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| Every day more people relocate from surrounding cities to this lovely area we call home. Within minutes we can see farm fields, town squares, sparkling blue lakes or first-class resorts, spas and shopping. I’ve lived in Walworth County for 11 y... |
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| True | Fitness |
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| Written by Denise Schultz | |||||||
| Sunday, 10 May 2009 12:15 | |||||||
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True|Fitness – Wii Fit™ – We Will Be Chances are if you don’t have a Nintendo© Wii™ (pron. “we”) game system in your home, you probably know someone who does. When the buzz started about this wireless game console several years ago, it had zero effect on my life. Another generation of another gaming system…  Nintendo did happen to sell over 20 million of these units in the first year, and it became the item everyone wanted and no one could find. The basic game system is a small console which uses a wireless remote and is usually packaged with at least one game disc at a retail price of approximately $249.After one visit to his sister’s house to see family members of all ages engaged in fun physical activity, my husband was off to the store to buy the Wii system for our 5-year old son. Because we were a little behind the trend, it wasn’t too difficult to find one and they were actively playing baseball, tennis, golf and bowling by the time the wrapping paper was cleaned up on Christmas morning. Having raised three older sons I had pretty much become immune to video games, but I did notice a difference this time. Rather than sitting in front of the TV pushing buttons hypnotically for hours, these guys were moving all around the living room, actually interacting with one another! There were times I wasn’t sure whether the father or the son was enjoying it more. The big brothers visits began to last a little longer, and Mom was getting pulled in. Soon I also began to notice the diversity of the people talking about the Wii Fit game in particular. First my sister-in-law mentioned how pleased she was that her two preschool boys were doing so well on the balance games and staying active in the winter. Then our webmaster Georgia Stewart told me how much she was enjoying the yoga and strength training, particularly the positive feedback and encouragement she received as she progressed. My son Adam, an athlete focused on physical training mentioned the Wii Sports games and Wii Fit were being used in schools, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and more with increasing popularity. It seemed people of all ages and activity levels were enjoying the benefits of the new phenomenon. Finding a Wii Fit game (a patented balance board and software retailing at approximately $89) became the next challenging treasure hunt  when Nintendo sold over 14 million copies within months of its release. When I was making another electronic purchase and happened upon one in early February, I took it as a sign and purchased it on the spot. I’d known for a long time I’ve needed to incorporate more physical activity in my life, and being able to do it in the privacy and convenience of my own living room was a huge factor. My very first experience was not exactly a positive one. It seems that when the Wii Fit balance board is positioned backwards, it does not do good things for the balance measurements, nor the confidence level of the new user! Once I realized my kindergartener wasn’t necessarily the technical expert I had credited him to be and I rotated the board around, I was feeling much better about myself with positive feedback from the system and soon not only enjoying daily 30-minute workouts, but often being reminded by the Wii Fit “you have exceeded 30 minutes - you should take a break and drink some water…” How nice. How surprising for me! I was not watching the minutes on the clock, but actually enjoying step classes, hula hoop, and more! Wii Fit includes one disc with 48 activities, beginning with basic moves which accumulate “Fit Credits” that allow users to unlock more advanced exercises as we progress. There are four categories of physical training – Yoga (for balance and flexibility), Strength Training (muscle-toning), Aerobics (interactive and heart pumping), and Balance Games (fun and engaging). The goal is a core workout focused on controlled movements. It’s not a substitute for other activities and fresh air, but certainly has gotten me moving again. I know I’m walking a little taller and working with more clarity as a result of the daily workouts.An on-screen trainer (the user selects male or female) provides interactive tips and encouragement throughout all activities. The balance board itself is represented as a comical icon which also provides instruction and feedback. You’d be surprised how rewarding it can be. Each person using the game system is represented by a Mii™ (pron. “me”) which is custom designed by choosing everything from body type, hair color and style to facial features and clothing. Progress is then tracked on a convenient calendar and daily Body Tests measure balance, weight, agility and more. The only female in the family, mine is the only one that is password protected, a feature I appreciate. Several live personal trainers we’ve discussed this with caution against being too concerned with the BMI results (Body Mass Index) as it is a very generic formula not taking muscle mass and other details into consideration. Overall, personal trainers support the use of Wii as something that encourages physical activity, even as a supplement to other exercise routines. As with any activity, they suggest consulting expert advice to avoid injury or overexertion. We will be sponsoring upcoming workshops with these professionals available for consultations. Wondering where you can get started? I recently visited The Game Stop in Delavan, where store manager Ryan was extremely helpful, and noted they not only have Wii game systems in stock, but also have the Wii Fit games as well. The staff is well-informed and courteous. Ryan also shared the news that industry giant EA Sports will be releasing an advanced game for use with the Wii Fit balance board on May 19 (2009 – uh oh, another sign, that’s my birthday!) Ryan invites our readers to stop in and learn more. Also - watch our web site for upcoming demonstrations. Nintendo© and Wii™ are obviously owned and trademarked by Nintendo America. Please consider any necessary disclaimers here. | |||||||
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| Last Updated on Sunday, 10 May 2009 12:24 | |||||||
