Wii workout makes fitness fun

July 19, 2010 – 3:24 am

I’ve never enjoyed exercising, and I could never understand people who did. You get a rush from working out? I just want to go take a nap afterward. That is, until I broke down and got a Wii. Besides being able to hook up the system to the Internet and get weather and news at the click of a button – and I should also add that I can view Netflix through it – Wii has been the only exercise routine that I have been able to keep.

According to Nielsen, Wii appeals to boys ages 6-11 and women age 25-34, with the 35 and older age group growing. Hard-core gamers tend toward the PlayStation and Xbox, while the Wii is great for exercise and active games.

Wii exercise games

The pros and cons of some of the games out there.

Wii Fit Plus: Has a lot of balance games that are fun. Yoga routines fall flat, but the step aerobics is great to do while watching TV. Best feature is that it tracks your weight and BMI, and helps you achieve your target.

Active: Like having a personal trainer in your living room. Knows when you’re not giving it your all. Downside is that it doesn’t track your weight like the Wii Fit. Best feature is that you can tailor a workout to what you want to focus on.

My Fitness Coach: Its biggest flaw, and the reason I barely use it, is because you can’t tailor a workout.

Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009: It’s like going to boot camp, but routines are limited and can get boring after a while.

Just Dance: Great for cardio and just getting off the couch and moving to the beat. Contains great dance music such as Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” to “Groove is in the Heart” by Deee-Lite.

I mostly got Wii for the Fit Plus program. It logs your weight and any exercises that you do, and helps you target your ideal size.

The yoga portion of Wii Fit Plus helped me get my poses down right, but I couldn’t do an entire workout from that. I preferred going to a yoga class or using a traditional DVD. But you’d be surprised how much your lower body will hurt the next day after playing the balance games for just a few minutes. And they’re fun, too. You’re snowboarding down a mountain or playing soccer. It doesn’t feel like exercise.

But what I seemed to gravitate to the most was the step portion. You can buy a platform to add to the bottom of your Wii balance board to bring it up to a 4-inch height, which is the standard height for step aerobics. You can do 30 minutes of step while watching TV.

Then I got hooked on the EA Sports Active video game. It monitors your movements with a strap that you wear on your leg. The personal trainer will tell you when your squats aren’t deep enough, or if you’re not giving the workout your all.

This game is also great for those who get bored easily with the same routine. Workouts vary from skateboarding to volleyball or running track. There is a wide range to choose from. But whatever you choose, you will definitely break a sweat with the Active.

After having my Wii for a few months now, the routine I finally settled into was 30 minutes of the Active where I target the upper/lower body or do a full circuit workout. Then 15 minutes on the punching bag, which is great cardio. And then I walk for 20-30 minutes while watching TV to cool down.

Personal Fitness Coach