Wii Fit as part of a legitimate exercise program?

[naddicott]

Just for reference, I've been mostly sedentary since College, but my Wife and I go on walks 2-3 times a week, and I have been blessed with a metabolism that put my BMI right on the "ideal" mark when I started up Wii Fit yesterday. I could care less about muscle mass, but being stronger would be nice (eg. doing multiple push-ups without having to rest on my knees). We also own a treadmill/clothes hanger that could be used for legitimate at-home cardio workouts (wife uses it some, I tried it a whole 1x).

A big drawback to Wii fit my wife and I encountered yesterday was that for the ~50 minutes of activities we actually participated in, we spent 2 hours total in-game. Now some of that was initial intake and weighing, but the menu navigation overhead is a pain.

I figure what might help is to eventually have an activity plan ahead of time, to minimize time futzing about in menus, so I'm starting to look for "workout plan" resources for Wii Fit.

The best overview I've found so far is this post from the GameFAQs forums:

So there's a lot of people looking for a way to really make this thing a home exercise machine. Here's the basic message, "you can!" Here is a very basic exercise FAQ for people that will help them safely use this product and get into better physical shape.

1. Forget about the balance games.

They are games meant for fun. They are not exercise.

2. Consider your physical limitations.

Typical people looking to lose weight are naturally not in peak condition nor are they accustomed to regular exercise. Putting 30 minutes into that cute piggy-bank per workout IS ENOUGH FOR AN EFFECTIVE WORKOUT. That should translate into about an hour of play time considering the breaks in between. Excessive exercise will hurt you and you'll be laid up with muscle pains for a day or two. That = less activity = less potential weight loss.

3. Six sessions per week.

Push it hard like you mean it people, your body can handle it as long as....

4. Make sure you alternate one day for cardio, and the next day for strength training.

Three days a week of cardiovascular exercise is enough for anyone. The same goes for abdominal exercises, throw those into whatever days you want. The three day limit on strength training is necessary to give your muscles time to repair themselves, which is the means by which they grow stronger.

5. Yoga everyday.

It is a fantastic warm-up. I love yoga to death. I'd go 5-10 minutes of piggy-bank yoga per workout. You can do a little bit for a cooldown too. Don't be discouraged if you can't do the forms correctly, it takes a lot of practice for everybody. Some move will literally be impossible for you depending on the length of your legs or torso, so don't do those... you'll hurt yourself.

6. Strength training is really hard.

The pushups will blast your arms the way the game makes you do them... for serious. Some people like to mix up different muscle groups on each workout, i.e. arms one day, legs the next, etc. I prefer to hit every major muscle group in one go. The pushups and the lunges work well so far for me. Keep in mind that you can't get a super muscle bod with the movements the game has, so the best you can hope for is more strength and a toned look, which isn't too shabby.

7. Cardio is too easy in the game.

For cardiovascular fitness, the best exercises are those that work many large muscle groups at once. Running in place doesn't cut it; however, with the mechanics of the running game, you can do some amazing things to really burn up some calories as long as you have that remote somewhere secure. Jumping jacks, crosshops, knee-lifts, front-kicks, etc. Mix it up a little. That boxing game looks effective as well, just make sure you're getting your heart-rate up. Whula-hoop is a waste, but fun, same with step... good cool-downs though.

8. Diet

The best overall way to lose weight is cutting calories, eating healthy and exercising. You've heard it all before: no sugar soda, no more fast food, salad salad salad... I hate dieting too, but for people looking to lose weight it is a necessary part of the process.

9. One week out of every 4-6 weeks should be a Yoga week.

Just do yoga for 30 piggy-bank minutes for 6 days straight. Maybe throw in a little bit of cardio and strength training. This is very good for letting your body repair itself.

10. You'll hate it and want to quit.

This is the hardest part of losing weight and getting in shape. It usually occurs at around day 30-60 of a three month program. This part is up to you. Starting a fitness routine with a group of friends is the best way to keep it up, as you can motivate each other.

I like the general yoga every day, strength/cardio on alternating days outline. I'm going to try winging it with 20-30 minutes of "piggy bank" time per day until I've unlocked more activities and then try actually mapping out some longer term plans to reduce wasted menu time. I suspect I'll end up keeping serious cardio as an external activity (outdoor walking / treadmill) that gets logged in the Wii charts manually.

Is anyone else considering making Wii Fit a legitimate part of their fitness plans? If so, how are you approaching it?

 

[RagingBITCH]

Legitimate? No, depending on your definition of legitimate. I think it might be a good starting step at best to get you motivated to keep yourself in shape, but I cringe at the thought of someone using this as their sole method/form of excercise. Do you really lack that much motivation that you have to play a video game to stay in shape?

 

[purbeast0]

i lol'ed at this ...

The pushups will blast your arms the way the game makes you do them... for serious. Some people like to mix up different muscle groups on each workout, i.e. arms one day, legs the next, etc. I prefer to hit every major muscle group in one go. The pushups and the lunges work well so far for me. Keep in mind that you can't get a super muscle bod with the movements the game has, so the best you can hope for is more strength and a toned look, which isn't too shabby.

didn't realize your arms are 1 muscle group

and yea, doing pushups and lunges will really give you that toned look all over your body you've always wanted!

 

[naddicott]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH
Legitimate? No, depending on your definition of legitimate. I think it might be a good starting step at best to get you motivated to keep yourself in shape, but I cringe at the thought of someone using this as their sole method/form of excercise. Do you really lack that much motivation that you have to play a video game to stay in shape?

My definition of legitimate is something an exercise physiologist endorses for "lazy folks" in the NYT:

THE FITNESS PROFESSIONAL

Sharone Huey, 51, an exercise physiologist at the Sports Center at Chelsea Piers, spent the most time with Wii Fit. Over two days, she watched most other sessions and spent at least two and a half hours with the system herself.

Her initial skepticism evolved into a somewhat surprised admiration.

?Actually I think it?s pretty good,? she said. ?You can definitely get a workout. When I started doing it, I realized all the activities were pretty much on point. There were some things I didn?t like, like the alignment in a couple of places. But over all, I thought they did a good job and this will be a good tool for people who can?t make it to the gym.?

?I can see this in a seniors center or senior community and it would be very interesting to be able to set up a whole class of people on boards, tracking their progress,? said Ms. Huey, who reigned supreme as the week?s hula-hoop champion.

?The big thing is so many people buy a treadmill or some other exercise machine and in two weeks it becomes an expensive clothes rack,? she said. ?This makes exercise fun and I think it will help to motivate a lot of lazy folks.?

Among them, potentially other members of the Huey family. ?I?ll get this for my lazy sisters,? she said.

BOTTOM LINE Watch for the Chelsea Piers Wii Fit class coming soon (maybe, just maybe).

And yes, when my metabolism doesn't really let me put on weight despite horrible lifestyle habits, motivation is an issue. Over the years I've dumped a couple thousand in gym fees to gyms that I actually visited maybe 4-5 times combined over the various membership periods. If I get in the habit at home, and want to start adding weights or worrying about tone/appearance, I could see giving a local gym another shot. Short of evidence of changed habits, however, a regular gym membership is simply a black hole for my money in my eyes.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: naddicott
Is anyone else considering making Wii Fit a legitimate part of their fitness plans? If so, how are you approaching it?

I think any exercise is better than no exercise. Most people I know do "no exercise", so if you actually stick with it then it will definitely benefit you. As far as the diet plan goes, I suggest this one to everyone looking to improve their diet:

http://www.anthonycatanzaro.com/dietplans.html

"Salad, salad, salad" my eye. If you're starving yourself then you're doing it wrong. The tricks are pretty much (1) eat 6 meals a day, (2) eat small meals, and (3) eat healthy food. That keeps your energy up and good fuel going into your body all day, every day. My diet plan has steak, chicken, tuna, turkey, etc., and I don't feel like I'm missing anything. Diet is 80% of the equation if you want to get in shape, lose weight, feel good, have high energy, etc. Of course, no one wants to hear that because they want to get pumped about about exercising instead (which is only 20% of the equation!)

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: naddicott
Diet is 80% of the equation if you want to get in shape, lose weight, feel good, have high energy, etc. Of course, no one wants to hear that because they want to get pumped about about exercising instead (which is only 20% of the equation!)

er, diet may be 80% of the equation for weight loss or weight gain... but i think you're really overestimating it's effects on everything else. being in "shape", such as cardio fitness, strength, etc has very little to do with dieting and a whole lot to do with exercise. you could eat a perfect diet all your life, but if you NEVER get exercise, you are going to be a long way from being "in shape". as for "feeling good" and having "high energy", those are affected by a whole bunch of things: sleep, stress levels, physical fitness, personality, etc. diet is part of it, but not 80% of it

anyways, to the OP: doing just about anything is better than nothing. if this is what it takes to get you to do exercise, then without a doubt, go for it. at the least, this will get your heart pumping and use some muscles, which is always a good thing. who knows, maybe it'll even give you some motivation to take it further and do more effective forms of exercise (running, swimming, biking, sports, strength training, etc).

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: brikis98

Originally posted by: naddicott
Diet is 80% of the equation if you want to get in shape, lose weight, feel good, have high energy, etc. Of course, no one wants to hear that because they want to get pumped about about exercising instead (which is only 20% of the equation!)

er, diet may be 80% of the equation for weight loss or weight gain... but i think you're really overestimating it's effects on everything else. being in "shape", such as cardio fitness, strength, etc has very little to do with dieting and a whole lot to do with exercise. you could eat a perfect diet all your life, but if you NEVER get exercise, you are going to be a long way from being "in shape". as for "feeling good" and having "high energy", those are affected by a whole bunch of things: sleep, stress levels, physical fitness, personality, etc. diet is part of it, but not 80% of it

Go eat McDonalds, work out, and then run a marathon. Lemme know how that works out

Unless you're somehow genetically gifted, I think that diet has a huge part in physique and health. I've changed my diet from crappy to good and only exercised 10-15 minutes a day and have lost about 25 pounds over the last couple months. Also, I didn't say "never" exercise, I said 80% diet, 20% workout. If you exercise a lot but eat like crap, it's not going to give you same the benefits as exercising and eating good, at least from what I've seen and experienced. The people I've seen - in real life - make the most improvements are those who have a good diet coupled with an exercise routine. It's like lifting weights but not structuring your diet to include protein like whey shakes, steak, chicken, and tuna.

So yes, I think that diet has 80% effect on weight loss, weight gain, cardio, and strength - pretty much any health-related activity you try to tackle. I don't know anyone who eats like a slob then hits the gym and has stellar results. Also, to clarify "feeling good" and "high energy": you can feel good or feel like crap. Some people are more sensitive than others on this. For me, when I eat like crap I feel like crap. If I eat good, my body feels much better - no acid reflux, no stomach problems, etc. As far as "high energy" goes, I'm not talking about a sugar-high kind of energy, I'm talking about low energy vs. high energy. If you don't eat for a day or two, your energy will drop, and for most people if you don't eat will the same thing will happen. If you eat good consistently, all day long, your energy will be high because you will have proper fuel for your body. That's what I mean by feeling good and having high energy.

 

[brikis98]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Go eat McDonalds, work out, and then run a marathon. Lemme know how that works out

Uh, ok, lets play this game:

* I'll eat a pretty crappy diet, but jog every other day for several years
* You eat a PERFECT diet, but never do a bit of exercise in your life.

now, go lets both go run a marathon and see what happens. how far you think you'll make it before you start vomiting tofu all over the place?

Originally posted by: Kaido
Unless you're somehow genetically gifted, I think that diet has a huge part in physique and health. I've changed my diet from crappy to good and only exercised 10-15 minutes a day and have lost about 25 pounds over the last couple months.

I did not, in any way, say diet is not an important part. in fact, i specifically said that, in terms of weight management, it probably is 80% of the equation. but I also said it is NOT 80% in terms of cardio fitness and strength. in that case, it's probably flipped - 20% diet and 80% exercise.

average it out, and you get the much more reasonable equation: being "healthy" is 50% diet and 50% exercise. in reality though, these numbers are completely meaningless and a balance of diet + exercise is what counts. i only brought this up to make sure that exercise wasn't diminished in importance.

Originally posted by: Kaido
Also, I didn't say "never" exercise, I said 80% diet, 20% workout. If you exercise a lot but eat like crap, it's not going to give you same the benefits as exercising and eating good, at least from what I've seen and experienced. The people I've seen - in real life - make the most improvements are those who have a good diet coupled with an exercise routine.

well, duh

Originally posted by: Kaido
It's like lifting weights but not structuring your diet to include protein like whey shakes, steak, chicken, and tuna.

Many people, especially beginners, can make fantastic improvements with weight lifting with only an average diet. They can also make enormous improvements by just doing cardio with only an average diet. Obviously, a good diet helps and a bad diet can impede your progress, but neither will be "80%" of the equation.

Originally posted by: Kaido
So yes, I think that diet has 80% effect on weight loss, weight gain, cardio, and strength - pretty much any health-related activity you try to tackle. I don't know anyone who eats like a slob then hits the gym and has stellar results.

Just to beat a dead horse: I don't know anyone who eats a perfect diet but never exercises who has stellar results.

moreover, i'd say your cardio and strength can be excellent, even with a mediocre diet. through out college, i was in ridiculous shape from weight lifting, hockey and walking all over campus all day. however, i ate like a total slob, from greasy take out food to dining hall junk. would i have been slightly leaner had i kept a good diet? sure.

would i have been anywhere near as healthy if i had JUST kept a good diet and didn't do any sports? not even close.

Originally posted by: Kaido
Also, to clarify "feeling good" and "high energy": you can feel good or feel like crap. Some people are more sensitive than others on this. For me, when I eat like crap I feel like crap. If I eat good, my body feels much better - no acid reflux, no stomach problems, etc. As far as "high energy" goes, I'm not talking about a sugar-high kind of energy, I'm talking about low energy vs. high energy. If you don't eat for a day or two, your energy will drop, and for most people if you don't eat will the same thing will happen. If you eat good consistently, all day long, your energy will be high because you will have proper fuel for your body. That's what I mean by feeling good and having high energy.

well, that's fair enough. starving people aren't too high energy

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: brikis98
Just to beat a dead horse: I don't know anyone who eats a perfect diet but never exercises who has stellar results.

That's my point as well - gotta eat good, gotta exercise for the best results. You do have a good point though, even a mediocre diet can work for many people. Even a crappy diet can for some people, like that 101-year-old guy who drinks before running and smokes while doing marathons. Not that I'm jealous...or anything...nope...

 

[TallBill]

You don't need a game to do pushups.

 

[onlyCOpunk]

The game isn't going to help. It's there make lazy people feel better about themselves.

I would say if you like Yoga then do that. Why don't you and your wife find a Yoga studio and do that?

I really enjoy Yoga. Although I don't do it for muscular or cardiovascular gains. But I do it everyday for an hour and a half. I'm not a huge guy, but I recently went to a big workshop taught by the guy who created the style I practice and he was built like a rugby player, yet could do things with his body that would shock and amaze. I mean how many people do you know that can go from standing splits to a handstand and stay there for 30 minutes while carrying on a conversation?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: TallBill
You don't need a game to do pushups.

Yeah, but if it motivates you why not?

 

[gramboh]

I agree with Brikis on this point, a diet is key for weight loss/control and it impacts your health, but without training you will not be in good cardiovascular condition or increase your strength (note diet play a role in those as well, e.g. eating McDonalds diet and not exercising is worse cardiovascularly than eating a healthy diet and no execise, but you have to train).

As far as Wii Fit, if it gets sedentary people moving their bodies around, it's a good thing, hopefully they enjoy the feeling of getting a workout and it motivates them to investigate other methods of training be it running, weightlifting, outdoor pursuits etc. I'm not going to bother picking it up myself.

 

[irishScott]

Pfffft. DDR FTMFW!

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: gramboh
I agree with Brikis on this point, a diet is key for weight loss/control and it impacts your health, but without training you will not be in good cardiovascular condition or increase your strength (note diet play a role in those as well, e.g. eating McDonalds diet and not exercising is worse cardiovascularly than eating a healthy diet and no execise, but you have to train).

Once again I never said "no exercise", just that diet is a bigger key to health than exercise is - but you need both!

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: irishScott
Pfffft. DDR FTMFW!

That stuff wears you out! I have it for Xbox (although I'm terrible at it) and it really does give you a good workout if you go through a few songs quickly.