Body

Body is a skill in both The Sims and The Sims 2.

The Body skill determines the Sim's physical prowess and is useful in some jobs that require a Sim to be strong.

The animations for many activities change as a Sim's Body skill increases.

Benefits

 * Advancement in careers such as the athletic, military or law enforcement tracks.
 * Increases a Sim's chances of winning a fight, staying on the snowboarding half pipe, mechanical bull or ElectroDance Sphere  without falling, and earning points in games found in many vacation spots.
 * When a teen gains at least eight Body points, he or she is able to gain the Hogan Scholarship for Athletics.
 * May increase a pregnant Sim's ability to keep from throwing up.

Ways to increase the Body skill

 * Swimming (In The Sims the blue bar does not appear to indicate they are gaining Body points, but they actually are.)
 * Gym equipment: includes the treadmill and all the work benches. Using gym equipment decreases Hygiene and Energy quickly. Teens, adults and elders can use this equipment.
 * Riding the Mechanical Bull.
 * Working out in front of a TV or stereo.
 * Do yoga: has less effect on Hygiene and Energy.
 * Use the obstacle course or the punching bag, which are the career rewards for the military and athletic careers.
 * Riding the ElectroDance Sphere.
 * Bowling.
 * Study Body from the Books First for Learning bookshelf, which is the career reward for the education career.
 * Use the Deluxe Log Rolling Pit, which also increases Fun.
 * Using the ballet barre.
 * Using the basketball court.
 * Doing mastered Tai Chi.
 * Jogging.
 * Jumping rope.

Body and children
Most ways of building Body skill can only be done by teens, adults and elders, but there are some ways kids can increase their Body skill.


 * Kids can be given lessons on career rewards that build Body skill, and are able to use those items themselves.
 * Kids can use the Books First for Learning bookshelf.
 * Kids can be taught Body skill by an older Sim who has at least 7.5 points in the skill and the Impart Knowledge aspiration benefit.
 * Kids may be able to work out in front of a stereo. (This may depend on which expansion packs are installed.)
 * If a family has a pool, kids may be able to gain body skill by swimming. (This may depend on which expansion packs are installed.)
 * Bowling
 * Using the ballet barre.
 * Using the basketball court
 * Jumping rope
 * Playground equipment

At first, it was believed that toddlers could gain Body skill from singing the Nursery Rhyme after learning it. However, this was due to a glitch which caused the wrong pop-up message to appear when a skill point was gained. This was corrected in the FreeTime patch, though it does not appear in the patch notes.