Wii Fit

[FergieTCat]

Do you think it's worth the money to invest in both a Wii and a Wii Fit?

 

[tiggerlover]

I think the Wii is pretty awesome, we have had one for over a year and it is very popular in our home. I did buy Wii Fit when it came out, but it is a gift for DS and he hasn't gotten it yet. I know there are several people on the boards who have used it so hopefully one of them can respond. I have watched the demo in the stores and I can't wait to give it a try. Also, one of my co-workers has it and she loves it.

 

[lwc]

It is probably worth it if you use it.

I purchased a Wii and WIi Fit this week. Apparently 40% of consumers purchasing Wii Fit are just like us and did not have the console prior to deciding they wanted Wii Fit.

I have read at least a dozen reviews and a few blog reports, and from what I can tell, the Wii Fit is far from perfect but has some very good things going for it.

1. If you use it regularly and well roundedly it would be difficult not to become more fit.

2. It is easy to use, even for real beginners, but the exercises it contains are the real deal, and could certainly be utilized as an alternative/add-on for someone who already has a routine.

3. It can be done convieniently and privately in your own home.

4. For at least some people, Wii Fit has proven to be an exercise routine they can stick to, even when other attempts have failed.

For us, we want our kids to get in the habit of excercising regularly. One of them really needs it, the others certainly won't be hurt by it. Wii Fit gives us a way to mandate that the kids exercise daily, but not have to stand over them to enforce it.

(Plus, I could use some more exercise myself, and I am very motivated to beat high scores and unlock new things...)

 

[Dashzap]

We've been using the wii fit for 7 days and love it. It is great fun. It really does get the couch potatoes moving!

 

[lisah0711]

I love the Wii Fit. I've used it more in the past two weeks that I did my gym membership in the whole last year!

I've lost a few pounds and it really is fun. For someone like me who doesn't like to exercise (but really needs it) it is nice because there is so much to do that you don't get bored.

Is there someplace in your town where you can rent one and try it? BTW, playing other games on Wii is great fun, too.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[KigerKat]

Hi guys! New to this board, but thought I would check it out since I could stand to loose a few (dozen) pounds before our trip this fall.

DH and I just bought a Wii this weekend - and absolutely love it! Our nephew got one for Christmas, and I think we played with it more than he did that week. Then he can to visit us in January, and I gave myself a "wiinjury" from bowling so much. I would also like to have a Wii Fit, but can't seem to find one anywhere. We've tried Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, Toys R Us, and Game Stop - nothing. We were lucky just to get the Wii system! Any suggestions on where I could pick one up? And about how much do they run? Is there anything included with the basic board?

 

[tiggerlover]

DS finally got his Wii Fit on Saturday and we all are addicted! It definitely gets you up and moving and it is great fun for all ages. We actually gave up TV on two nights just so we could use the Wii Fit. There are different levels and everyone can proceed at their own rate and you really do get a workout. I second whoever said to see if you could rent one, then you would know for sure if you liked it or not. But I have to say I haven't met anyone who has a Wii who doesn't love it.

 

[3DisneyKids]

The key here is that it gets you up and moving...it is great for those who are not in good shape. If you are someone who is in good shape/very athletic, you will not find it worthwhile in terms of a workout. Fun? Maybe. But not a real workout for those who are hard core about their training.

 

[SnowWtch]

We have a Wii and love it. Most of the games for it are ones where you have to get up and do something. I love the swordplay in Bleach. But if you don't like fitness or sports stuff try Rayman Raving Rabbids 1 and 2. Both of those games are great and you get a serious workout from all the mini games in it. The Rabbids are hysterical to watch and since it keeps you entertained you never realize you're working out.

 

[JudyS]

The key here is that it gets you up and moving...it is great for those who are not in good shape. If you are someone who is in good shape/very athletic, you will not find it worthwhile in terms of a workout. Fun? Maybe. But not a real workout for those who are hard core about their training.

Is this true of both the Wii Fit and the regular Wii, or just the regular Wii?

From what I'm seeing, it costs maybe around $300 for a Wii with the minimum accessories, plus about $200 additional to get the Wii Fit balance board with charger, so getting a Wii Fit would be around $500 minimum if you don't already have a Wii. Am I right about that? I only looked into it very briefly, and I'm not sure what you need to get started.

I usually use the treadmill or do aerobics for exercise, but I'm wondering if the Wii (with or without the Fit board) would be worth the money so that I could get more variety in my exercise. Some lower intensity exercise would be OK if it were fun; then, I'd use the treadmill for the more intense stuff. How much exercise can you get from the Wii without the Fit board?

 

[SnowWtch]

You can get a lot of exercise w/o the Wii Fit board. Most games require you to get up and move so just pick one you think is interesting and go for it. In fact, you don't need to buy a game at all if you don't want to b/c it comes with a version of Wii Sports which is a workout all its own.

 

[tiggerlover]

Judy, the basic Wii costs $249 and it comes with 5 games. The Wii Fit costs $89.99 and has several games, aerobics, yoga and strength training. Most games for the Wii run about $49.99. They also offer Wii packages that offer more game choices, but the prices are a little higher.

 

[JudyS]

Judy, the basic Wii costs $249 and it comes with 5 games. The Wii Fit costs $89.99 and has several games, aerobics, yoga and strength training. Most games for the Wii run about $49.99. They also offer Wii packages that offer more game choices, but the prices are a little higher.

Thanks! That's less expensive that I thought. I had been looking at prices on Amazon and eBay. Maybe those prices were from people who had bought a Wii at list price, and then jacked the prices up a lot above list and were re-selling them. It may be hard to find a store that has them available at the list price, though.

 

[minicoopercraig]

I don't normally post on this board, but I saw the thread and had to come by to put in my two cents.

Honestly, I was skeptical at first about the WiiFit, but like most people I decided to at least look into it, the previews looked like fun, the Balance Board looked fun, and I thought to myself: "Well, at least it's getting me off the couch to play the game." (Much like the other games Wii has to offer, a majority of them involve actually standing up and doing something other than pushing buttons.)
So we went to Best Buy, and tried to get one, Sold Out. Darn. So, we waited, and next week, went back THEY HAD ONE LEFT! So I walked quickly over to it, cause you don't run in Best Buy, the surest way to attract a crowd is to run! LOL. I got it!
Let me start off the introduction to the game by saying that I am in no way "Overweight" but I'm also in no way "Normal" compared to movie actors, I truly weighed 197 (and am 6'3") so I "look" normal, but it's hiding somewhere and I don't like where I see it hiding.
SO, ANYWHO, we got the game home and it tried it out for the first time, it asked me how heavy my clothes were, how tall I was and my birthday, I put all that in, then it asked if I would like to make my profile private so no one else "playing along" on my system would be able to see my results, so I did that as well, then it gave me two balance tests to determine my WiiFit Age after it told me I was right on the line between Overweight and Normal in my B.M.I. (body mass index). Then it told me my WiiFit Age was +13 years over my normal age and made my Avatar (My Mii) hold his back like an old man! I was so mad I decided to get it down to my real age.
So I started training, I did the Balance Games, started breaking a sweat and falling over a little. Then I did the Strength Training, really sweating now and needing a drink of water. Next I did the Aerobics, still sweating, and REALLY wanting a drink. And finally I did the Yoga (my favorite) loved the poses I could start with, wanted to get them all, so I struggled through some, sweating madly, and drinking two bottles of water. I retook the WiiFit Age portion, and came down to +11 years. Okay, 2 years, I can do better next time.
I did it straight through for that week, then left off for 3 days, then did it for two, left off for six, and did it again just yesterday. I am down by 3 pounds, and my BMI has come down from 29 to 24.12.
I love the fact that it's a reward based game where if you complete a certain training exercise you get to do another version, and if you do enough "time" on it, you get a new pose in yoga or a new strength training routine. SO it's making me do it to open up all the exercises. LOL. At least that's what my mind is saying.
In short, I love it, it's well worth it, do it, and also get Mario Kart Wii too, that'll help you in between your training sessions to relax. LOL.
Sorry to be long winded, but I wanted to make sure my point was made.

 

[JudyS]

Thanks for the review! That was quite helpful!

..... it asked me how heavy my clothes were, how tall I was and my birthday, I put all that in, then it asked if I would like to make my profile private so no one else "playing along" on my system would be able to see my results, so I did that as well, then it gave me two balance tests to determine my WiiFit Age after it told me I was right on the line between Overweight and Normal in my B.M.I. (body mass index). Then it told me my WiiFit Age was +13 years over my normal age and made my Avatar (My Mii) hold his back like an old man! I was so mad I decided to get it down to my real age......

Now, this is one thing that has me worried about the Wii Fit. I've been doing tons of dieting and exercise, but nothing seems to get me down to the "normal" weight range for my height. It drives me nuts when exercise equipment "gives me a hard time" about my weight. For example, if I input my true height and weight into my heart rate monitor (so it can give me a more accurate measure of the calories I burn), then it tells me I have "very low fitness." This score of "very low fitness" is based purely on my height/weight -- the monitor computes it before I exercise, so it has nothing to do with my heart rate, or how fast my heart rate returns to normal after exertion (which is actually an excellent measure of fitness.)

Is there any way to bypass the screen that computes your BMI? I really don't need to be told that I'm obese every time I exercise. Since I have no way to change that, it's just going to turn me off from exercising. Also, it sounds like your initial Wii Fit avatar and "age" are based purely on your height and weight -- is there some way to change that or skip that? I've exercised for a couple hundred of hours in the past seven months, and much of it was pretty intense. It would really upset me if the Wii fit ignores all that and and shows me as "old" just because of what I weigh.

I don't think there's any way to lie about your weight to the Wii Fit -- I think it actually weighs you. Maybe I could tell it that my clothes weigh 70 pounds? That would put me in the middle of the normal weight range.

 

[Dashzap]

Is there any way to bypass the screen that computes your BMI? I really don't need to be told that I'm obese every time I exercise. Since I have no way to change that, it's just going to turn me off from exercising. Also, it sounds like your initial Wii Fit avatar and "age" are based purely on your height and weight -- is there some way to change that or skip that?

As you start wii fit each day, you chose from two buttons: one is Body Test, the other is Training. You can skip the Body Test and go straight to Training. I don't know if it makes you do the Body Test the very first time you play or not. (anyone?)

The Body Test consists of you standing on the balance board and getting weighed and measured as to your center of balance and ability to control your balance. There are two balance tests after the initial weighing/balancing. These plus your age and height are used in calculating your wii fit age.

My extremely strong 13 year old gets told by the wii fit that he is obese (he is not obese...his MD says he is right where he should be). It's a shame because he doesn't like to use wii fit now.

On the other hand, I love the wii fit and have used it daily for the 17 days I've had it.

 

[minicoopercraig]

I think the only way that you can skip over the BMI and weighing in is if you continually use just the "trail" mode. Once you go into the regular mode, you are prompted to put all that information in. BUT once you do that the first time, you don't have to do the BMI test everytime, you can just do the Training THEN afterwards, if you want, you can do the BMI.

Just as an FYI, I got my Wii Fit age down to my actual age today, I'm so happy. Now I just have to look 15 more pounds to get to my target weight. LOL.

 

[JudyS]

...
Just as an FYI, I got my Wii Fit age down to my actual age today, I'm so happy. Now I just have to look 15 more pounds to get to my target weight. LOL.

Congrats, Craig!

I think the only way that you can skip over the BMI and weighing in is if you continually use just the "trail" mode. Once you go into the regular mode, you are prompted to put all that information in. BUT once you do that the first time, you don't have to do the BMI test everytime, you can just do the Training THEN afterwards, if you want, you can do the BMI...

So, can you do much in Trail mode?

Also, what about the avatar? (The "Mii") If you weigh a lot will you always get stuck with an avatar that looks old/stooped over, or something? Is there a way to change the avatar?

...
My extremely strong 13 year old gets told by the wii fit that he is obese (he is not obese...his MD says he is right where he should be). It's a shame because he doesn't like to use wii fit now.....

Oh, that's just what a kid needs!

I actually think this is a big problem with fitness and weight loss in general. What's healthy is to be active, eat healthy foods, and not eat more than what you need to satisfy hunger. But, not everyone who does that will get down to what the height/weight charts say they "should" weigh. Our society puts this huge emphasis on everyone being the "right" weight, and not everybody is built the same. If your body is just built big, it's easy to get turned off to the whole fitness thing and give up. I've been struggling with that a lot lately.

I tried to find out more about the Wii and what it tells people about weight, and I've found that there have been several cases of parents getting very upset about what the Wii told their children. There was a case in England that made the news: A mom found out that her pre-teen daughter was dieting, even though she wasn't overweight at all. When the mom asked her daughter why, it turned out that she had used a friend's Wii and it told her she was overweight -- and she weighed only 96 pounds! (She was 4'11".)

I was really hoping the Wii would be something that helps me get more exercise in, but if it's just going to make me feel bad about my weight, I guess I won't be buying one. It's bad enough when I exercise in public and kids ridicule me for being big. I don't need to spend hundreds of dollars on a machine that's going to ridicule me even when I exercise in the privacy of my own home.

 

[minicoopercraig]

What happens is as you lose weight, if you want it to do that (if you're using it just in trail mode, it doesn't do this) and your Mii is "a little pudgy" or however you want to look at it, as you lose weight so does your Mii, mine has stayed the same so far because I haven't lost enough weight to really "see" a difference. So it shows your progress through your Mii that way it gives you a goal to see materialize.
I personally don't understand the overreactions though with the "overweight" category. I know I know, who am I to judge, but hear me out. If you're comfortable with who you are and how you look, than just use the Wii Fit to get some more exercise into your life that you don't normally get. That's all I wanted it for in the first place, I just decided that for an upcoming trip to Hawaii, I wanted to lose a few pounds so I don't feel embarrassed if I want to take my shirt off in Waikiki and not scare the seagulls away.
However, on the flip side, if you use it for purely entertainment purposes, and as a "light" workout aide, than there isn't any harm in it. I think what's happened is some people, no one in particular, haven't sat down with their kids and explained to them about their self image, much like what DashZap has done by consulting their child's MD, and telling them that if you don't need to lose weight, then don't try, it's not healthy. They do have some games in the Wii Fit that I wouldn't qualify as anything strenuous, such as the balance games (which by the way are hilarious, I'm forever screaming everytime I see a panda bear head come flying at me in the Soccer head butt challenge.) that will help with your overall center of balance and help posture and to not trip all the time, like me!
And for the record, the Wii Fit doesn't ridicule you for being overweight, if you do the Body Test, where it gives you your BMI but not go on to do the next step and skip right into training, the game is nothing but supportive. If you find your "Wii Fit Age" that's where the avatar (Mii) responds to the results of the tests they give you. If you don't do well on any of the exercises that they give you, it does show the Mii reacting badly (in the Balance and Aerobic sections only), BUT for me at least, it makes me want to work harder to see the happy reactions. LOL. So I keep working at it to beat my high score, and I don't even remember sometimes that I'm "working out" until I start dripping sweat.
Hope that hasn't confused, made anyone mad. I'm just trying to show nothing but support. I know, if you look at my pictures, that I have NO ROOM to talk about weight loss, but it's there, it's just hiding!
What you might also want to try is see if a really good friend has the Wii and Wii Fit and see if they will let you borrow it for a day to see if you like it, or if they'll have you over to try it out (if you don't mind them watching that is. LOL.). That way you get to see if you'll like it or not before investing. I do have to caution though, there is a weight limit on Wii Fit, it is currently set at 330 pounds on the Balance Board, you don't need to worry about that with other games they have though, Tiger Woods golf gives a great exercise, and it makes you think you can play golf! But you're getting a light ab workout anyway! LOL.

 

[JudyS]

What happens is as you lose weight, if you want it to do that (if you're using it just in trail mode, it doesn't do this) and your Mii is "a little pudgy" or however you want to look at it, as you lose weight so does your Mii, mine has stayed the same so far because I haven't lost enough weight to really "see" a difference. So it shows your progress through your Mii that way it gives you a goal to see materialize.....

Well, the problem for me is that I just can't seem to lose any more weight, no matter how I try. (I've lost about 40 pounds, but I'm still about 60 pounds above what the height/weight charts say I should be.) So, instead of having progress to track, the Wii would just be telling me that I was obese, without there being anything I could do about it.

I personally don't understand the overreactions though with the "overweight" category. I know I know, who am I to judge, but hear me out. If you're comfortable with who you are and how you look, than just use the Wii Fit to get some more exercise into your life that you don't normally get........I think what's happened is some people, no one in particular, haven't sat down with their kids and explained to them about their self image, much like what DashZap has done by consulting their child's MD, and telling them that if you don't need to lose weight, then don't try, it's not healthy. ....

I'm not at all comfortable with how I look. I hate, hate, hate, hate being fat. I just don't seem to be able to do anything about it, no matter how hard I try. Exercising is something that I do feel good about, and I do a lot of it, but if exercising were to provide constant reminders of how fat I am, that would make me not want to exercise. (I used to have that problem when I belonged to a local health club that had mirrors all around the aerobics room, and required women to wear leotards.)

As for whether parents are overreacting, I obviously don't think so. Our society treats fat people terribly, especially fat women and girls. So, telling a girl that she is fat is going to be extremely upsetting and might cause her to develop an eating disorder, even if her parents reassure her that her weight is normal. A good example is gymnast Christy Heinrich, who died of anorexia after her coach told her she needed to lose weight (like most gymnasts, she was thin to begin with.)

And for the record, the Wii Fit doesn't ridicule you for being overweight, if you do the Body Test, where it gives you your BMI but not go on to do the next step and skip right into training, the game is nothing but supportive. If you find your "Wii Fit Age" that's where the avatar (Mii) responds to the results of the tests they give you.....

Well, that was one of my questions -- can you skip the "Wii Fit Age" part. So, are you saying you can skip this, and it won't show your Mii as grabbings its back, or whatever?

I would be interested in borrowing one to try it out, but I don't know anyone who has one. I'm wondering if there's anywhere I could rent one, to see if it's worth the money and whether the weight reminders will be a problem.