Wii Fit

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

So with all the big hype about the Wii Fit, I decided to give it a proper try and review. I was initially sceptical about it, I mean paying £70 for something which you could really do the same things without it, seemed silly. But I must admit, I was wrong and the Wii Fit is probably a really good investment, especially in this day and age. I’ll elaborate a little.

It’s true that you don’t need any fancy gym equipment or an expensive gym membership or even this little white Wii Fit board, to keep fit and healthy, but in general most people do not do exercise on their own. They’d like to or even try to, but it’s just hard. I know tons of people who have tried to loose weight by using all sorts of silly diets, pills, shakes, creams, ointments, injections and that ridiculous one of weighing your food. I always tell them the same thing, because they do not over eat that much, it’s only a lack of actual physical exercise. If you’re serious about loosing weight, get off your butt and do something about it! Or even if you want to keep fit, it takes nothing to do a couple of basic exercises each morning when you wake up. But realistically it’s easier said than done. As a whole, humans are not known for their self discipline or self control or the ability to motivate themselves when the most important thing in the world is at stake, your health. I know it gets said over and over, but it never sinks in. Eat healthier, keep fit, look after yourself… one day when you realise that you should have done just that, it’ll be too late.

I don’t mean to sound grim, but if I can motivate just one person reading this to live a healthier life, then I’d be extremely happy.

So lets look at the advantages of using Wii Fit. I recently did an evaluation for another company, at a gym. I had a free day pass and used all their facilities. It was great I must admit. I was nervous, mostly just because of all the people there, I never was one for a public humiliation And I did like all the facilities, pool and that. You also get a personal trainer so to speak, for the first few weeks. You can sign on to Yoga classes (something I’ve always wanted to do) and there are all sorts of other classes, like Pilates, etc. The only drawback was the monthly cost of this. It’s just way too expensive. Even if I was willing to pay that amount, it’s also a little inconvenient, being about 40min away. The cost of the Wii Fit is about what me and my better half would pay for a month at the gym.

How about home gym? Not a bad idea, if you have space for any decent sized equipment, it is pretty affordable, but we’ve had one or two of those abb machine things which we’ve tried to use diligently but it’s still in the cupboard.

What I like about the Wii Fit is that it’s easy. Just turn your TV on and take the Wii Fit board out from under the bed or couch or cupboard or where ever you wana keep it, cause it’s small enough. It’s also convenient as it’s in the comfort and privacy of your own home.

When you first start, you pick your Mii which you wana use and the Wii walks you through a body test, by which it tests your balance and posture and works out your BMI. It has a built in scale, you just have to enter your age and height. Oh and it also tells you a lot of interesting facts throughout like how your posture plays such a big role in your health. Using the sensor board, it’ll be able to tell you exactly how you should be standing.

The exercises themselves are tough and there are exercises for all your muscles, from your thighs to your upper body muscles… having never really been able to do push ups, my first attempt was pitiful and I had my personal Wii trainer reprimand me for continuously stopping… lol That was quite funny really. But you start off easy and the more you use it, the more harder the exercises become. You unlock different modes and even new exercises. There is an aerobics section, muscle workout, balance exercises and even Yoga. I was thrilled about this last one of course, always having wanted to do Yoga.

The easier exercises like the stepping one or the jogging (FYI, you don’t job on the Wii Fit sensor board, you do it with your Wii controller in your pocket or hand!) and the balance exercises are done by your Mii, but the other, like Yoga, aerobic and muscle workouts, those are done by a human like trainer, so you can actually see exactly how each one is done. She, or he, also keeps reminding you to breath properly, as not to raise your blood pressure and to do the exercise properly and slowly at first, as not to injure yourself. They keep encouraging you which is something I think everyone needs when trying to stick to a regular exercise regime.

The Wii will also record your progress. You can add a target for yourself, if it’s weight you wana loose weight, and the Wii keeps track of this for you. Amongst the tips it gives you, it says that if you wana loose weight you have to of course also eat healthy food. I was reading a comment some dush bag made online about how since he got the Wii Fit he’s gained 3 lbs… all I have to say is that if you’re too thick to follow a few exercises or too lazy too do them every day or if you’re really just don’t have the self discipline to at least try to eat healthier… then well it’s really your health on the line. Wii Fit is a guide to show you how to do proper exercises, so you get the most out of them and also helps you keep track of your weight and fitness level. It’s not gona do the work for you.

Nintendo had the right idea. Exercise is not fun, most people just don’t like it. Wii Fit is suppose to try and make it a little more enjoyable and easier for people to stay fit. With such a high obesity rate in the world today, I’m glad that Nintendo brought us Wii Fit.

Oh I just want to add one more thing about one of the features, you can password protect each Mii’s records, if you don’t want the rest of the household seeing your weight, I though that was a nice touch, I remember what it was like living at home with a mean older sister

It may be a little pricey right now, but it’s a good way to get the whole family active. Try to keep at it regularly and go and do some research on eating healthier. And all those gadget freaks out there, who prefer to sit at their PC’s than go outside or to the gym, this is your perfect chance to take advantage of technology at it’s best

Happy Shopping!