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Rating:  -
The wife and I were very happy with our recent Wii purchase and quite content with the few games we had. "We don't need anymore," she always said. Then I saw WiiFit on the Nintendo Channel (Wii) and was floored. I had to have it. Couldn't get it online. Finally got it at a special invitation only shopping event at Best Buy. As of today, we've both completed two days of workouts, so there may be more to come.
My initial worries:
1) I have carpet, not hardwood
2) I have an old TV, not flatpanel
3) Does this thing take batteries?
4) I don't know Yoga
5) Is this gonna take 10 years to set up?
6) Will the wife like it?
So, right out of the box, I notice it comes with little adapter knobbies to add if you have "thick carpet." We don't have thick carpet, but oh well, let's throw them on anyway. So bam! And it works just fine. We're too chicken to see if it still works without the knobbies.
The TV issue. I will admit this still takes a bit to get used to. As a kid, there's some formula I remember about distance from the TV. It's really hard with this WiiFit. You're moving back and forth. Sometimes I was right on the thing. Maybe I need to mount something to the wall, to give me that extra two feet in my living room?
Batteries. I've noticed my Wii remotes suck batteries. The Wii Fit Balance Board takes 4 AA batteries. It comes with 4 batteries, which is a nice gift from Nintendo (also came with the Wii Remotes) and saved me from storming the junk drawer or performing operations on the various electronics of the house at 10PM. Only two days down, so no word on how much the balance board sucks up batteries.
I don't know Yoga. I prefer the strength training and aerobics. The run in place game is even fun. Yeah, it's run in place, but if you got a problem, the door is right there. This thing won't do everything for you. That's what "outside" is for. This is a great supplement to my daily requirement. And as one who does push-ups for a living, this thing is great because it can catch you cheating! Wow.
So yoga, yeah, it's not all yoga. But the yoga isn't bad. I tried it this morning, after I made sure every blind in the house was closed. Not bad, eh...
The set-up is really quick. It uses your established Miis and all you really need to know is how tall you are in feet and inches and what year you were born. If you're in a hurry, or have friends over, there are "trial profiles" that allow you to quickly try things out without all the slow paced build up of actually starting an individual program.
And she loves it. It's fun and she can beat me in many events, so of course she loves it. And if she loves it, all is happy in the home.
Rating:  -
Wii Fit, like all Nintendo Wii (and DS) products, is polished and immaculately presented. Its very approachable and friendly. The Balance Board is a tremendous piece of kit - rock solid and absolutely excellent at what its supposed to do.
As a product dedicated to fitness, though, its pretty lacking. Now, don't get me wrong - it is far better than doing nothing (what I am used to doing), and actually has some nice perks to keep you going (like score tracking and an unlock mechanic). But it doesn't let you customize a workout, and progression advice is minimal. It literally just lets you do whatever activities at any time. Now, I could go to the gym and do exactly the same thing, but I still would want to get some advice from someone or something. Wii Fit doesn't do it!
Another problem is that between activities, you have to stop and navigate menus. It'd be much better if there was a flowchart like menu for setting up workouts so you can go one after the other, keeping the heart rate up. This is a very serious deficiency and I wonder why Nintendo didn't put it in.
All in all, as an introduction to fitness, its pretty good, and at $90 its really pretty affordable if you have a Wii already. but I really hope some other company comes out with a good fitness videogame using the balance board, with more workout and eating tips. That would really be a great thing.
Rating: -
Even though I'm a health professional (and so should know better), after multiple attempts in 40 years I've never stuck with an exercise program longer than a week or two...until now. If you've had the same problem, seriously consider Wii Fit.
With other regimens, I could never detect enough significant improvement to keep me motivated over time. I couldn't even persuade myself to do 15 minutes of yoga a day. Wii Fit overcame this inertia by allowing me to see tiny incremental improvements, day by day. A higher score. A tad better balance. Then I started noticing I could do more reps...I wasn't breathing as hard...I was sleeping better...my weight was even creeping down (and I noticed, because Wii Fit measures down to tenths of a pound--most bathroom scales aren't capable of that sensitivity). My Wii Fit age dropped from 52 to 33 over 3 weeks. I got little improvements, little reinforcements, every day...and that's the best way to train any living animal, whether it's a lab rat, a dolphin or a person.
And, as mentioned, it's kind of fun. I don't avoid exercising now. I've averaged an hour a day for 3 weeks now, and it's not because I have a will of iron, let me tell you (the 3 week mark is important--studies have shown that's the length of time you need to internalize a daily habit; now it's much more likely I'll continue to stick with it). The variety of activities is nice; aerobics provide a nice warm-up, then yoga and strength, and I save some balance games for "dessert" once I finish the other exercises.
Of course, there are little flaws. The coaching phrases get pretty repetitive after 3 weeks (but this might be intentional--they may be trying to influence your subconscious, in which case simplicity and repetition are the keys..."You're doing great!" "Feel your spine stretching..." "You've got excellent balance!"). And how I wish we could do yoga in one of the pretty game settings from "Zelda: Twilight Princess", for a change. The ability to turn off the music (so you could play your own) would also be a nice feature. But for me, it accomplished my main desire handily: it helped me develop the exercise habit, as nothing had before.
It's not THE perfect exercise program--but the best exercise program is the one you actually DO. This one might actually provide the motivation you need to make exercise a regular part of your routine. And even if it doesn't, resale values are high, so you won't be out the money for long. If Amazon doesn't have it in stock for $90, make yourself another habit...and call your local game store every day before leaving work. It's likely you'll land one in a week or two, and you can begin your own experiment in the art of motivation. Good luck and good health!
Rating: -
Well I got Wii fit for my birthday. Now I used to be a avid runner, in great shape. Over the years, I stopped and put on some pounds. Lately I just have not been motivated to work out, by anything. Even after purchasing a excercise bike.
BUT THIS MAKES ME WANT TO WORK OUT! It is fairly easy, and if you want, you can do 30 minutes at one time. I usually do the run, and look hilarious running around the house, but it does WORK!. I have lost 10 pounds since I have started.
Sure there are some little annoyances, like the fact you have to listen to the trainers talk, and after each work out wait a few seconds for it to score you. Other then that it is pretty interesting and fun.
GREAT IDEA for someone who is not that fit, to someone who is fit.
I would recommend this for anyone who has had trouble sticking to excercise. If I can do it, and lord knows I hated excercising before this game.
BUY IT!! It is so worth it.
Rating:  -
I have a job where I sit all day. After a long day at work I really don't feel like going to the gym and busting myself for any more amount of time. Call it laziness, because I'm sure that's what it is. I'll admit it. I'm lazy. I don't like gyms. I don't like long hikes and bicycle rides in the muggy hot sun during the dog days of summer.
So here's the reason I gave Wii Fit four stars. Do I trust it to be a substitute for an actual gym? No. Do I think a programmed CGI instructor knows more than a flesh and blood trainer? No. Do I trust a computer to accurately tell me my BMI by simply taking my weight? No,
But one thing Wii Fit has managed to do is get me off the couch and doing *something* that approaches the qualifications of being healthy for me. This is the first day I've owned it and I've already done more excercising in this one day than I've done in...well...way too long. It's fun. I've learned something new. I never thought I'd be doing Yoga. But here I am doing yoga.
You can spend 10 minutes excercising. You could spend an hour excercising (much more than that may be pushing it). You can do what you want for as long as you want.
It may not be a gym. It may not be a bike ride or jogging around the neighborhood. But it is fun and if that's what it takes to get you off the couch, then maybe you should take a look at it.
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