Wii Fit: First Experience

So I finally got my hands on the infamous Wii Fit (read more about stock problems here). After the first few days of hype what do I think of it? Has it delivered all it has promised? In short for now the answer would probably be yes. Although there are a few catches to it.

Pounds Do Not Magically Disappear

Let’s get this out first. If you think that just by buying the thing your weight problems are going to automatically go away, then do not bother spending your money. The games are fun, and very addictive – especially when your damn bubble keeps popping when just seconds away from the finish line – but at the end of the day it is exercise, and if you want to see results you have to not only do more than 5 minutes, but also try to be consistent at it.

Just like with any other fitness program it is good to establish routine. It doesn’t need to be daily exercise, but consistency is a must. Another thing worth noting is the time you spend playing – 30 minutes is pretty much a must, and as the Wii Fit itself will inform you:

• try doing at least 30 minutes for a day
• if you cannot do it in at once, try breaking it into 10 minute sessions
• 60 or more minutes should give you good results

When Does the Fun End?

Some criticize Wii Fit for the simplicity of the games. And that is true, it is purely a collection of plenty of mini-games categorized into activity groups: yoga, muscle, aerobic and balance. Though back to my initial point this is mostly a fitness encouraging program not aimed to satisfy the hardcore gamers tastes.

I think that it is actually good these games are so short… Call me crazy but, when you ache after your 60 minutes sessions the next day, you might appreciate you had not spent 3 or 4 hours on it. And yes, if you are not a fitness example yourself you will probably feel your muscles working. But as the saying goes – no pain no gain…

A word of warning when it comes to activities – make sure you do not overdo the Hoola Hoop onhe. It looks nice and easy, but boy, does it hurt your knees! Yes, you heard me right, knees. You do work your waist alright, but it’s the legs that really get it. Out of the aerobic set I did find the step activities to be the most pleasurable to work with.