Wii Fit - A Good Trainer?

We have been the proud owners of a Nintendo Wii for the past year and a half or so.  It was actually given to me by a friend of mine who thought we would get more use out of it, since we have three kids.  He was right, of course.  All of our video game systems get a pretty good workout, since I like using them sometimes, too! 

The Wii is cool in and of itself, and I mastered many of the original Wii Sports games, including tennis, golf, and baseball.  The boxing game provided a pretty decent workout, which is probably why it was my least favorite.  :) 

About a week ago, we obtained a Wii Fit device, which comes with a balance board and a set of tests and exercises that are designed to help you get in shape.  The categories include yoga, strength exercises, balance games, and aerobics.

Each family member has the opportunity to create his/her own "Mii", which is an avatar that you can highly customize to look just like you.  We did this when we first got the Wii system, so we just imported all of them into the new game. 

The first time (and each subsequent time) that you start up the Wii Fit, you are encouraged to take a body test, which includes a weigh-in along with a couple of randomly selected balance tests.  You are shown your BMI (body mass index) on a scale from underweight to obese.  I won't publish the details of my test here, but suffice it to say that I am not obese, but I need to lose some weight.

I have worked out for the past five days so far, and I can feel a noticeable difference, although perhaps some of this is psychological.  Some of this also stems from the fact that I haven't done any substantial working out in quite awhile, other than regular bike rides with my son.  I would like to lose about 20-30 pounds over the upcoming months, possibly even more depending on how I feel. 

You can choose a male or female trainer to work with, and they are pretty encouraging, unless you stop trying altogether, then they will get a bit more aggressive.  Not drill sergeant, more like an irritated teacher.

Thus far, my favorite exercises are the step aerobic thing, the tilt board (balance game) and the various yoga stuff.  My nine-year-old son enjoys the hula hoop and the ski jump, along with the step exercise.  My seven-year-old daughter likes the running and the soccer heading game.

You are given a fit bank which displays the total amount of time spent working out with the Wii Fit.  As you accumulate more time, you unlock new and more challenging things to do. 

If you can find one (we broke down and got ours online and paid a premium), I would recommend this as a fun family activity that is also beneficial for your health.  I joked with my wife that I will be unrecognizable within the year. 

I better get to work!