Wii as a Fitness Tool

The family now as a Wii. Actually, my daughter has the Wii, but it is connected to my TV for now.
One of the things that we purchased along with the Wii was the Wii Fit.

Before even considering if there are any fitness benefits, let me say that this is fun. The games are interesting and challenging. I like the skiing and snowboarding games especially. And having to lean and balance to control the skis through the turns is so much better than pushing keys on a small controller. I'm sure the graphics are not as great as the PS3 or Xbox 360, but if that is what you are looking for, you don't buy the Wii.

Having pushed myself to some strange limits, I was not expecting much from the Wii Fit. How much exercise can you really get from a balance board and some software?

To start, it makes some effort to asses the user. It measures weight and BMI. It also measures the balance or balance agility of the user and provides a Wii Fit age. I was not impressed; however, what I do like is that it encourages the user to come back to measure progress or to set goals. It also tracks the overall time spent exercising and unlocks more activitys as the total time increases or as the skills improve.

Wii Fit covers four areas: balance, areobics, strength, and yoga. The balance portion makes the best use of the balance board. It includes the best games and easily keeps the user involved to the point of forgetting the purpose at time.

Some of the aerobics activities work pretty well with the board. The running avoids using it at all. None would be considered intense by anyone who runs, cycles, or swims.

The strength section is pretty good for some activities. The board is used but plays a minor role. Some of the exercises have me sweating while others are way too easy.

I have avoided the yoga so far. My daughter will keeps prodding sure it will be entertaining.

For someone like me, the Wii is either entertainment or an easy way to track weight loss/BMI. I have enjoyed it as some low intensity activity. For others, however, I can see it being more. If it gets people off the sofa and moving, it can't be all bad. My daughter has no interest in running or exercising with me, but she will spend hours on the Wii Fit.

I won't be skipping runs to play Wii Fit. For anyone wanting to get off the sofa and do something, I'm all for it.