First Look: Workout Fun with the Wii Fit

Many of my readers know that I recently lost 56 pounds.

There's no real secret to how I acccomplished this: I did it the old-fashioned way, through a program of diet and exercise. But a lot of people don't know that I supplemented my program with technology: While watching TV at night, I worked Sudoku and other Brain Age puzzles on my Nintendo DS, which broke my habit of night feeding...

...and on days when I couldn't make it to the gym, I fired up my Wii and played a couple of rounds of boxing... and maybe some tennis.

The problem with these games is that -- to be perfectly honest -- I suck at them. I am the most unathletic person who ever lived, and no matter how much practice I get, I still lack coordination and accuracy... even on something as easy as the Wii. That's why on the DS, I veer towards mind games like puzzles...

...and why I've been so eager to get my hands on Nintendo's newest Wii add-on, the Wii Fit, a device that promises to help you better use the Wii in your workouts.

Wii Fit will not be released in the U.S. until May 19 (one day before my birthday -- hint, hint!) -- but earlier this month, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a sneak preview of the device. I brought my girlfriends, Mary Ellen, Sue and Michele, and we all had a chance to give it a little test drive.

The Fit add-on is a compact white platform that functions as both a scale and a balance board. The scale is pretty accurate, too – our visit with the Nintendo folks occurred right after I’d been to the weight loss clinic, and the Fit reported the exact same poundage I’d weighed in at an hour earlier.

The Fit also computes your Body Mass Index (BMI) and tests your balancing skills before giving you a Wii Fit Age (similar to the mental quickness assessment you receive when you play Brain Age). Mine was 56, which is only four years older than I actually am. (How nice it would be to get it down to something incredible, like 40. Or 30!)

You can then set a goal and work towards it: The Wii Fit informs you that folks who have a BMI of 22 tend to live longer. Mine is 23.5; to get it down another 1 ½ points, I need to lose eight more pounds, so that’s the goal I set for myself.

Here’s what’s cool: Once you’ve hooked up the Fit to your Wii, your display will include a Fitness channel, and you will receive gentle reminders when you haven’t worked out in a while.

Here’s what’s even cooler: You can password-protect your weight and fitness information, so other family members won’t know your exact vital statistics. (And up to eight family members can do the same!)

Once you have figured out your Wii Fit age and stats, you’re ready to start your workout. The Fit gives you four choices: Strength Training, Aerobics, Yoga and Balance Games. And you get to select the personal trainer you prefer: a male, or a female – and then you can choose if you want to have your trainer face you, or follow him or her from behind. (I learned quickly that it is easier to use the right hand-foot combinations if you are looking at your trainer’s back.)

As our time was limited, we only got to sample a few of the activities available on the Fit: I did some basic step aerobics (which was a little like Dance-Dance-Revolution… and I was just as lame attempting the moves!). I then moved on to some basic Yoga stretches, before tackling one of the balance games: Table Tilt. My friends also tried out the Soccer Heading and Ski Slalom.

All of us left the hotel suite exclaiming that we cannot wait for this baby to be released, because we all want one!

I will say that I will not be using the Wii Fit as a replacement for my regular gym-based exercise routine, or my trainer (much as I would like to get rid of that expense). HOWEVER, I think this will be a wonderful supplement to the program I’m already doing, especially on those days when I can’t get to my gym.

And… it’s a heckuva lot more FUN.