Sega raises your heart rate, without games

(Credit: Sega Toys)

The Wii Fit may have grabbed all the headlines for combining games and exercise, but it should be noted in fairness that other companies have been working on that mashup as well. Lately their efforts have focused on physical activities for kids, whether on stationary bikes or jet skis, but maybe that's just the beginning.

The latest evidence of the trend comes from Sega Toys, though it hardly looks like something aimed at your average adolescent. The "Body Trainer" sounds a lot like Yamaha's "BodiBeat," which chooses songs that supposedly match your heart rate, though we do like the fact that Sega's versions contains all the electronics in its headset. (We could never figure out how people keep their earbuds from falling out during a workout.)

Just enter your vitals and choose a level of exercise, according to Dvice, and the Body Trainer will "adjust the pace of the music to optimize your routine." No matter how it works, we hope game companies will continue down the fitness path. After all, they certainly couldn't do any worse than the hula chair.