Well Worth The Money With A Few Drawbacks

Introduction

Wii fit is the heavily-advertised and hard-to-get game that is used with the Nintendo Wii.  It comes with a CD containing the software for Wii Fit, and the Wii Fit balance board, which is needed to use the software.  It is marketed as a video game that is both fun and healthy because it promotes regular exercise through an interactive video game setting.  It includes yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games; and keeps track of your progress.  Overall, it is well worth the money, but there are some drawbacks.

Yoga

The yoga portion of the game is perfect for those who have never tried yoga before.  With many yoga DVDs or classes, they seemingly ask you to put yourself in impossible pretzel-like positions that you can't imagine ever being able to do.  No worries here with Wii Fit, though!  The positions it offers start off in a very simple fashion and never get too complicated.  At the same time that it shows you how to do certain yoga poses, it measures your balance and gives you go-by to try to match your breathing to.  I'm not very flexible at all, and found the poses easy to jump right into. 

Strength Training

The strength training section consists of strength training anyone can do without any props whatsoever: push-ups, lunges, etc.  Whether you are doing a push-up on the balance board or doing lunges (basically just steps backward with one foot on the balance board and one foot off), the balance board helps you by showing you when you are off-balance.  A tone on the screen also tells you how long to do each push-up, lunge, etc.  Anyone who has done serious strength training won't find these exercises very difficult (and will need to add weights to do them and get something out of them), but for the novice, they are a great intro to strength training.  They all focus more on toning than building any muscles, although if you haven't done any strength training before, you will certainly start to build muscle. 

Aerobics

The aerobic section is quite fun and you can work up a bit of a sweat.  One of the aerobic "games" is hula-hooping, where you have to make movements as if you are keeping a hula-hoop going and the balance board monitors how you are shifting your weight as to whether you keep the hoop going or not.  There is also a step aerobics game that is quite fun (using the balance board as a step); and even a running portion where you put the Wii remote in your pocket and it measures how you are bouncing as you run in place.  It isn't a treadmill, but anyone that puts in any effort can get a good aerobics workout.

Balance Games

The last portion consists of balance games like a skiing simulator where you stand on the Wii Fit Board and have to shift your weight to reach certain goals.  These are really fun games (although quite frustrating at times).  These games will build a bit of muscle in your legs, but mostly they enhance your coordination.  Most users will find themselves wanting to play these games again and again.

Drawback #1: Not Made For Tall People

This is the biggest drawback for me because I am quite tall.  Unfortunately my feet are really too big for the Wii Balance board so it sometimes doesn't track my weight like it should.  Also, doing push-ups on the board is difficult for me because my hands are a bit too big for the surface.  This isn't to say that I don't get a lot of use out of the game - I still love it and am glad I bought it.  However, I wish they would include a bigger board for taller people.

Drawback #2: Tracking Your Progress

Beware if you have carpet in your home - the Wii Balance Board will not measure your correct weight and will not therefore track your progress as it should.  Even if you have hard-wood floors, though, it tracks your progress using BMI (body mass index), and plenty of studies have shown that a BMI within a "healthy" zone does not necessarily mean you are healthy.  If you are very muscular, for example, it will call you overweight when you are not. 

Getting a Wii Fit

It's very hard to get a Wii Fit.  Unfortunately they are usually sold out.  My only piece of advice is to keep calling stores in your area and check amazon.com, Target.com, gamestop.com, etc., continuously.  You can usually find the more expensive bundles (that have a yoga mat and a plastic cover), but if you just want the basic system, be prepared to wait a while.

Conclusion

In all, Wii fit is a fantastic product.  I can't wait to see them come up with updates with additional games, aerobic exercises, etc.  It has some drawbacks and can't be equated with going to a gym on a regular basis, but especially for novice gym-goers, it is a great first step and can take the place of going to the gym on those days (or weeks) you just can't seem to make it.  I highly recommend it.