By SheerBalance/DivineCaroline
Nintendo's Wii Fit is revolutionizing the health and fitness industry, getting people of all ages off their butts and moving in a healthier direction. I don't own Wii...and there is a good chance I never will. However, about 4 months ago, I tried out a friend's Wii Tennis game for a few hours (I don't feel the need to explain myself, it just happened).
Throughout the game, I took it relatively seriously and found that I got quite a little workout. I held the remote and swung my arm as if I was holding a real tennis racquet. Feet in position...full strokes...both forward and back hands. After about fifteen minutes, I actually started to work up a small sweat. Not only did I have a ton of fun, I was really imprssed by how much 'exercise' I got.
After a full night of Wii, I slept really soundly and woke up the next day with a really sore shoulder. I'm not talking a little sore, I was SORE. The soreness persisted for about 4 days and I promise you, it made me rethink my strength training regimen.
So now Nintendo has introduced the highly popular Wii Fit. Wii Tennis was not part of the Wii Fit game, it was just one of their basic games, and as we already established, it busted my butt. Wii Fit promises to do that and more. It is meant to combine fun and fitness, transforming the traditional model of 'Couch Potato and Video Game' to 'Active Player and Video Game'. Types of games include: Yoga, Strength Training, Balance and Cardio. The Wii Balance Board, which you stand on during the game, is a scale that reads your real-life movements and brings them to life on screen, just like the Wii Remote controller I used during the Tennis Game. It also allows you to set goals, chart your progress and find out measurements such as your BMI.
I think it is fantastic that it is getting people moving, but I do wonder how accurate the Wii is, and when it comes to ensuring safe movements and proper form, does it really substitute a personal trainer. If you are out of shape to begin with, you want to make sure you aren't doing anything that could cause injury.