Technology: SHE SINGS THE BODY ELECTRIC

Video games have traditionally been the enemy of exercise. Yourself!Fitness(on Xbox now; on PC in November and PS2 in January) may help change that. The new conditioning game is a virtual personal trainer that trades the usual gurus of home-exercise videos for a digital workout expert named Maya. Yourself!Fitness functions like an interactive workout tape. You input personal data, including height, weight, push-up proficiency and fitness interests, and Maya recommends a fitness routine and schedule. Then the warm-up is over. Maya leads you through heart-pumping workouts drawn from disciplines like yoga and Pilates. Unlike her prerecorded video counterparts, Maya will vary workouts to keep them challenging. She will even ask how you’re feeling during each routine and push you less or more–verbally and physically–based on your reply. Gamers will also encounter a familiar incentive: commitment to your routine will unlock hidden extras to keep you hooked before the physical rewards kick in. You don’t get bonuses like that at the gym. –By Stephen Totilo