Sports: Virtually realistic or realistic virtue?

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you’ll know that I’ve been particularly
interested in the recent debate in Health and Fitness eMag on the value of doing virtual
sports (such as those played on a Wii) versus real sports. Having evaluated the arguments of
both sides, I believe that virtual sports, despite their value, can never replace the value of
participating in real sports, mainly because of the greater physical and psychological
benefits generated by participating in real sports over the shortcomings of virtual sports.
One reason participating in reel sports is better than doing virtual sports has to do
with a lack of human interaction in virtual sports. In other words, when playing real sports
like football and badminton, one can see one’s expressions and action in real time and
responding to their moves accordingly. Indeed, finding our opponents’ weaknesses and
working as a team are what typically makes real sports so challenging and meaningful.
Nevertheless, in virtual sports, the players’ opponents or teammates are usually computer-
generated characters or virtual figures who mimic the real-life actions of athletes, and this
tends to generate some distance between players, thus removing the essential human
element from sports.
Another point worth mentioning is that the physical intensity of playing virtual sports
is usually less than that required in participating in actual sports. Moreover, not all parts of
the body may undergo physical exercise when doing virtual sports, which suggests that
playing virtual sports may not be physically beneficial to players. Taking “Wii” sports as an
example, under most circumstances, only the movements of the relevant player’s hands and
arms are necessary, not their legs, let alone the whole body. In comparison, participating in
real sports such as running or swimming typically requires exercising every muscle in the
body. Furthermore, the functions of the organs and blood circulation would also be more
effectively improved in playing real sports rather than virtual sports. This demonstrates that
real sports have a much larger benefit on physical health, as the selective physical
movement when playing virtual sports tends to significantly lower the effect of the sports
activity.
Apart from improving fitness, doing real sports can also enhance players’ mental
health. For example, practicing indoor sports such as dancing, figure skating and gymnastics
can boost our self-confidence, participating in team sports can provide us with opportunities
to make new friends, expand our social circle and learn to cooperate and coordinate with
others. In addition, outdoor sports, such as hiking and cycling allows us to inhale fresh air,
which can help us withdraw from the busy city lifestyles and make us feel energetic. These
various activities exemplify that practicing real sports emphasizes benefits concerning both
personal and social aspects of the mental health spectrum, from increasing our self-esteem
to improving our relationships with others, and all these psychological benefits cannot be
attained by playing virtual sports, which explains why real sports are better than virtual
sports.
Playing virtual sports may have some values and might by suitable for busy
entrepreneurs. However, virtual sports cannot replace real sports, as virtual sports cannot
effectively improve the body and mind in the same way as participating in real sports can.
Virtual sports may even ultimately have an adverse effect on our health as a result of
addiction, improper posture while playing virtual sports or due to the harmful blue light
emitted from consoles.
Having considered the value of playing real sports versus virtual sports, although I
think virtual sports do have a part to play in people’s modern lives, “virtual is virtual” and
these sports can never fully serve the purpose and function of real sports. I hope my
thoughts can add some enlightenment to the discussion, and any comments are sincerely
welcomed. Stay tuned for further posts!