I got it for the motivation factors of being able to have a work out routine at home. I hate the gym. I'm overly self-conscious and it really turns me off. I'd go if I could work out with my partner, but we keep opposite schedules a lot and so we discovered that wasn't going to work, and our midsections have taken note too.

Well, we've both lost weight. He's lost 8-10 lbs, and I've lost 5-7 lbs. I've built up noticeable muscles in my legs and thighs, triceps, pecs & shoulders, abs (!!) and definitely am slimming down and becoming decidedly less pear-shaped.

We both try to do a 1-2 hour workout every day. My typical workout includes almost all of the yoga poses, and most of the strength exercises (with expert level repitions,) including the Jacknife exercise/30 reps/twice each workout. I've even added some free weights to the Rowing Squats and Lunges to make it more difficult and work out more muscles. Add the super hula hoop for 10 minutes, plus a 30 minute run (while catching up on The Daily Show/Colbert Report on DVR) and 2 hours have flown and I'm completely drenched in sweat.

Once or twice a week, I do about half the yoga/strength exercises paired with the Hula Hoop and Run, but it's the everyday full routine, and the intensity of the workout that helps me burn calories and slim down.

As others have noted, if you just do the balance exercises or a few yoga poses, you're not burning many calories. I do the yoga because it safely warms up/stretches my body for the intense hula hooping and running later in the workout, and really lets me relax and get into the idea of working out -- something I have ALWAYS been loathe to do. But the Wii can give you a serious workout if you can commit to it. I actually look forward to working out and running, which my adolescent (and slimmer) self would have laughed at 15 years ago -- I seriously never thought I'd enjoy a fitness routine, but I'm a convert now.

Why hasn't this ended up on passiveaggressivenotes.com yet?

(Serious question 'cause I don't know)

@diasdiem:
Playing mario kart while riding an exercise bike is the best.

@Loias:
It can if they make it more like a tiebo video.

It is too slow and they need to make it fast paced and high intensity otherwise it is a waste of time.

I tried Wii fit. The problem is it is not high intensity.
They need to make as intense as a kickboxing or aerobics class otherwise it is worthless.

A friend told me that *her* Wii actually started nagging her about the other member of the household's not exercising, but I hope that's an urban legend....

I love the customizable workouts and being able to opt out of certain exercises but I wish they'd let you swap another exercise instead. Running triggers my asthma, but I can cardiobox just fine.

The only annoying things are the resistance band provides hardly any resistance (remedied by buying another one) and the nunchuck cord is super-annoying for the bent-over rows.

Oh, and someone needs to make a proper Wii step aerobics game STAT (yes, I know Wii Fit has one, but it's pretty lame).

@duncanblackthorne: If you have to put down the Wii Fit, you're playing it wrong.

It's a nice tokenist gesture and it gets lazy people moving, but... just go running. or use an elliptical if you have joint issues. It's not that hard for someone to get up to burning 500+ kCal an hour. That number even assumes you're not over 150.

Get a small MP3 player if you don't have one already, load it with motivational music, and get to it. If you want to be serious about your health at least. WiiFit might be SOME activity, but it's not going to be a truly eworthwhile cardio workout.

So move your lard asses and get a fit or pass me a pizza

The summer temp here is usually over 100, with high humidity, and at night might, if we're lucky, drop to 80?

1. PUT DOWN THE VIDEO GAME
2. GO OUTSIDE
3. MOVE MORE
4. EAT LESS
5. ????
6. PROFIT!

..all for the low, low price of: ESSENTIALLY FREE. Running shoes optional.

@james: I have to disagree on one point. There is nothing introductory about P90X. It's a very difficult workout program for advanced exercisers. But most DVDs are for beginners and as such, are introductory in nature.

But I completely agree that nothing is better than a trainer for showing you proper form. As long as they know what they are doing, as well.

I want a Wii Fit b/c it's so fun, not so that I can get exercise. If I want that, I'll take a nice long walk.

Furthermore, after my foot surgery, the balance games have been highly valuable to me in retraining my foot to support that side of my body. For instance, when I was first able to put any pressure on the bad foot at all, it felt like I was standing at about 50-50, but on the balance board with the tests I could see that I was really more like only 10% on the bad foot.

I was able to utilize my self-competitive mindset to nudge me into putting more pressure on the bad foot than I wanted to (which is important to do and what physical therapy forces). I had been excellent at the ball-table-game-thingy before the surgery so I pushed myself to get back to a decent point on that.

I've also been able to use it to report back to my podiatrist that I'm having trouble pushing to the upper outside corner on that side, which is something I wouldn't really know without the sensitivity of the board.

If you don't assume that it's equal to real exercise (and only a fool would), it's still something that can be a lot of fun and have unexpected value elsewhere. Frankly, I think physical therapy offices should all have one!

Now if they'd only come out with more very-little-kid-friendly games for the balance board...4-year-old hands can't adequately grasp the remote to press all the buttons.

@subtlefrog: I have a Nintendo DS Lite, and I have "Brain Age" on it.. it does the same thing, like the lil guy will act like he's sleeping and "Ohh.. I didn't see you there. Who are you again?!"

He will also tattle on others by saying, "You know, I haven't seen Mr. Aroo for a while. I get lonley when people don't come around anymore."

Wait, does this mean Wii Golf won't improve my drive?

@pot_roast: I don't know if the wii fit will do it, but balance and balance based workouts can work your core/stabilizers pretty well

@subtlefrog: After a little bit of time not using it, did it call you the wrong name? mine did, the little, flat bastard.

Reminds me... I need to start jumping rope again...

@AstroPig7: I don't know that we needed research to tell us that the Wii fit isn't the greatest work out ever, but it has to beat just sitting there playing Halo.

Waste of money this research was. If it gets people to actually move in some way, its better than nothing at all.

This is sort of old news. Which isn't to take anything away from this story, but I think it's been known for awhile that Wii Fit really doesn't do much. But it's fun.

I personally had better results playing DDR. Yeah...

But at the very least, it's SOME exercise and it's fun. It's probably caused a lot of people to get way more exercise than they were before and I don't see that as a bad thing at all.

Did anyone really think a glorified scale/mat was going to do a better job than traditional exercise techniques?

@TheWillow: Totally agree. Additionally, jump squats followed by rollerblading made me realize some of the programmers as EA are just sadistic @$$holes!!!

@PsiCop: The boxing is awesome! I'm definitely working up a sweat after a few rounds.

Also even though the game itself isn't that physically exerting, the bowling gets me huffy and puffy with all the cheering and trash talk involved.

@subtlefrog: LOL. It. Is. On.

Word.

PS. Imagining his effeminate wrist flicks when playing Wii boxing is HILLARIOUS. And you can tell him I said so.

It's a glorified bathroom scale with fun minigames, and that's all.

So I'm throwing punches and trying to beat the snot out of him, he's giving these effeminate little flicks of the wrist and damned if he doesn't win every time - because his recover time is faster.

But, if we're ever in a dark alley and have to box our way out, I am SO on.

If it makes you feel any better, nearly every one of the fitness devices you see being sold on TV are useless crud, most of them having "abs" in the name, but being devices that merely work the hip flexors, and not the abs.

The PX-90 tapes and DVDs are decent intros, but nothing beats getting a trainer to teach you proper "form", as a workout helps very little if you are "doing it wrong".

I like using it as a supplement, my 30+ minutes of Wii Fit are better than the no+ minutes I would be doing most days after work.

I still use Wii Fit (and now Wii Fit Plus) mainly for some of the games (Snowball Fight and Rhythm Kung Fu are fun) and the yoga moves (about 10 minutes of that usually cures my lower back pain without needing aspirin).

I'm embarrassed to admit my arms/shoulders were sore for like 3 days after we got a Wii at work...I consider myself to be in shape and the boxing IS a workout!

No, it is not as good as a "proper" exercise regime, but if it gets my wife to "work out" for 15 minutes a day and she feels good about it, it is good enough.

I should also point out that the Wii Fit and Wii Sports is great for older people to get them to do ROM (Range Of Motion) excercises which are simply exercises to keep your joints from atrophying. Even Patients/Residents that are wheelchair bound can do these things. Every little bit helps.

@smonk: It's true. If it is getting someone up and active, then it's great. For some people, Wii Fit may be the motivation to engage in even more activity, just like you said.

As long as people realize that Wii Fit is not the end all to all exercise programs, it's all good. There's always my kickboxing class. ;-)

NooOOooooOOO!

I imagine that it's better than nothing (for someone that does no exercise), but besides that...... IT'S FUN!

I actually lost 8lbs from the wii fit. I was doing the exercises, which probably helped me lose a few, but it motivated me to run a bit with my dog and eat better.

So whatever works, works. Right?

I have a Wii but not the Wii Fit.. and I'm amazed with how much of a workout the boxing seems to really be. You really get into it because you want to beat the crap out of the other player.. and before you know it you're huffing and puffing and sweating.

Or atleast that's how it goes at my house.

I'm sure it's not a workout at all for someone who is already in shape though.

I figure it's better than doing aerobics with the freaky chicks with ponytails already on the TV.