Wii Fit Review - Vol I

A couple of people have asked if I'm liking the Wii Fit, or what I think of it, so I thought I'd do a bit of a review. I tagged the 'Vol 1' on the title, because I'm sure this won't be the last time I talk about it.

I will start of by saying I am not into video games at all. Husband is, he spends most of his free time playing computer games (mainly PC, but we do have an Xbox, PS2 and a Wii). Personally, I would rather spend my time on other things.

But, when I heard about the Wii I liked the idea that playing acutally involves physical movement. This is more up my alley (if Holodecks ever become a reality, I am so there...Oh, excuse me Captain Picard, didn't see you there behind that tree...). So we got a Wii last fall and for a while Husband and I were playing the Wii Sports, which I thought was great because a) It was fun! And b) Husband was actually standing up and moving around rather than sitting in a computer chair. Sadly, it didn't last and he went back to being a computer-chair-potato.

Enter Wii Fit.

We've had it for going on 2 weeks now. My initial reaction was mixed - I did think it was fun, but wasn't sure how much use I would personally get out of it. But, I was hoping it would get Husband interested in doing a little physical exercise.

To explain my mixed reaction, I will take you through how the thing works.

It comes with a balance board that you stand on for most of the exercises. When you start, you give it some information (height, age), it weighs you and in our case told us we were overweight. Fair enough, no surprise there.

There are different categories of activities - Yoga, Aerobics, Strength Training and Balance Exercises. In each category there are different exercises. You can view a demo of each exercise before you begin, which is a good thing to do for each new exercise you try. Each activity has a duration. After you finish each activity, it gives you a review of how well you did, and it adds the actual minutes of exercise to a little Wii Bank. As you collect minutes (or credits), more exercises become available to you.

The down side here is: the actual minutes that you are doing activity take a while to add up. The other night I finally tried out the Strength Training exercises for the first time. Being the first time, I watched the demo for each activity before doing it myself. So out of 25 minutes, I ended up with 11 minutes of actual activity (it tracks your total for the session). Once you know the exercises and cut out the demos, you'll save some time, but you still end up with a fair amount of standing around time.

This would be why I wondered whether I would get much use of the the Wii Fit. Since I already have an established exercise routine, I don't see the Wii Fit replacing my routine and becoming my main form of exercise. My regular workouts will take priority. There is only so much time left over to spend using the Wii Fit, so I can't see myself using it every single day. However, I do find it fun to play with. I think doing a few of the activities every couple of days could add some variety to my workouts which is always good. Also, the Wii Fit tells me that I can enter in other exercise that I do - I just haven't figured out how/where yet.

As for how challenging it is, I'd say that varies. As I have mentioned, I'm pretty bad at the balance games. And I think my coordination and reaction time definitely need improvement. So for me, those activities are challenging and fun - whether they will make me more fit, I couldn't say. So far I'm acing most of the yoga poses, and I did ok with most of the Strength Training ones as well.

I do think the level of challenge is somewhat uneven though. Two examples:

1. Yoga -> The Tree Pose. I believe I mentioned this before. It's one of the Yoga poses available right from the start, and they have you jumping right to placing the sole of your foot against your thigh. No modifications offered, no cautioning about placing your foot against your knee, which you should not do. So it loses marks for that. I've been doing Yoga for a while, and I still keep my foot against my calf for the Tree Pose.

2. Strength Training -> Push Up with Side Plank. Push ups are hard enough, especially for a person who maybe doesn't normally exercise. They jump right to Push ups with side planks, which I have tried in the past and they are not easy to do. In this case, they do say you can put your knees on the floor for the push up. You could also modify the side plank, but they don't really mention that. Maybe if you are doing the push ups from your knees you'd figure that out anyway. **Side note here: you do your push ups with your hands on the balance board. Not sure how well that would work for a broad shouldered person.

To me, it seems that those two exercises represent quite a jump in difficulty level compared to most of the others. But maybe that's just me.

Summing up...For me, it's a fun toy. Hopefully it will get a little more activity, and a different variety of activities, into my day sometimes. Yes I like it. No, I don't imagine it is going to change my life.

I think for someone who doesn't exercise [often], but wants to start [or do more], it might be a fun and non-intimidating way to get going. I think a person could get a workout using it the Wii Fit. As long as they are willing to get up out of their computer chair, go down to the basement, turn the darned thing on and use it.

Okay, that last statement may have been a little pointed... :)

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Daily Record
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BF: Kashi Granola Bar, Cherries, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Rockin' Moroccan Stew
Snack: Yogurt & granola
Supper: White Chicken Chili (Eat, Shrink & Be Merry)
Post Workout Snack: spoonful of peanut butter, Fibre1 bar

Workout: Weights

We now resume regularly scheduled blogging...

I am going to get back on schedule this week, I promise!

I'm finally feeling better. I had 2 weeks of almost constant headaches, I'm not sure why, but yesterday I finally started feeling better.

Yesterday - being finally headache free and finding that I could actually think clearly again - I had a little realization about food.

I have enjoyed cooking for as long as I can remember. Mom started us kids early, and we all took to it.

Lately cooking and meal planning seems like such a chore. I'm sure part of it is time. I come home from work at the end of a long day - the last thing I want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. And weekends have been pretty busy too.

But.

When I sit down on the weekend to try and plan meals for the week so I can make a grocery list, I have a hard time. I can't seem to think of anything I want to eat.

Yesterday, the light bulb went on.

A big part of the enjoyment I get from cooking is the anticipation. While I'm cooking, I'm looking forward to eating the end result. The flavours, the textures, it's all important. But it all seems so complicated these days - trying to plan meals that will satisfy me, satisfy Husband, not be too time-consuming for a week night, and fit in with my weight loss goals. It's all too much. I feel like I just don't know what to eat anymore.

It really shouldn't be that complicated. The theory is, you should be able to eat healthy foods that you enjoy in moderate amounts and you will lose weight. Right? What's hard about that? Should be simple.

I don't know, but it's all frustrating.

Still, there's nothing to do but keep trying. So, I'm here to restate what I've been trying to do all along: JavaChick will eat a clean diet. Or, as mizfit likes to say, JavaChick's version of a clean diet. Because there is only so much time in a day. Sometimes shortcuts come in handy.

This doesn't really change much. It's what I've always had in the back of my mind anyway: eat good food and be healthy. I still have to plan meals, buy groceries, cook and clean up after. But, I'm hoping that recognizing the issue might help.

Tonight's supper was defrosted from the freezer. We are under a Boil Water Order again. Something about a broken chlorine injection system and they're saying it won't be fixed before Friday, at the earliest. Pain in the butt.

Still feeling my calf muscle, but I very carefully did my Burn & Firm Pilates workout which combines weights, cardio and pilates. Then I spent a bit of time with Wii Fit. It mentioned that it hadn't seen Husband lately, which I thought was hilarious (also true). Went upstairs and told him so. Maybe it will give him a little nudge.


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Daily Record
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Weight: Still not speaking to the scale

BF: coffee w/cream, Yogurt & Granola
Lunch: leftover Madras curry
Snack: Fibre1 Bar
Supper: Green Thai Chicken Curry & Rice
Dessert: Key Lime Cream Pie

Workout: Burn & Firm Pilates + Wii session

Busy busy...

I know, I didn't check yesterday. Things have been busy! Today was busy! But I did get in my Weight workout this morning (1 hour) and I just finished playing with the Wii Fit. I am so bad at the Balance Games it isn't funny. Now I am pretty much ready to crawl in bed with my book and read for a while.

I know. This was not an exciting post at all. I will try to do better this week, I promise.

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Daily Record
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BF: 2 slices multigrain toast w/Olivina margarine & honey, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Red curry chicken & rice (leftover from my supper last night)
Supper: Taco Salad

Weights done and Wii Fit!!!

You know, during an average week, we go to work, and then come straight home every day. How does it happen that the week you want to get home and get things done, you end up either making stops on the way home or else going out again on3 out of 4 nights?

Anyway, weights are done. Housecleaning will have to be finished tomorrow.

But we got a Wii Fit!!!

A while back I had asked Husband: did we want to pre-order one? At the time he was undecided. Then a week or so ago he said we should, but when he went to the store they told him they already knew they wouldn't be getting enough packages in to fill the pre-orders they already had. So much for that, we would just have to wait.

Then tonight, we happened to be in the SuperStore electronics department, and what do we see on the shelf? Three Wii Fit boxes. So we got one after all.

Got it all set up. Husband says he is going to do a session with it as soon as we get home from work tomorrow. I would love to see that happen. I am all for anything that will get him up out of his computer chair more often.

I tried out the yoga series. There are four poses that you can do right away, the rest have to be unlocked as you earn points. Only thing I will say, I didn't see them offer any beginner modifications for the Tree Pose - they just go right to foot against thigh, hands together above head which is not exactly beginner friendly. Wondering if I should give Husband a little beginner tutorial before he tries that out.

Also, I was owning the Warrior Pose (did ya see me sneak that sorta computer gaming type lingo in there? Owning!!!), but as I was doing the pose on the left side my 17 pound cat, Fred, decided to walk across the balance board twice, so I ended up with a couple of spikes in my results for the left side. Oh well. I love my kitty.

Anyway, must run and get a few more things done before bed. Ciao!

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Daily Record
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Weight: 142.5 lb

BF: Fibre1 Bar, coffee w/cream
Lunch: Rockin' Moroccan Stew (Crazy Plates)
Snack: Yogurt, coconut, raspberries
Supper: Swiss Chalet (as we were out and about)

Workout: Weights