Wii Fitness

It has been a very exciting time in the Poonie household. The much awaited new toy I have been pining after arrived last week. This was a pretty major purchase for me, it wasn't a trivial amount of money to spend on a video game I wasn't sure I would like - do I believe the hype or not - but I really wanted it and knew it would be a hot item for a while after release so I pre-ordered it knowing there wouldn't be any available by the release date. I'm so glad I did. It arrived last Friday (the UK release date) and when my neighbour (who kindly received it for me and brought it to my door) handed it to me I seriously contemplated pulling a sickie and staying home to try it out! My work ethic got the better of me though.

I actually didn't open it up until the next day and then spent a considerable amount of time playing with it all day and making J try it out too. I really have to say, this game is genius. I mean, I love the Wii anyway, the technology is amazing, the designs creative and I'm all for video games that make you a little active but this really is clever and fun.

Those of you who have a Wii will know you have a little Mii which is an animated version of yourself. In the Wii Fit it's your Mii that does all the activities and you have a trainer who does some of the exercises with you - you choose either a guy or a girl.

This is my Mi:

Isn't she beautiful? It's an uncanny likeness! The animation is so cute, the Miis run around and the game monitors your progress. There is some setting up at the beginning. After you've set up your Mii you put in your age and height and it works out your BMI. Mine was close to the top of the Overweight range which I expected, I guess it was a relief to not be in the Obese category which I probably would have been a few months ago. It then adapts your Mii, which was slightly upsetting when it made me shorter and fatter!! Kind of realistic looking though, my Mii is apple shaped with a big tummy like me! J has a little Mii too and they run around and hang out together in the "Fit Plaza", like so:

It also has a fitness test and gives you your "fitness age". Imagine my dismay when it told me my fitness age was 10 years older than my actual age! I felt a bit better though, when J whose BMI is in the Ideal range was given a fitness age of +13 years. I'm fatter but fitter! We are assuming that they set it high so you can see progress, at least we hope so! You are then asked to set a goal for yourself. I can't even remember what mine was though. Oops! I think it was a 2 month goal and worked out to me losing something like 2 pounds a week though. It isn't that focused on the weight loss side of it though, it's more about general fitness and awareness and I think they did a pretty good job in the balance of information and fun. I'm all for anything that tries to educate people on fitness and raise awareness, and if it's fun too what could be bad?

The games are really fun and pretty varied. Some use the balance board, some don't. The categories are Yoga Exercises, Muscle Workouts, Aerobic Exercises and Balance Games. The Yoga exercises I thought were really cool because the balance board monitors your centre of gravity and shows on the screen where it is and where it should be. At the end of each exercise it shows you how you did. I think this is great, it's what I never got from Yoga classes! I found some of the muscle workouts a little tough so I need to work up to them, I've never been good at press ups etc! The balance games are really fun, I love the ski slalom and ski jumping ones and the tightrope walking. The aerobic ones are fun too but may well get old after a while, and I suspect for any seasoned gym goers it will be far too easy and unchallenging to start with. There is a hula game and believe me, it is not possible to look any sillier than when you play this! J sat there and roared watching me. There is also a stepping game and a jogging one. I kind of like the jogging, and I think there is a 2 player option for it which you have to unlock. You put the Wiimote in your pocket or hold it in your hand. I read a review that said the author and his partner sat on the couch drinking wine and shook it up and down instead and the Wii told them they were great runners!

You rack up "Fit Cash" in a virtual piggybank (the Fitpiggy) for every minute of activity you do. The more time you put in, ie. the more Fit Cash you earn, the more levels and games you unlock. I have been on it most of my non-gym days. It's obviously no substitute for the gym but it's pretty fun and effective and I personally love it. I'm interested to take my next test on it and see how I've done. I also want to work at unlocking more games and levels to keep it interesting, particularly the aerobic games.

I've read some debate over the statements made about it being "for girls" and I have to agree (controversially I'm sure!) that although it is aimed at the whole family and can be fun for everyone it will probably appeal to women more. J thinks it's fun and a great little invention, and is more than happy to use mine but says he wouldn't have gone out and bought it himself. I think most of the guys I know feel the same way. Although, here's a tip for you guys/significant others out there - J discovered that you can view the trainer from front or back when demonstrating the exercises and for some of the Yoga ones in particular the back view is pretty pleasant! I guess they had to include that feature as most guys find the Yoga boring. I think the Wii Fit is something we girls have to buy and get the boys to play with, don't expect them to run out and buy one. You'll end up with GTA IV or Medal of Honour instead!!

I'm totally convinced the Wii is the best purchase I've made for a while. We're playing a lot of Mario Kart right now too and can't wait to get online at home as I suspect there's a lot more to play with once we can go online with the Wii.

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