training and 15 balance and aerobics-based mini-games, Wii Fit Plus is an improvement over its Balance Board debuting predecessor, enough to purchase the sequel even if you own the first. Of course, if you bought the first Wii Fit, you can buy Wii Fit Plus separately from the Balance Board since the bundle is as expensive as two Wii games.

Current Price: $94.99

Your Shape Fitness Evolved

Ubisoft was quick to release a workout video game for the Kinect, announcing it at E3 2010 along with the unveiling of the accessory. With workouts created by Men's Health Magazine and Women's Health Magazine as well as plenty of DLC to keep your routine fresh, this version of Your Shape is far superior to the Jenny McCarthy-helmed Wii and PC title from 2009.

Current Price: $47.99

EA Sports Active 2

If you want an accessory-filled game to track your progress every step of the way, then EA Sports Active 2 is your ideal fitness guru. It features a heart rate monitor device and two extra monitors for total body tracking. An optional resistance band is an accessory that other workout bundles do not possess. Putting it all together in 70 games and activities via Kinect should keep the calories burning throughout 2011.

Current Price: $49.99

EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp

Maden NFL game may not be ideal on Wii, but we think that EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp is ideal on the system because you can use the Balance Board. Like its vanilla counterpart above, this workout title comes with three sensors and includes 70 drills and challenges to improve your strength, power and conditioning, as well as reaction skills, agility and first step quickness. But all of it happens in NFL stadiums with real teams and actual football players.

Current Price: $49.99

To close things out, here are our favorite fitness guru's most famous feats and strength:

1954 Age 40: Swam the length of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge underwater with 140 pounds of equipment, including two air tanksя┐╜ an undisputed world record.

1955 Age 41: Swam, handcuffed, from Alcatraz to Fishermanя┐╜s Wharf in
San Francisco, CA.

1956 Age 42: Set a world record of 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes on я┐╜You Asked for It, a TV Show with Art Baker.

1957 Age 43: Swam the treacherous Golden Gate Channel, towing a 2,500-pound cabin cruiser. This involved fighting the cold, swift ocean currents that made the 1 mile swim a 6 1/2 mile test of strength and endurance.

1958 Age 44: Maneuvered a paddleboard 30 miles, 9-1/2 hours non-stop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore.

1959 Age 45: Completed 1,000 pushups and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hours and 22 minutes. я┐╜Happyя┐╜ is born and The Jack LaLanne Show goes nationwide

1974 Age 60: Swam from Alcatraz Island to Fishermanя┐╜s Wharf, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.

1975 Age 61: Swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-pound boat.

1976 Age 62: Commemorating the я┐╜Spirit of я┐╜76я┐╜, swam 1 mile in Long Beach Harbor, handcuffed, shackled and towing 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.

1979 Age 65: Towed 65 boats filled with 6,500-pounds of Lousiana Pacific wood pulp while handcuffed and shackled in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan.

1980 Age 66: Towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida filled with 77 people for over a mile in less than 1 hour.

1984 Age 70: Handcuffed, shackled and fighting strong winds and currents, towed 70 boats with 70 people from the Queenя┐╜s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary, 1 1/2 miles.

source: JackLaLane.com