Wii Fit: Can a Video Game Really Help You Lose Weight?

This past Christmas, I was looking for a really special, unique gift to get for my boyfriend. After a lot of shopping around, I decided that I would get him the new Wii Fit Plus, a fitness game for the Nintendo Wii video game system. For those who aren't familiar with the Wii Fit, it consists of a game disc for the Wii system, along with a special "balance board" platform that can sense shifts in your weight and body movement during game play. The Wii Fit Plus bundle, which includes the game disc and balance board, can be found at most major retailers for around $90. This was a reasonable price for a Christmas gift, so I decided to get it for him.

Setting up the Wii Fit was simple, though I have to admit I was a bit surprised when the video game system loudly announced that I was overweight and displayed my weight prominently on the television screen for everyone in the room to see. Embarrassment aside, the Wii Fit actually seemed to provide a decent workout. The aerobic exercises could have been more challenging, but I could definitely feel the strength training and balance exercises working large muscle groups throughout my body. I like that the Wii Fit tracks your total amount of time spent exercising, as well as the total calories you've burned for the day. Wanting to burn "just a few more calories" has often kept me playing the Wii Fit's fitness games longer than I would have otherwise.

I try to "check in" with the Wii Fit everyday, and the Wii game console actually tracks my weight over time and displays a graph showing me my weight loss progress (or lack thereof). After several weeks of playing Wii Fit at least 4-5 times per week (30 minutes daily), I was pleased that my graph showed that I had actually managed to lose 3 pounds. Not an incredible amount of weight lost....but probably more than I would have lost without the Wii Fit. I think the Wii Fit is a great idea for someone who just needs to lose a spare five or ten pounds, but it might not provide a vigorous enough workout to spur more weight loss than that. The Wii Fit is great, however, for people who are just getting started working out and need motivation to get into a regular workout routine. The Wii Fit makes physical activity fun, and we all know that you are much more likely to stick to an exercise routine you actually enjoy doing. For more information on the Wii Fit, check out the websites listed in the resources section of this article.