How My Nintendo Wii Helps Me Get Fit

Since I started working from home, I began to notice I had gained weight. This is a common story for people who work from home, but I didn't realize just how much weight I had put on until I saw a horrifying photograph of myself from New Year's Eve. At the time, I thought I looked fine. Perhaps a bit chubbier than usual but it wasn't until I saw the photographic evidence that I knew it was time to do something about it.

Trying to lose weight and get fit is always a challenge. It is especially hard for people like me who spend large amounts of time on the computer, and don't have anyone to run around after. I knew I would have to start slowly, so I began using my trusty Wii Fit as a starting point. In the beginning, I scheduled 20 minutes a day, five days a week to do some of the more gentle exercises such as basic step aerobics, yoga and tightrope walking.

Once I had got used to that, I really started to step it up. I bought other fitness games for the Wii Fit, and began to use them for longer periods of time.

Nine months on, my fitness routine is still not as vigorous as it could be, but it is a vast improvement on what it was in the beginning. Here is how every week looks for me:

Monday: 10 minutes warm up on Wii Fit games, followed by 20 minutes of Zumba on the Wii.

Tuesday: 30 minutes of alternate walking and jogging (five minutes warm up walk, then alternating between three and a half minutes walking, and two and a half minutes jogging).

Wednesday: 30 minutes of Wii Fit including muscle toning and cardio exercise.

Thursday: 30 minutes of alternate walking and jogging

Friday: 30 minutes of Zumba on the Wii

Saturday and Sunday: Rest!

The reason the routine works for me is that it never gets boring. Each of the exercises I do targets different areas of my body. Wii Fit tackles any area I choose on a particular day, Zumba is an all over workout, but mainly works on hips, thighs and abs. Running is also an all over workout, but I have found it has done wonders for my butt! Muscle training just pulls it all together to make me stronger.

Since I started doing this routine, I have noticed a major difference in myself. Not just in my weight, but in my overall health. People who say that exercise makes you feel good aren't lying! It really does makes me feel better about myself, and about other things too.

Starting any kind of fitness routine is always hard, but I have found that if you stick with it, the rewards are incredible.