What if fitness was fun? What if gaming was good for you? What if you were able to track your fitness progress through an interface that was as enjoyable as the Wii? Well of course now you can with Wii Fit. Wii Fit adds to the mobility of gaming. The Wii brought us a wireless controller that literally moved players into the game and now the experience is taken to new heights with the Wii Balance Board. Not only can you move but you can stretch, train and exercise while participating in a unique gaming experience.

The Basics
Wii Fit is a combination of game and balance board. The balance board is a unique controller that is basically what the name entails, a 20"X12" board that senses movement in such a way that it can tell which way the individual using it is leaning. This creates almost endless possibilities for games that can show player movement and body actions. And, add to this the already famous Wii controller and even more fun can literally come to life. 
A few details about the balance board. It supports up to 330 lbs. It rests on four pad legs and included are extenders for the legs in case you have thicker carpet. The idea is to keep the board free from obstruction underneath so it can sense movement and weight distribution evenly. We did not use the leg extension, set the unit on an area rug that I would not consider thick and it works just fine. If used on a shag carpet or perhaps with thick padding underneath carpet, the leg extensions may be required.

The game begins with an assessment of the player. You choose the Mii that you want to use for the game, stand on the board (once if completes calibration) and respond to a few questions. Initially it verifies the time and date and then asks for your height and age. It then detects your weight and uses all this information to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). The BMI scale ranges from an underweight category through normal, overweight and obese. It then allows you to set goals and a timeframe for your goals (for example, to lose 5 pounds in 2 weeks, or lower your BMI to a set goal in a month, etc.). After your goal is set, it prompts you to take a balance test. This test is very simple the first time and varies later between several balance exercises which are part of the body test you can take daily. All the information gained determines your Wii Fit Age (which can be a scary thing, more on that later).

There are five basic areas of Wii Fit. Each contains several exercises or games available from the start with many more that can be unlocked as you participate more in the games, earn Wii Fit Points and log time. The first area is Yoga which is what you would expect, stretching and balance activities emphasizing breathing and posture. Strength training includes push-ups, sit-ups and lunges among other activities focusing on body tone and muscle development. Aerobics are for increasing your heart rate and include running (running in place with the standard Wii controller in your pocket, not on the balance board), step exercises and hoola hoop (yes, hoola hoop). Balance games are more in line with what you would consider more "traditional games" you would expect and are generally a lot of fun. These include a marble madness game, down hill skiing, ski jump and tight rope. Finally there is an area called Favorites where your 10 most played activities are retained so you have easy access to them all.

As you participate in exercises and games you are given points for the time you put in. Most activities are good for one minute/point but some may be two or three. Once you unlock the more advanced activities (either new activities or the advance level of the initial ones) you typically can earn more points (for instance, the advanced downhill skiing is a longer run so you earn more time/points for it). Points are maintained in your Fit Bank and you can track your point totals by day on the main information screen. Also, when you achieve thirty points in a day the game shows a celebratory message showing you achieved that goal.

The Experience

The game is very informative, although I am surprised that I did not see a warning to consult a physician before beginning a new fitness program (perhaps it was in the directions- I am a male so I never read those). The main information screen allows you to track time put in (aka points earned) each day and breaks it down based on the type of activity. Every time you take a body test (the weight, BMI and optional age determining balance activities) it tracks that as well to show your improvements (I am of the optimistic spirit that with this type of information you will see improvements and not the other way around). The game also offers workout tips, sends message based on the time of day (it reminded me to brush my teeth before bed the other night and asked if I ate dinner yet in the evening) and does a good job at keeping you informed and engaged. This may be its biggest benefit to keeping someone on a fitness program- easy to use tracking of effort put in, benefits and goals like you would expect from working with a trainer.

Speaking of trainers, you are given a trainer to show you exercises and give words of encouragement. You have a choice between a man or woman but that is it although for some reason my male trainer has a different hairstyle than the same male trainer the boys picked. Perhaps hair style is determined by the age of the participant? Regardless, the virtual trainer does a good job at showing you the form for Yoga or Strength training exercises and provides advice if the application senses you are doing something wrong based on your weight distribution and movements. The trainer is not around for the more game-like activities in the aerobics and balance games areas.

Personally, we have had the Wii Fit for 4 days and have used it every day thus far. I am happy to report that my weight has gone down over a pound in that time. My Wii Fit age started at 33, under my current age of 39. Yesterday it shot up to 55 mainly because I did not do well at a balance test. Today I did very well and it dropped to 26 so there is very little impact, in my mind, on the Wii Fit age. But knowing my weight, BMI and how it works toward goals (and in what direction I am going) are very good pieces of information for improving my own fitness.

We have also unlocked some additional games and activities to make the experience even more fun. My favorite thus far is boxing, one that we just unlocked today. The kids are having fun with the exercises but of course enjoy the games in the aerobic and balance games areas the most, although the balance games are pretty difficult for the coordination level of a smaller child. My 7 year old holds the ski jump record at present and both of them have tried more yoga poses than I have (it seems unlocking yoga poses is plentiful early on and ironically, the yoga stretches seem to be where I do the best- perhaps taking Tae Kwon Do for the past 9 months has paid off from a balance and posture perspective).

I think the main benefit of Wii Fit is giving people a good reason to get some exercise. It may not be the level of workout you would get at a fitness center, or playing tennis or basketball (running in place for a couple of minutes is borderline exercise), but it makes getting some exercise convenient and if you were intending to sit on the couch and stare at the TV, it works. It is better to get your heart rate up for a short jog, a few toning exercises and some stretches rather than think about going to a gym and deciding you don't have time. Plus, setting goals and watching progress in a visual way may be just enough to motivate those who typically have kept away from doing anything. You can even log activity done outside of the Wii Fit program so you have a good track of all your exercise in one place and can tie it to your goals and progress.

Although I do see Wii Fit as more than just a game, as an impetus to getting better about exercise, I hope that someone will not rely on it as their only means of activity. Granted, if someone is doing nothing, at least this is an easy and fun way to get in some exercise and every little bit helps But, as someone who maintains a fairly active lifestyle (Volleyball twice a week, Tae Kwon Do 2-3 times a week), the workout with this system is good but not as good as other traditional forms of exercise like running or biking. But I will admit that I could tell that I worked out with the Wii Fit the first couple of days. The push-ups especially made me sore, partly due to the fact that the board is more narrow than my shoulders and thus the form was different than what I am used to and uses some different muscles (which I am not sure I realized I had on the back of my arms).

So overall, the Wii Fit is a very fun instrument to be a little more active, track you weight and work toward fitness goals. It is a game but also much more as a tool for improving your fitness, especially if you don't get a lot of exercise currently. And even if you do, Wii Fit can be a great supplement to your exercise routine based on its convenience. Although fun for kids and adults, it seems more geared toward the adults but I can best attest to that in a few weeks to see who's stamina prevails in our house. I also look forward to new games that can utilize the balance board. For anyone with a Wii and a decent size area in front of a TV, who could also use an improvement in their physical fitness, I recommend it.

Stay tuned for the 30 day follow-up to how the Wii Fit has impacted the Love House.