Want to use a Wii to get fit, need a good schedule and some gaming recs
February 28, 2010 3:22 PM   Subscribe

I just got a Wii and plan to use it for exercise and activity. I need a plan, and some game recommendations...

Background is, I normally exercise with workout videos and they have been a bit stale lately, Had the opportunity to get a Wii and Wii Fit in a barter with a friend, and took it. I plan to work out in the morning for a 'proper' workout and then supplement in the evening with some fun activity to just get moving a bit (i.e. not so concerned with calorie burn, just want a fun way to stay off the couch). So I am not interested in Wii games that are just 'video games.' I really only want ones that are at least minimally active. So far, I have:

Wii Fit (love the step section, which it was harder and longer; is there a game based on this?) Also love the balance games, but they are more toys for my evening 'just having fun and getting some activity' stuff.

Wii Sports (liked the bowling, could take or leave the rest of it)

Walk it Out (love it, would definitely enjoy more like this)

Gold's Gym Cardio (have not tried yet)

The Biggest Loser (a bit boring, but only explored it briefly)

Just Dance (fun, but will take some getting used to)

We Cheer (way too hard, could not get the hang of it at all)

Also have a DDR game but my friend forgot to include the pad, so I cannot try it until I see him next and retrieve it.

I think I am covered for 'games to play for fun and a little activity' but how about 'games to play for a serious workout?' I liked the idea of the Biggest Loser game where there is a daily workout you are meant to do, but my first pass through was a little boring. Can Wii Fit (I have the plus version) be configured somehow to be one's main exercise or is it just for fun?

Ideally I guess I want a game where you can start it up, tell it how long you want to exercise for/what equipment you have/what focus you want e.g. upper body, lower body etc. and have it put together a routine on the spot. Does such a game exist?

Given the games I have, what sort of schedule would you recommend for a 'lose the last ten pounds' sort of rotation with a half-hour 'proper' workout in the morning and then something fun at night?

Also, given what I said about the sorts of games I have enjoyed so far and that I only want to buy 'active' games, what others should I look for?
posted by JoannaC to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (11 answers total) 33 users marked this as a favorite
 
Do you have the original Wii Fit, or Wii Fit Plus? The latter is much better, and retails for only $20 without the balance board.
posted by Faint of Butt at 3:32 PM on February 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


EA sports active gives you a much more aerobic workout compared to wii fit in my experience.
posted by smoke at 3:37 PM on February 28, 2010 [3 favorites]


what you want exists and it's called ea sports active. you can do individual workouts whenever you want, or do an escalating set of workouts over 30 days.
posted by lia at 3:38 PM on February 28, 2010 [2 favorites]


3rding EA sports active. You get to choose the moves and areas of your body that you'd like to work on and it keeps a running tally of the calories you've burned.
posted by icy at 3:51 PM on February 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


Gold's Gym Cardio (have not tried yet)

This one can give you a genuinely serious work-out, especially if you pair it with wrist weights. It's mainly based around cardioboxing, but it also has other exercises (squats, ab exercises) and it can program an exercise routine for you.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:55 PM on February 28, 2010


EA Sports Active. That is all. Except for EA Sports Active, More Workouts. Love, love, love it.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:07 PM on February 28, 2010 [1 favorite]


nthing EA Sports Active. I'm actually looking forward to my next workout with it.
posted by misha at 4:12 PM on February 28, 2010


Ideally I guess I want a game where you can start it up, tell it how long you want to exercise for/what equipment you have/what focus you want e.g. upper body, lower body etc. and have it put together a routine on the spot.

WiiFit Plus can do this. Also, if you have a treadmill, you'll find the running exercises much more fun.
posted by fish tick at 5:46 PM on February 28, 2010


Staying with other activities too is a good idea - researchers who took the time to look into this found that Wii Sports are lower-intensity than their real life analogues. [1 MB PDF] (The article includes a chart of average calories, heart rate, etc. for each of the Wii Sports games, which I thought was neat.)

Have fun!
posted by Joad at 8:51 PM on February 28, 2010


I found that the Wii Fit step is made much more difficult when you get the additional step riser that goes underneath the board to make it higher. That makes it more work to do the routine. Then I use the free-step game to do a half-hour while I watch tv.

The Wii Fit Plus also has a 'my workout' section where you can pick from it's pre-programmed choices. Choose 3 workouts and tell it to choose '3 at a time', that should give you a light and fun 25 minute workout with a lot of variety.
posted by harriet vane at 6:21 AM on March 1, 2010 [2 favorites]


Popping back in, post EASA workout, to say that I did buy an extra set of resistance bands because I found the band that comes with the game somewhat limiting. It is long (requiring folding for exercises that need a shorter length, like bicep curls) and a pretty mild resistance once you advance through the workouts.

That said, I'll repeat how much I like it. As a bonus (unlike gym machines) the calories-burned meter comes out pretty accurate against the one on my heart rate monitor.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 6:36 AM on March 1, 2010 [1 favorite]


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