WASHINGTON – In the dead of winter, it’s hard to get motivated to go outside for a walk, run or bike ride. But is the Nintendo Wii really a good alternative?

The answer is yes and no.

Researchers say you are much better off engaging in real sports, then you are playing virtual ones.

But they say the Wii games are better than nothing, and some offer more of a workout than others

In a recent study funded by Nintendo, about a third of Wii fitness activities qualified as moderate intensity exercise. That’s the same as a good walk.

Among the best: games simulating spinning a hula hoop, boxing, and playing tennis and baseball.

A new study from New York’s Union College suggests that the Wii games are actually better for senior citizens, because they slow mental decline as well as physical decline.

WTOP’s Paula Wolfson contributed to this report. Follow WTOP on Twitter.

(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)