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When the Nintendo Wii came out a little over a year ago, Nintendo took a large gamble on appealing to the casual gaming audience. Now, after 22 million units sold, Nintendo is looking to get more people off of the couch and into simple interactive gaming. Enter "Wii Fit," Nintendo's newest game that is based around Health and Fitness.
What's the cost?
The cost of entry is a little steep by gaming standards. It costs $89.99 retail for the balance board and the Wii Fit game bundled together. Overall though, you get your money's worth as you will see. Due to the immense popularity of Wii Fit, retail stores have sold out all across the United States. As such, many are being listed on Ebay. In my opinion, anything under $120 (with shipping including of course) is still worth the price if you cannot find the game in your area.
What's included in the Wii Fit package?
Upon opening my package I found the following:
1 Wii Fit Wireless Balance Board, capable of withstanding 330lbs of weight
4 AA batteries
Wii Fit Balance Board Instruction Manual
Wii Fit Game with instruction manual
4 Balance Board Extensions (for use on thick carpets)
Is it easy to use?
Yes! Pretty much install the batteries, flip the board over and follow the instructions to "Sync" the wireless Wii Fit balance board to your Wii. Once that is done, the game pretty much takes you through setting up your profile by Weighing you, calculating your BMI and measuring your balance. This provides a starting point where you can then set a goal (2 weeks or 1 month) for lowering your weight. The entire process took 5 minutes.
What about the games, are they fun?
Not all of the games are available at the beginning. There are basic exercises like Yoga poses and Push-ups. Then there are aerobic exercises like Jogging and Hula-hooping. Finally, there are balance exercises like Skiing and Tight-Rope walking. Each minute you spend working out in Wii Fit nets you a Wii Fit Cash, which is used to unlock more exercises and games. In the hour of total time I played Wii-Fit, I unlocked 6 new activities. As you get better at each activity, new options open such as new running trails or multiple hula-hooping. There is even a step-aerobics class in the game.
My favorites so far are the Running trails on the island (good calorie burners, really make you work up a sweat if you do it right) and Hula-hooping which surprisingly works your abs pretty well if you do 3 rounds in a row. I'm having fun with it so far and I like how it tracks your progress!
What about the Wii Fit Balance Board, is it accurate?
If you stick to the instructions and let the board calibrate, it is VERY sensitive and accurate. It tracks all of your push-ups and leg lifts all while providing real-time balance information on screen. Balance is important in Wii Fit because it improves posture and somewhat teaches good form on doing exercises. Hula-hooping works almost exactly how it would in real life. Running is tracked by the Wii-mote only but also allows for 2 players to run at the same time. You can place the wii-mote in your hand and run, but you can also place it in your pocket and it will track your steps. After 2 minutes of running, you get your rhythm down and can pace yourself pretty well. Overall, I'm impressed with the motion tracking. It's much much better than when the Wii First game out (WarioWare anyone?)
What is Wii Fit's Learning Curve?
I really believe that Wii Fit can be used by everyone. I think even a 5 year old could pick up the activities. People who are morbidly obese (BMI >40 ) should start out lightly with the beginner exercises to gauge their comfort level, however most overweight people should be able to get off the couch and jump right in to Wii Fit. The software is designed so anyone can pick it up and play, even non-gamers.
Wii Fit for Weight Loss?
Knowing what I do now from my 4 years of medical school, theoretically if you spend an hour a day with Wii-Fit, you will see some weight loss if you follow a normal diet. However the proof is in the pudding and I won't pass judgement until a month from now when I re-weigh myself. I am absolving myself to lose 20lbs of "Medical school weight gain" in this next month before starting residency. Everything will be tracked with Wii Fit.
Where can I buy Wii Fit?
You can buy Wii fit in any retail outlet store or your local Gamestop store. Alternatively, if your area is sold out you can try Ebay to find a unit. The average running price as of May 25th was $135.
Richie Truxillo - Get unbiased reviews on consumer products at http://www.reviewedbyrich.com and live the life of a new physician in his residency at http://www.realdealmedicine.com
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