Pros and Cons of Wii Fit

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12/24/11 1:51 A

It gets boring- what we can hold to with regards to exercise increases and if feel doing the same old same old is like standing still..

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12/22/11 4:41 P

We have a Wii and exercise equipment to use with it. The game of Wii Fit is OK and has some fun activities and light work out moves on it, but it is not for serious sweating really. However, EA makes a game called EA Sports Active that is much more intense. My wife has the one with the heart monitor (EA Sports Active 2) and you can program it to various difficulty levels. If you wish, it will have you jumping, running in place, lunging, push ups, sit ups, tricep and bicep work (with an exercise band) etc. EA Active makes light use of the balance board accessory but can be used without it as well. My wife by watching what she ate carefully and working out 3 times a week with the EA Active at about 30 min per workout lost 15lbs. She is now at her ideal weight. My personal preference is to go to the gym but she doesn't like gyms so this has been a good solution for her. We also have a Zumba game which is very good for cardio.

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12/22/11 11:13 A

Ooh, good suggestion on looking for second hand. I'd imagine there are a few people who got all fired up and then ended up not using the game. If you don't want to try ebay or places online, check out your local gaming stores (Gamestop or any place that takes in used games). They might have the game for sale used (although, it could be difficult to find this close to the new year. January tends to be a bad time to buy anything fitness-related).

Finding a friend who has one or renting the game is a good idea, too. I actually tried the Fit out at a friend's place first and decided that it would be something I'd use.

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12/22/11 10:14 A

In a very few places, public libraries have game accessories like this that you can check out for a week. Many video rental stores also carry them-- not free, but still worth $5-10 to see if you'll even use it. If you do get the board and stuff, definitely hit the library and Netflix for games to use with it.

And if you borrow/rent a game and decide you want your own copy, try the used section of Amazon or another used site like Half.com (owned by E-bay but you buy stuff straight out instead of bidding; you can also sell your old stuff without having to pay a listing fee. Customer service sucks, so e-mail the seller through the site to see if they're actually still selling there.)

I agree that the prices on the games seems insane. I don't understand how any middle-class family can afford half the stuff the kids would want. But that was true of videos thirty years ago, and it didn't take long to figure out rentals and swaps and buying/selling used. And don't forget the library!

Posts: 960
12/21/11 3:40 P

wow thanks for the feedback. We're getting a Wii anyway for the kids and to stream netflix. I know it couldn't be my sole form of exercise. I can't make it to the gym anymore and i really miss zumba so i guess thats my primary motivation. i want to do zumba again. also i like the idea of being able to track stuff and have it be automatically recorded. is it worth the money to get the extra stuff. thats the thing i hate about this new fangled technology. it all comes separate and it all costs a fortune. i just dont know...

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12/21/11 3:22 P

I've had mine for a few years now (I upgraded to the Wii Fit plus when it came out).

What I love:

Using it as a scale. I don't own a traditional scale, but I weigh myself on the fit every morning. I know daily weigh-ins don't work for everyone, but I love tracking fluctuations with the graph, and it's helped me pick out patterns in how I lose weight. It's great to be able to go back over three years and see exactly what my body weight has done.

It also lets you track non-wii activity. I don't use that feature right now, since I track everything on Spark, but it could be a great side tool to other activity even if you're not using it as your main form of exercise.

What I like:

The games. They're fun, and they get you moving. My husband and I don't use it at the same time, but occasionally I pull up a game and realize that I no longer hold the high score, which leads to half an hour of bouncing around and trying to beat his new score.

The yoga and ST. They aren't bad, and I'll occasionally do some of the yoga in the morning when I don't want to go through a full video or do my own. It seems to do a fairly good job of keeping you in position. I'll also throw in some of the strength training moves when I want something a little different, and I like using the balance board to time my planks instead of just a stopwatch. I hate planks, so it's nice to have some record of my success as I hold them for longer periods of time.

What I'm meh about:

Using it for an actual workout. This will entirely depend on the person, but I find it hard to get my heart rate up to aerobic levels with most of the games. They tend to be too stop and go for me, and not terribly strenuous. The exception is the free run, which I'll sometimes do if I want a ten minute burst of activity, but most of the time I'd rather go for an actual run.

So, I'll goof around on the Wii for fun, and it's a good way to get some movement and activity in on an off day, but I tend not to count it as fitness minutes. If you want to use it as a main fitness activity, I'd recommend getting a heart rate monitor and using that figure to calculate how much you've burned and whether you're getting your heart rate up enough.

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12/21/11 1:57 P

I look at buying a Wii the same way I would look at buying any other piece of exercise equipment. Are you actually going to use it? If you're working out 3-4 times a week already, by all means, buy it. Or if you'd use it for other video games, go for it. I don't think I'd buy it though thinking it'll make you work out.

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12/21/11 1:29 P

I think it just really depends on what you are looking to get from it. If you are looking to move and have some fun, then it's a good tool.

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12/21/11 1:16 P

I enjoy it for a change of pace. The new Fit Plus has more to offer than the original so there is a bit more variety. Some of it annoys me, like how long it can take to open up new games/exercises but all in all I enjoy it a lot

Posts: 960
12/21/11 11:05 A

Thinking about getting a Wii. Who loves it? Who hates it?