The trick to sticking with an exercise program is finding one that is not only fun, but also offers visible results. The Wii Fit Plus provides these benefits along with allowing you to work out anytime from the comfort of your home. Using all the features available will boost your chances of succeeding with your fitness goals.
Wii Fit Plus Workout Tips
As editor for LoveToKnow Exercise, Nintendo loaned me a Wii Fit Plus to try out. As a group fitness instructor, I know what makes a good workout routine and I enjoy a challenging workout. The Wii Fit Plus system offers both while also managing to feel more like a game than exercise.
After using the system extensively, I consider this an excellent option for both the novice exerciser and seasoned fitness enthusiast alike. Highly customizable and very user-friendly, the Wii Fit Plus can become an important part of your exercise program. Use the tips provided here to make the most of this system.
Customize Your Wii Fit Plus
The Wii Fit Plus gives you the option to create a personalized "Mii," which is an avatar that represents you within all Nintendo games. When creating your Mii, don't skip the Wii Fit Plus steps of gathering your body mass index (BMI), height, and checking your balance. These initial statistics will do a few things for you:
- Accurate beginning statistics will show you progress as you continue to use the system.
- The system will calculate and provide you with a calorie burn estimate after each activity.
- You will be able to watch your "Wii Age" go down as your fitness level improves.
Allow the Wii Fit Plus to snap a photo of your face when you first begin too, as you can refer back to this later to see tangible evidence of weight loss.
During the intial set-up you can set goals, such as a certain amount of weight loss in a specific time period. Utilizing this option as this will help the system craft a personalized workout plan for you. Update your goals as they change.
Use the System Consistently
Use the Wii Fit Plus frequently; once a day is a great goal and is one that is easily met as long as you think of the time spent using this system as fun. Thirty minutes a day is a great starting point and is the minimum amount of physical activity suggested by the Mayo Clinic. If you can't set aside thirty minutes at a time, break the time into smaller chunks throughout the day, equalling thirty minutes overall.
If you're a beginning exerciser, pay attention to how your body feels. As you consistently use the Wii Fit Plus you will likely notice you feel less winded and can go for longer periods of time. Work toward an hour of Wii Fit Plus time every day.
Don't overuse the Wii Fit Plus. It may be tempting to spend hour upon hour on this system, but if you overdo it in the beginning you risk injury, especially if it's been a while since you were physically active.
While using the Wii Fit Plus:
- Drink plenty of water during and after your session.
- Be mindful of how your body feels; if something hurts, stop doing it.
- Pay attention to the cues on the screen as they are designed to help you with positioning and pace.
Add Variety to Your Workout Routine
One of the best things about the Wii Fit Plus is that it offers a huge variety of activities while managing to make most of them seem more like games than exercise. Activities are broken down into categories, so you can choose if you'd rather do yoga, strength training or aerobic exercise. Utilize the categories so you know what type of activity you're doing.
Mix up your workouts. Strive for variety while also challenging yourself.
A good weekly schedule to follow might look like this:
- Aerobic exercise three days a week
- Yoga once or twice a week
- Strength training twice a week
Strength training and aerobic exercise can be done on the same days, or you can choose to keep them on separate days. You can choose to take full rest days in-between, or instead do light exercise (such as yoga) on rest days to allow your body time to recover from aerobic and strength training.
Try all the games! You may be surprised by which games you wind up really enjoying.
Consider Add-On Accessories
Some of the games require additional controllers or accessories that are not included within the initial package, while other games have optional accessories that are designed to take the game to another level.
- The Wii Fit Meter is a good investment, as you can wear this throughout the day and add your activity to your Mii profile. This is a great way to get a better view of your daily activities beyond what you do with the Wii Fit Plus at home.
- Tennis rackets, golf clubs and baseball bats are just some of the accessories you can buy to give games a boost of realism.
It's a good idea to try out all the games first and see which accessories you should invest in; there is no need to buy every available accessories before trying the system. If you feel as though a particular game would be better with an accessory, it's likely worth it to make the purchase to help keep you motivated.
Take Safety Precautions
Take a few safety precautions to ensure you can enjoy the system without injury.
- Use your Wii Fit Plus system in a room where there is ample space.
- Wear supportive footwear when necessary. For example, the "free run" game requires running in place for extended periods of time and this should not be done barefoot.
- Take breaks from looking at the screen every twenty minutes or so to avoid eye strain.
Listen to your body. You want to push your body to the point of change, but not to the point of pain or injury.
A Fun Workout
This game system can be a lot of fun. More importantly, it can be a challenging workout and you can certainly see results if you work at it consistently. If you get bored with working out or don't care for going to the gym, the Wii Fit Plus is a particularly good option for you as you'll get a fun workout without leaving your house. Even if you haven't worked out in years, this system is a good way to get started.
