Three days with Wii Fit: GeekMom’s review

I have been looking forward to getting my feet on the WiiFit balance board for months, and my early pre-order paid off when it was delivered on Wednesday. (Oh, how I love seeing that UPS man strolling up the sidewalk with a big Amazon box in his arms!)

I’ve been using it for three days, and here are my impressions so far…

Set-up is easy

From box to playtime, it took about 5 minutes. The hardest part (and it’s not really hard) is finding the sync buttons on the board and the Wii console. Once they start talking to each other, it’s just like playing any other game. Watch the screen and follow the instructions.

Don’t take it personally

My family knew how excited I was to finally get the WiiFit, and they gathered around while I took the first turn. We started up the “game,” and I got on the board to create my WiiFit profile. I didn’t know that the WiiFit was going to calculate my BMI and call me a fatty in front of my audience! Okay, it didn’t actually say “fatty,” but be warned that it will collect data including your height, age, and weight. It will calculate your BMI, and show you where that lands you on a scale from underweight to obese.

I was particularly sad when the WiiFit version of my mii went *poof* and became chubby, to match my BMI. Oh well… It’s not personal; it’s mathematical.

Exercise games are really fun

I’m not the kind of girl who enjoys going to a class and getting sweaty with lots of other people. I prefer going for walks by myself, especially in the cool morning or evening air. However, it’s hard for me to make time for that, I don’t always feel safe walking alone, and I hate mosquitoes.

The WiiFit exercises really are like games, and after just one 20 minute session, I could feel it in my muscles. I love that I don’t have to go anywhere to get a little exercise, and it’s more fun than our old treadmill. And no mosquitoes!

Ski racing, ski jumping, stability trials, yoga, calisthenics, jogging, and step-aerobics are some of the games we’ve played so far. There’s also hula-hooping — which is so far my best event! I knew these hips were good for something! Watch out for swiveling badunkadunk!

Seeing results after three days

I’ve been having so much fun doing the exercises, that it’s been effortless to accumulate 20 minutes of activity each day! I’ve recovered from my initial feelings of resentment toward my WiiFit (for calling me fat), and now love the built-in weight and BMI tracking features. My muscles feel good, and my weight and BMI are trending downhill on my WiiFit chart. Yippee!

Unlockable games and features keep it fresh

As you accumulate minutes in your WiiFit Bank (looks like a digital piggy bank), you unlock new games and features. My kids and I get really excited when we get new games! We’ve already unlocked a more advanced Super Hula Hoop game.

Buy it if you can find it…

From what I’ve heard, the WiiFit is hard to find in stock anywhere, including online. If you find one, grab it!