As most gamers know, video games sometimes get a bad rap outside of the gaming community. One of the most frequent criticisms is that video games encourage a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, this is not true and there are even video games built explicitly around fitness and sports and active living. Playing games like Mario Tennis, for example, actually makes someone likelier to want to try out the sport in person, not less. In this article, we explore the various ways playing sports video games can translate to improved fitness and athletic performance.