Bill Paley (mycroftca) wrote,
Bill Paley
mycroftca

I saw a news flash on the Yahoo webpage that was astonishing! It said that a Wii Fit only works to help your health if you use it! Stunning! News at 11!

The article quoted someone who stated that he didn't know a single person that was still using the mechanism after a month; it also described people who didn't even bother to set up the system. Well, we set it up first day, and I've weighed in every day, and only missed one day's exercise and on only five days have I had less than thirty minutes of exercise on it in well over 80 days. And you know what? I've been as much as fifteen pounds lighter, I'm walking in better balance, I'm walking stairs with more strength and less fatigue. Heck, old muscular damage in my back and shoulder stopped bothering me, after years of low-grade pain because I'm doing the yoga that's included in the mix of WiiFit exercises.

You see, if I was going to do this, it was a committment. I was going to make it a habit, or not bother to buy the damn thing. As it turns out, it is a habit; in fact, I'm uncomfortable if I miss out. I feel wrong when it happens, and in our busy lives, it DOES happen that sometimes I can't get back to do the exercises. The rest of the time, though, I make sure to put in my half hour, mixing up the exercises.

I guess I was irritated at Yahoo for posting this. I mean, I can understand that they would complain if folks were working under the impression that just owning the WiiFit system would make them lose weight, but I find it hard to believe that people don't understand that you have to put in the time to get the benefit. The article seemed to be written to leave the impression that Nintendo simply used the WiiFit as a means to sell more Wiis, and that this was underhanded. Well, it seems to me that plenty of technology sells better when there's a smash hit piece of hardware or software that's a must-have because it does something well that nothing else can do. Well, going to a gym and paying a trainer would work as well or better, but for those of us who can't manage that due to funds or time, then the WiiFit could be a means to get the exercise that we don't otherwise get.

So, yeah, if you don't work out, you don't get the health benefit. If you don't plug in the software, and stand on the balance board, then maybe it is a waste of your money.

But, I AM to be found on the balance board, daily, and as a case in point, the WiiFit disc is in the Wii constantly. We only occasionally remove it to put in other software to fiddle with. It's even rarer that I unplug the Wii from the TV to put on the PS2, and when I do, I quickly replace the Wii, so it's ready to go when we're ready to use it.

As far as I can see, it's the only way to go, if you want to get anywhere with the machine.
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