is wii fit worth it?

[asscherisme]

I just cashed in my amazon.com credit card points and have a $50 amazon.com gift certificate.

I am thinking of using it towards buying wii fit. Is it worth it? We already own the wii. And is the wii fit something that my kids might liike? Or really something that would be for just me?

There seem to be several different versions. Guidance/suggestions welcomed!

 

[noelwr]

I don''t know the wii fit, but if it''s anything like the PlayStation Kinetic game, I wouldn''t recommend it as replacement for normal exercise.

the problem with games is that you like them for a while and then you either end up only playing the ones you like (which is not enough variety for exercise, and probably the repetitive action also not good for your muscles if you''re not working on others) or just quitting.

also, it''s probably not good to do exercises such as yoga without the supervision of a trained individual. if you really don''t want to join a gym or go jogging outside, I''d recommend a treadmill or eliptical glider and some weights. these helped me get in shape. the PS Kinetic game did not, even though I followed a proper routine for 3 months.

 

[setell]

I have the wii fit and love it but I wouldn''t use it as a way to excercise though (well more specifically lose weight). It is a very entertaining gadget and if you got kids it will make them more proactive but still play video games. I was one of those crazy ones that bought it once it was released last year

Oh I am not one to join the gaming console hypes but went nuts over wii! I got a bit too much wii accessories too!! I think at ~$100 it''s a great engaging gaming tool!

 

[asscherisme]

I actually already own a treadmill and elliptical and stationary bike and LOVE them. So the wii fit would not be my excercise or replace it. It would just be bonus to what I already do and get the kids involved. I would do it with the kids in addition to the cardio I already do. most of my kids are super active. But one of my kids would rather sit and read a book 24/7 if I let him. Reading is great and I'm glad he is such a good reader, but I have tried every sport I can think of and he has no interest in sports. We do have dance dance revolution and he loves that. He likes to compete against me and that gets hime moving. So I am looking for something that will help get him moving. And if I can burn some extra calories myself thats just bonus!

Any suggestions?

edited to add: Setell, sounds like it might be a good choice. I think my other kids might enjoy it too. Its really cold and icy where I live and the kids tend to go stir crazy when they can't get outside as much. I'm not much into video games but like the stuff that gets me moving with my kids. I thought the wii fit might be a fun thing for my kids and I to do during those snowy super cold days or rainy days.

There are several options on amazon. I don't know which to get. there is wii fit, wii fit bundle, wii fit plus, wii fit with balance board. Any help on choosing?

edited again to add: My 13 year old actually enjoys using the treadmill and is responsible with it because they do it at school during gym and talk a lot about safety there with it. And my 10 year old likes to use the stationary bike.

Like I said, I'm not much into video games but when I play the wii with them, they love that so I thought the wii fit would be a fun addition to our games.

 

[tlh]

I personally think the wii fit is excellent for getting kids who love video games - but not neccesarily exercise - is a good way to get them on board if you will. I personally do not know a single person who has lost weight with one. Truth is if you dont love exercise - the video game isn''t going to make you start... and if you aren''t in the habbit of working out - it isn''t going to make any long term changes to your lifestyle or routine. I personally believe any modifications you can make to your lifestyle that you enjoy and don''t seem like a complete overhaul to your world can have some sticking power. So I''m all for it. But the truth is, the small changes don''t always have big results - or QUICK results - which is why most people give up.
Most machines use a 150 pound person to calculate how many calories are burned during the activity... so for example... a 150 person would burn -
51 calories jumping jacks for 10 minutes
135 calories riding a bike in 30 minutes
238 calories in a spin class for 30 mins
175 calories walking 2 miles in 30 mins
206 calories swimming for 30 mins
206 calories doing aerobics for 30 mins
288 calories running 2.5 miles in 30 mins.
I''d put the wii fit at around a low impact aerobics - (for a 150 pound person) at approx 200 calories every half hour of continuos activity. And every pound lost is 3,500 calories burned off... so 30 minutes of wii fit a day would help a person lose around 1/2 a pound a week. The only problem is a small glass of orange juice has about 120 calories - so just one extra large glass of juice could quickly obliterate those calories burned - so it would have to be a combination of diet AND exercise to see results.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your wii fit - if you get it. It would be a great way to bring activity into the house and get the whole family involved!

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 12/14/2009 9:30:04 AM
Author: tlh
I personally think the wii fit is excellent for getting kids who love video games - but not neccesarily exercise - is a good way to get them on board if you will. I personally do not know a single person who has lost weight with one. Truth is if you dont love exercise - the video game isn''t going to make you start... and if you aren''t in the habbit of working out - it isn''t going to make any long term changes to your lifestyle or routine. I personally believe any modifications you can make to your lifestyle that you enjoy and don''t seem like a complete overhaul to your world can have some sticking power. So I''m all for it. But the truth is, the small changes don''t always have big results - or QUICK results - which is why most people give up.
Most machines use a 150 pound person to calculate how many calories are burned during the activity... so for example... a 150 person would burn -
51 calories jumping jacks for 10 minutes
135 calories riding a bike in 30 minutes
238 calories in a spin class for 30 mins
175 calories walking 2 miles in 30 mins
206 calories swimming for 30 mins
206 calories doing aerobics for 30 mins
288 calories running 2.5 miles in 30 mins.
I''d put the wii fit at around a low impact aerobics - (for a 150 pound person) at approx 200 calories every half hour of continuos activity. And every pound lost is 3,500 calories burned off... so 30 minutes of wii fit a day would help a person lose around 1/2 a pound a week. The only problem is a small glass of orange juice has about 120 calories - so just one extra large glass of juice could quickly obliterate those calories burned - so it would have to be a combination of diet AND exercise to see results.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your wii fit - if you get it. It would be a great way to bring activity into the house and get the whole family involved!

Your post makes me excited to get it. Any suggestions on which one to buy? (We posted a the same time where I''m asking which bundle to buy on amazon.com)

 

[Smurfysmiles]

I''ve lost around 8 lbs since I started using it I love it!! I never ran before and now I''m running at least 15 minutes a day and doing the boxing usually gets a sweat out of me if I put the effort in. I was the type who couldn''t find an activity I enjoyed doing either like your son and would rather read a book But this got me going, it was like a game to see if I could improve my workout scores Hope this helps!

 

[anchor31]

I don''t use mine to lose weight (well, I might after the pregnancy!), but I love it. I find it a great and fun way to motivate myself to do some low-impact exercice daily without having to leave the comfort of my living room. My mother has experienced great progress on recovering strength and flexibility after a shoulder injury with it. Garanteed fun with the whole family too!

 

[setell]

Date: 12/14/2009 9:28:21 AM
Author: asscherisme

There are several options on amazon. I don''t know which to get. there is wii fit, wii fit bundle, wii fit plus, wii fit with balance board. Any help on choosing?

How much are you willing to spend? I only have the regular first generation wii fit balance board

but I would get the wii fit plus (supposely newer sensor than the older generation). The bundles are more so to get you to buy more and a deal type of thing vs buy them separately. As to the balance board, it''s what you step on to play. Wii fit technically is just the game. So make sure you check what it comes with! At the minimum the wii fit/wii fit plus game and wii fit balance board!

 

[Haven]

My mom has it and loves it. Prior to getting the wii Fit she did not work out at all. It doesn''t appear to be particularly challenging movement, but it''s great to see someone who was previously pretty sedentary actually doing something physical.

 

[asscherisme]

Date: 12/14/2009 11:46:27 AM
Author: Haven
My mom has it and loves it. Prior to getting the wii Fit she did not work out at all. It doesn''t appear to be particularly challenging movement, but it''s great to see someone who was previously pretty sedentary actually doing something physical.

How great it got her moving! I''m hoping it will have the same effect on my one sedentary child. He loves doing stuff with me so I thought it would be a fun thing to play after homework is done.


As for budget, I want to keep it under $75 but thats money I have to spend PLUS I have the $50 gift cert, so I have $125 to play with on amazon.com

 

[elrohwen]

I would definitely recommend going with the Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board option. The Plus effectively replaces the original game and offers more to do, so I think you''d regret not getting that one. As far as I understand it contains all of the original things that made Wii Fit so popular, plus new games and features. Also, if you had the original game, you could spend $20 to get the upgrade to the Plus version. Or, you could buy the Plus version right now for only $10 more. So for something you''d probably get anyway, you might as well only spend $10 more for it.

I''ll admit that I don''t own either, but Dh and I do play a lot of video games and read a lot of reviews, so I know enough to recommend the Plus over the original

And as someone else said, make sure you get the balance board because it''s a necessary part of the game really. They only offer it without for people who may have already bought the balance board to use with another game.

Here''s a review on IGN of the Wii Fit Plus that explains some of the things they''ve added since the original game:
http://wii.ign.com/articles/103/1031024p1.html

Have fun with it! I''ve played a few times with friends and I agree that it might not be a great way to lose weight, but if you''re just looking for a fun game to get your son off the couch (and something you could definitely do together) I think this is a good choice.

 

[tlh]

Date: 12/14/2009 9:36:14 AM
Author: asscherisme
Your post makes me excited to get it. Any suggestions on which one to buy? (We posted a the same time where I''m asking which bundle to buy on amazon.com)

No I don''t have any advice on it.. sorry, but I do know there are a lot of games for it that seem like a lot of fun.

I think the trick is to involve the kids w/ a game or games you think they''d like best... but have them do it WITH you... hey, wanna play xxx with me? sure gets a better response than "it is beautiful outside... go out and play."

Go and and play... what? If you aren''t giving suggestions but are just kicking them out of the house, the response isn''t really too grand... and sometimes playing catch or whatever, doesn''t seem too awesome when they have no interest... but playing frisbee might get a better response, because it is EASIER...

Anywho, best wishes, this sounds FUN!

 

[Tuckins1]

It''s fun, but it''s not a really intense workout. If you really want a great workout game for wii, try the wii active, or the gold''s gym game. Both actually make me sweat.