Wii-Fit benefits really are wee
Almost everyone I know online has a Nintendo Wii-Fit.
They all waited in breathless anticipation for them, bought them, bought all the accessories, eagerly used them, and raved, raved, raved about them.
But has the Wii-fit actually helped any of my friends lose weight or get in shape?
Probably not, says a new study: The truth about Wii-Fit and weight loss is that, like most eagerly purchased exercise equipment, they are lying disused after one month in most people's homes.
I can't prove that the Wii-Fit hasn't helped my friends. I'm not about to ask them if they still use it regularly. Most of them would probably heatedly insist that they do (whether they do or not. This is the reaction by most people who have started a diet, begun a fitness programme, etc especially if they dropped a wodge of cash on it.)
But honestly, the ones who mention still using it, only do so (mention it) once a week, tops. If you sloth about all week and eat what you want then go for a brisk walk on Sunday (or work up a sweat with the Wii-Fit), well, you may feel better about yourself, but you've not put any dent at all in your unhealthy lifestyle. You must do things - everything - consistantly.
Folks might brag that they did Wii-Fit work-outs twice this week. Would they brag that they brushed their teeth only twice in that same time?
I'm not ragging on the Wii-Fit in particular BTW. I have no problem with it. It could be an eliptical or a treadmill or even walking around the block.
I'll admit that the thought of buying a video game to get fit struck me as silly. I mean how much entertainment do you need? You need to be entertained into exercising? That's a bit much. The concept of paying a huge amount of money to exercise also rubs me the wrong way. I can walk, lift weights, do yoga, use my exercise ball, etc, for free.
My thing is that it's a game NOT a fitness programme. You are NOT getting fit no matter how much you tell yourself so. You are enjoying yourself - and there's nothing wrong with that! But admit that you do it for fun and don't tell me how you are improving your health by playing an hour of Wii-Golf (or whatever) every week-end.
2 Comments:
We bought our Wii Fit as a treat for the kids. We have a lot of rainy days here, so lettinbg them have an indoor game that keeps them active isn't a bad idea. The teens don't use it much, but the younger kids do. And Robert and I use it 5 days a week.
Ever since our third elliptical crosstrainer broke, I've done my aerobics on the Wii Fit. I particularly like the boxing exercise. Robert has been using the strength training on it, challenging himself to score better on push-ups and such. (He does the yoga too, but the yoga bores me.)
That said, we also go for really long walks. And we didn't buy the Wii Fit to get ourselves exercising. We already were exercising before we got it.
No one needs it for their fitness regime, but it is a fun way to add a bit of a change into your routine once in a while.
That last sentence was VERY well put!
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