Hold off on that gym membership!

Posted at 1:15 PM on January 2, 2008 by Sanden Totten (3 Comments)

When it comes to making New Year's resolutions, I like to keep it simple. This year my resolution was to finally see The Simpsons Movie . . . which I did . . . a full day before New Year's. Check and done!

But if you are one of those people who are slightly more ambitious about the New Year than I, achieving your goal may be a little tougher. Well, the Nintendo folks have a new product out to help people make good on one common New Year's resolution: getting fit.

Taking the idea of making everyday activities into games where you don't have to leave your house and going one step further, Nintendo now lets you skip the gym all together. Meet WiiFit. It's a new Wii game that programs exercise and balance training into your daily life. WiiFit has stretching, push-ups even WiiYoga.

Of course, just buying a Nintendo Wii console costs about the same as a 6 month membership at your local YWCA. And truthfully, these games don't look all that strenuous . . . but then again, there is an upside to WiiFit. No one will see you in your neon colored exercise tights, you can do your training at odd hours and being able to stay inside during months like January and February does have it's benefits. Just be sure to wear your socks when using the Wii balancing board. Athlete's foot is one part of the gym experience best left out of the home.

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Comments (3)

There was a summer and part of a fall in college when my main workout routine was Dance Dance Revolution. Worked out pretty well physically, and it was a lot more fun than anything I've done in a gym. My downstairs neighbors hated my guts, though.

Unfortunately, first my pad broke and then my PlayStation broke, so that's not really been an option anymore. Now I've taken up swimming, but it just doesn't seem to have the same feel.

Posted by Robert Fischer | January 2, 2008 4:53 PM

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Hmmm . . . it may be a while before Nintendo releases a Wii-Swimming game. But that Wii pad looks just like a stairmaster . . . there could be some good calisthenic programs down the line. Soon gamers will have the nicest gluteal and calf muscles of them all.

Posted by Sanden Totten | January 2, 2008 5:24 PM

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If a WiiYoga participant holds the tree pose for a good five minutes without falling, but there is no one there to see it, do they lose a pound?

Posted by Elizabeth | January 21, 2008 7:55 PM

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