When it comes to the age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, there is no question about the fact that hands-on physical exercise breathed life long before video games such as Wii Fit Plus, Get up and Dance and Zumba Fitness started invading video consoles.

Today, the two are courting in the form of “exergaming.” Some students prefer this to a more traditional method of physical activity.

Advertising alumna Ariel Macon looks to Dance Dance Revolution, an older precursor to the movement-based games of today, for entertainment that is both fun and beneficial.

“I’m not the type of person who likes to run on a treadmill, so this is perfect for me,” Macon said. 

Her roommate, Clayton Stiff, prefers the gym.

The two have found a common ground with video games.

“It [the game] started the trend of distracting people from the fact they were working out and putting it in a game,” Stiff said. “It seems to be working.”

Amid an apartment stacked with moving boxes, the two still manage to find room to stomp and kick on a vinyl dance pad to a revolving stream of music.

The rules of Dance Dance Revolution are deceivingly simple. Players stand on a pad with arrows pointed in four directions while music plays in the background. Users must then step on the directional arrows in a manner that corresponds with the instructions on the screen.

However, the game isn’t as easy as it reads. As Macon jumped from arrow to arrow, demonstrating the game, she began to feel the intensity after a few rounds.

“You look so bad when you’re doing it,” she said. “But it’s so much fun.”

Despite his affinity to the gym, Stiff said he cannot deny the games effectiveness.

“If you play it long enough, you will definitely break a sweat,” Stiff said.

While breaking a sweat is a good sign when it comes to exercising, Tracey Paul, north Arlington L.A. Fitness athletic director, wants to remind gamers that the dance-based video games only offer a cardiovascular-based workout.

A well-balanced fitness routine includes resistance training, cardio and proper nutrition.

“It’s [the video games] only a third of the solution to staying healthy,” Paul said.

To test out the question of whether a video game workout can compare to a gym-based cardio workout, The Shorthorn headed to the Maverick Activities Center and invited students to test out Get Up and Dance for Wii. Watch their reactions below.