It's Time that Wii Begin

We received a Wii a few years back and for the most part, the kids used it.  Every once in a while there would be a family competition but I always viewed it as another robber of time.  That is until………we purchased the Wii Fit with the balance board.  It seemed like a great Christmas present.  After all, there is nothing like the approaching New Year to motivate oneself into stepping out and trying something new. 

The kids went wild with the games.  I decided to check out the yoga, strength and aerobic section.  I made my Mii and vowed to do the body check everyday.  Basically, this charts your weight and BMI.  You can also do some coordination exercises to see how fit you are in years.  As a beginner, I did it all but eventually opted to weigh and end the process to save time. 

So here I was, ready to dive into a daily routine of the unknown.  A decision was made to take it slow and to be truthful it is very slow at first when one is watching tutorials.  I scheduled an hour a day and had no preconceived ideas of where this would take me.  Doing something everyday was more than doing nothing. 

I watched video’s with zest and then executed the moves with my Wii Fit personal trainer.  Next I would be scored on my performance.  I worked on improving my score every day.  Eventually, I got discouraged with how much time it was taking to get through the moves.  This is when I decided to make my own routines.  (this eliminated getting scored after each exercise). Beginning routines consisted of 1 row of yoga, and strength exercises for a week and then adding on 1 or 2 in each category every week thereafter to make a change.  I also dabbled in some fun aerobic games randomly.

The result…..Slow and steady does win the race.  I found I really enjoyed yoga and felt like I was taking care of myself.  Fitness experts will tell you to mix aerobics with strength training.  The Wii enlightened me on what strength training really was.  I didn’t need to join a gym and the best part is that I was moving in ways I would have never done on my own. 

To my surprise the best part of the Wii was that, although a machine, it recognized how many days I was working out, what kind of activities as well as calories burned and noted these milestones.  I found this rewarding and validating on my journey to change.  If I missed a day or two doing the body test, it reminded me of how long it had been and encouraged me to stick with it.  Is it for everyone?  No, but it was a perfect start for me in an effort to change my lifestyle.

Pros

• The Wii is utilized by my family in a wide variety of ways
• Tutorials on everything
• I moved in ways I would not have without it
• I felt like I was taking care of myself
• I felt the emphasis was on mind and body and not spot exercising
• A great beginner tool – Motivating interaction with positive reinforcement
• I felt more energy and more motivated to make changes
• I didn’t feel alone in the process
• No need to spend money on a gym and driving to it.
• Activity outside the Wii can be tracked.
• It tracks weight and activity and graphs it for you over time. 

Cons:

• Not for a hard core exerciser who is used to expending a large amount of energy in a short amount of time.
• Some may not have the patience to stick with this if they want results fast.