Fitness Gaming

I definitely think one of the best ways to ensure I follow a consistent workout schedule is by making sure that my workouts are on the enjoyable side. And since I love videogames so much, the idea of fitness gaming seems to me too good to be true.

I have posted previously on the topic of fitness gaming about Dance Dance Revolution or DDR. I definitely see DDR as a good cardio workout, if you play on at least a standard level.

But Wii Fit is a completely different story.

I admit that I hadn't done much research on Wii Fit before I bought it. I was just kind of on a fitness kick, and I owned a Wii, so I decided it was a good purchase. More than likely it probably wasn't, but a lot more fitness-type Wii games have been coming out lately that are compatible with the Wii Fit balance board, so I don't beat myself up too much over it.

So if I would categorize DDR as a cardio workout, I would categorize Wii Fit as more of a strength or flexibility workout. Wii Fit offers an "aerobic activity" section, but this only features running (which is just running in place with the Wii remote in your hand so I avoid it), a sort of step workout (which I also avoid because the balance board isn't really much of a step), boxing, and hula hoop. I really only ever use the hula hoop option, and I'd consider it more of an ab workout than an aerobic activity.

The strength workout options are decent, but you can only unlock about maybe 15 strength exercises total, and I don't think the balance board ever really properly measures how well you are doing them, even though it is supposed to.

I like the yoga feature on Wii Fit. You don't need to use the balance board for a lot of the yoga positions though, so I probably could have benefitted just from looking at some yoga positions online and saved myself the $80 I spent on the game.

And finally there are the balance games. While these games are fun, I don't really think they even come close to being considered a workout. I guess maybe the idea is that children are at least a little more active playing these types of games than playing other types of videogames.

Other things I like about the game are the scale capabilities of the balance board. It weighs you, asks you to put in your height, and calculates your BMI. Of course, I could do this on a regular scale and a BMI conversion table, and again save myself $80. One final thing I like about the game is that it makes you set goals for yourself, how many pounds you want to lose and how much time you have to lose them. I usually set small goals like 2 pounds in 2 weeks rather than a larger number over a larger period of time. I find this keeps me on track.

Ultimately, I find it nice to have the game, but I think it should coincide with a more intense cardio and weight lifting program.