Reveiw: Wii Fit Plus

When I didn’t have a Wii, I didn’t really understand Wii Fit and how a video game could help you work out. Then I got a Wii for my birthday last year…then I understood the theory, but I didn’t really think I needed one. I walked to and from work at least 3 days a week, I got light exercise…so why did I need a video game that would give me the same thing? Fast forward a few months, and suddenly I was sitting in my house, with a newborn, and it was -10 degrees outside…now I NEEDED a WiiFit. So off to Target I went, and bought one last March.

When you buy the Wii Fit Plus package, you get the game and the balance board. Many other Wii games have started adding balance board support, so its a nice Wii accessory to have in itself. The balance board is about the size of a bathroom rug, and is low to the floor. If you’re lucky it will slide right under your entertainment center to store (I’m not that lucky, so mine stands on its side next to the TV). Its nice that, though its a piece of exercise equipment, it doesn’t take up half the room.

The Wii Fit comes with Yoga, Aerobic, Strength and Balance activities.  The yoga and strength training are common exercises/moves that they have slightly modified to take advantage of the feedback provided by the balance board or the wiimote. I’ve never been a ‘workout class’ person, and I usually give up on using videos at home because I never get feedback. Amazingly, the balance board is really able to help you correct posture and positioning. I actually feel like I’m doing yoga poses right. I’ve also talked with yoga people who say that though slightly modified to accommodate the input devices, the poses are accurate.

The aerobic and balance exercises are the fun part of Wii Fit Plus. There are 3 different groups. The aerobic exercises are where you find the step aerobics, running, rhythm boxing. I really like the rhythm boxing. Once you get the steps down, you really work up a sweat. The step aerobics is really basic, but good to get your heart rate up. If you just feel like doing some stepping, you can set it up so you can do steps for a certain amount of time, and then watch TV while you’re doing it (the wiimote gives you audio prompts). The balance games are what everyone has seen the most of on ads and videos. They are fun little games where the better balanced you are, the better you do. Wii Fit Plus added some combo activities over the first version, that are both balance and aerobic for a little bit more of a challenge. They also added biking, which is much more fun than running. There are a wide range of things to do, making it easy to keep from getting in an exercise rut.

My biggest complaint is the time it takes to switch between exercises. Really, it takes 45 minutes to do 30 minutes of exercise. With the release of Wii Fit plus its gotten a little faster because you can set up a workout. Although, I’m a little disappointed in the workouts, because they don’t allow you to add in balance games, or Wii Fit plus activities. You can only chain together yoga and strength training. But even that does shave off a little time, now I can set up my 15 minute yoga warmup then pick my aerobic and balance activities I want to do after that. I can’t wait  they fix the game where I can set up a 45 minute routine that will just roll through. To get around this, I use a site called Wiifitroutine.com. There you can create a routine in advance to printout. It will keep you from having to think too much and get overwhelmed with choices during your workout.

I’ve been really impressed with the Wii Fit since I got it. Its more of a fitness tool than I initially gave it credit for. I do need to use it more than I do, but that’s my own failing. The Wii Fit is easy for anyone to use. It is PERFECT for non-athletic people who just want to start working towards a fitness goal. Its a great way to start working exercise back into your life. I felt improvements in my posture and energy level right away after starting to use it. If you are trying to get back into shape from a mostly-sedentary lifestyle, the Wii Fit is a great place to start.

Mika is getting a Wii Fit too, so watch for our Wii Fit challenge coming soon!

Thanks for reading! Don’t miss a single review: Subscribe to our RSS feed, get us by email, follow us on twitter, or be our fan on Facebook.
This blog uses affiliate links within posts. To read more, view the terms and disclosure policy here.