Back on Track with Wii Fit

It's been just shy of two months since I've been logging my progress via Wii Fit, and somehow between my last entry a month ago and today, I've been playing a new game called "slacking off". Nevertheless, with the onset of E3 EXPO in California, North America's biggest gaming trade event, I thought I'd pick up the pace and try to get back on track. That's why this past weekend, I dusted off and revisited that Balance Board of mine, and made some more observations for you.

First, I'd like to reiterate that the male trainer's hair does indeed grow if you haven't played for a while. Upset with his mocking, I decide to switch to the female trainer, who's voice is much more soothing and encouraging, I discovered. Surfing through various yoga poses and strength exercises, I noticed that tons were unlocked but were still labeled "New!" because I hadn't played them yet. One of the main reasons is because I don't have an exercise mat at home, and with hardwood flooring, it isn't exactly comfortable to do push-ups or sit-ups with my feet on the Balance Board and back on the ground. Nintendo, if you're listening, a floor mat would be a great accessory for Wii-Fitters! I'll certainly be picking up a mat of some kind to hopefully encourage me to finally engage in these untapped exercises.

Before selecting an activity of choice, keen-eyed players will notice that, in the background of the main screen, the virtual Balance Board sometimes hops on the treadmill to do some running. Place the cursor over it and click, and you'll have the opportunity to take the "Ultimate Balance Test". I'll warn you: if you can't conquer the normal balance activities provided in the regular Body Tests, you might wish to save this one for another day!

A new favourite activity of mine is rhythm boxing, where you follow a trainer to block/punch in sequence. I especially like the end portion when he lets you take out the day's aggressions in a 10-second punch-fest! The final balance game, the first that requires you to actually sit cross-legged on the Balance Board, is a bit frightening: sit still and stare at a candle flickering in the dark for as long as you can while doors creak and footsteps bang in the background. Weird...

While I've been regretfully neglecting my Wii Fit, I have taken part in other, non-virtual activities, like tennis and roller blading. For the first time, I used the Activity Log feature of the game that lets you log things you do outside of the game. Select from three types of activities within the Wii Fit Credits menu: light, which includes things like bowling, cooking, stretching, or laundry (examples are obviously targeted to the stay-at-home mom); normal (walking, gardening, or golf); or hard (tennis, cycling).

I was disappointed that I couldn't actually log an activity on the exact date it was performed, but only on the day I enter the information (unless I go back into system settings and change the date each time, which I'm not about to do). So now it looks like I played tennis for an hour and rollerbladed for an hour-and-a-half on the same day when, in fact, these activites were a week apart. Hopefully date-stamping will be a feature that Nintendo adds in future. After all, the only reason I would want to log outside-of-the-game activity would be to see what I do, and when. Without being able to track by day, it almost defeats the purpose of the function. For now, serious players might just keep in mind to log on whenever they perform an activity and enter it that day to keep proper track of their progress.

Clearly Wii Fit thought I should take it easy having taken such a long hiatus from the game: I was advised after 10-15 minutes to take a break. Hopefully if I get back into the swing of things, it'll be a full hour before I'm told to grab some water and relax. Weight and BMI: still hovering around the same numbers, but I'm working on it!

Wii Fit Week Three
Wii Fit Week Two
Wii Fit Week One

Three Weeks With Wii Fit

I'm now on my third week with Wii Fit, and I have to admit: although I haven't actually lost any weight, I'm having loads of fun!

The lack of fitness-related achievement is mainly my fault: I have only been engaging with the game, on average, once every four days. Certainly that isn't fitting for any workout regime. Despite how fun the game is, you still need to motivate yourself to "play" it just as you would have to push yourself to go to the local gym, use that treadmill that's collecting dust in the basement, or go for a run or bike ride through the neighbourhood. Just because it's sitting in the middle of your living room doesn't make it any easier to find the time to use it!

What makes things even tougher is that it's much easier to gravitate toward the fun, game-like activities instead of the yoga and strength training moves that are the core of the fitness aspect of the game. I'll hula hoop until the cows come home, I've become an expert tightrope walker and ski jumper, and I can step-dance like nobody's business. But I still can't do a push-up to save my life. There are some yoga and strength training moves that I haven't so much as given a second glance to since the first time I played. Tsk, tsk. If you're playing, make sure not to get caught up in the neat stuff, and get down to business every once in a while if you want to reach set BMI goals.

In terms of the fun games, though, my 30-minute and one-hour sessions have unlocked some neat, new activities and moves. In one game, you're outfitted in a penguin suit and slide back and forth on an inceberg while trying to catch flying fish. In a new yoga pose, you squat like a chair and hold the post for 40 seconds, which is great for toning the legs and abs. The most fun, however, is snowboarding: take the Balance Board, and sit it sideways in front of your TV. Then, simulate snowboarding down a huge hill and through coloured posts by moving your body back and forth. I can't wait to see what remaining games and left to unlock, although I fear that, once I've opened up every available game, I'll miss not having anything new to look forward to.

My verdict so far? With some discipline and selection of the right activities, Wii Fit can help you get in shape. As with anything, there are other factors that come into play in order to achieve your goals: eating right and sleeping enough, for instance (my last Wii Fit tip told me I should always get at least 7.5 hours of sleep per night). If you do your workouts alone, don't worry: the virtual talking balance board that greets you upon start up sure does lay the guilt on thick: Too busy to work out yesterday Christine, eh? it asked me last night. Wait a second: did we get a special Canadian version of the game?

My immediate goals: 1) ramp up play time. 2) spend less time skiing and hula'ing and more time yoga posing and strength training. Hopefully I'll be able to report some favourable numbers next time. Stay tuned.

Wii Week One

Wii Week Two