Some of my friends are real video games addicts.  I’ve even told them that I’m convinced they’re slowly becoming part of their couch with all of the time they spend sitting in front of the TV!  Last night, one of my friends invited me over to check out her Nintendo Wii™  – she said she just got a new game that she thought I might be interested in: Wii™ Fit.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, because I’ve always thought of video games as a very sedentary activity.  However, Wii™ Fit seems to be trying to break that mold.  In fact, it is anything but laid back!

What I found out is that the Wii™ comes with a balance board that you use to do all of the activities.  These activities are broken up into four areas:

- Strength Training
- Aerobics
- Yoga
- Balance Games

Up to eight people can create their own profiles within the game and track their stats.  One of my favorite features of this game was the information that it would track.  Before you begin playing, the balance board measures your current weight, calculates your Body Mass Index (BMI) and conducts a basic balance test. 

From that information, you are given your Wii™ Fit Age.  As you work out, the game keeps track of all your information and presents it to you in a nifty, easy-to-follow line graph. You can even set objectives in terms of how much weight you want to lose!

Overall, I thought the Nintendo Wii™ was a breakthrough in gaming.  It’s a great way to encourage physical activity.  However, I wouldn’t recommend throwing away your standard exercise in favor of the game.  While Wii™ Fit can provide a great way to make getting active more appealing, it’s important to integrate other activity into your workout as well.  There is a feature that allows you to keep track of your activities outside of the Wii™ Fit game, like walking or jogging.

Have you tried to play Wii™ Fit too?  Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of it!

0