Workout Wednesday: Wishing My Workouts Exceeded Screen Time Limits on Our Family Timer

I’ve discovered that the best way to ensure that I get my daily YourShape: Fitness Evolved workouts in is to do them in the mornings otherwise, I run the risk of my Kinect time being cut off with the limits I’ve set on the built in Family Timer on our Xbox!

The built in Family Timer feature helps regulate screen time for the entire family by keeping track of total playtime on the console.  It counts the time that I spend working out with my YourShape trainer, minutes the kids are taking care of their cubs on Kinectimals or practicing their bowling skills on Kinect Sports, my husband’s Tony Hawk Shred time, and even guest play during play dates to ensure that we are maintaining a healthy balance of screen time versus other activities.

The Family Timer is one feature of XBox 360’s Family Settings that is activated by turning on your Xbox for the first time,  by going to Family Settings under the My Xbox channel on the dashboard at any time, or after downloading the latest Xbox LIVE update.  Turning Console Safety "on" allows you to set time limits, control games based on ESRB ratings, control access to movies and television shows according to MPAA and TV Parental Guidelines.

Another great resource is Microsoft's Get Game Smart program that's designed to help families enjoy video games and media in a safe, balanced, and healthy way by providing information on parental controls, tips, and the latest information on Xbox Family Settings.  There's an entire section on the Kinect on the Get Game Smart site too and this video is quite helpful to families who got Xbox with Kinect systems over the holidays. 

While we engage in game play with our kids, it's good to know that parental controls exist.  I know that Family Settings aren't perfect and that savvy tweens and teens can crack passwords to change the settings.  But as a parent of a 4 1/2 and 7 year old who are venturing into the world of gaming, just knowing that Family Settings can help filter out content that we might not want our kids to be exposed to just yet provides peace of mind.  I also like that no one can argue with the Xbox when screen time limits have been reached and the console shuts off!  

I only wish I could say I was getting kicked off the Kinect for too much time with my trainer!

My trainer really doesn't like it when I stop to take
photos mid-workout!

Weekly summary: 

• Pounds lost/gained this week: 0 
• Total pounds lost over 8 weeks: 3

Ubisoft provided me with a copy of Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and is sponsoring this series of reviews, though the opinions I've expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and I promote Blog With Integrity. Xbox 360 and Kinect were provided for review by Microsoft.