When the Wii Fit came out, I was among many who wondered, "Is this a fitness tool or a video game?" After buying the Nintendo system and trying a few of the games (and experiencing the soreness the day after), my opinion was that, yes, the Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus are definitely tools that can benefit fitness and facilitate weight loss.

Turns out I'm not alone. The UK Department of Health has decided to give the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus its approval, reports BBC News. This marks the first time the UK Department of Health has ever given a nod of approval to a computer game.

The biggest change consumers will notice is the addition of the Change4Life logo to the Wii Fit Plus. Change4Life is a campaign in the UK aiming to keep people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to exercise more and eat healthy.

That's Fit Club is our feature devoted to you, the reader! We have all learned so much on our paths to becoming more fit, and now it's time to learn from and inspire each other! That's Fit Club members are constantly working to better themselves. Some are perfect; some are not. But all have health on the mind. Besides showing you off, we want to reward you for all of your hard work! Everlast and Everlast Woman are giving gorgeous workout T-shirts to each featured member! To join, please send Fitz your answers to these questions with a photo of yourself. Time for you to be the motivator!

Name: Monique Riveire

Age: 28

Occupation: Paralegal

How often do you exercise? Three times a week.

What type of exercise do you do? Cardio Kickboxing, Zumba, Bootcamp, and Wii Fit

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Group support, and the fun music in the classes.

Source

If this game ever goes commercial, Wii Boxing will see stars. Remote Impact -- Shadowboxing Over a Distance recently made the shortlist for the 2008 European Innovative Games Awards (EIGA), and this video says it all.

I don't know about you but on a fitness level, the new Wii Boxing and Wii Tennis are not physically challenging enough for me. However Remote Impact -- Shadowboxing demands sweat-soaked, interactive punching and kicking moves against another live silhouette. Best of all, no broken noses. Interestingly, Wii Fit made the EIGA shortlist, too, but I've never tried it.

Would Remote Impact -- Shadowboxing appeal to you?

Source

Find a way to incorporate fitness into your hobbies.

Wii Fit has been selling in Britain for a few weeks and the game's candidness has caused a bit of a stir. After a ten-year-old British girl stepped on the game's electronic balance board and entered her height, Wii labeled her 'overweight.' She was reportedly devastated.

The girl is 4 ft. 9 in. tall and weighs six stone, 8 pounds -- that's 92 pounds to an American. I logged in this height, weight, and the age of exactly ten years old into a BMI Calculator for Children and Teens and it calculated a BMI of 19.9, placing BMI-for-age in the 84th percentile, at the very top level of 'a healthy weight' for girls this age. Adding a pound (93 pounds) sends the calculation into the 'at risk for being overweight' zone.

Obesity experts are outraged -- they are concerned Wi Fit could damage children's body image and are calling for a warning to parents. One expert stated BMI should not be used with children since a child's BMI can change month-to-month and it's possible a child can be both stocky and very fit. A Nintendo spokesman apologized to any customers offended by the game's terminology and stated Wii Fit is capable of measuring BMI for people aged two and 20, but acknowledged resulting figures may not be entirely accurate for younger kids due to varying levels of development.

Yes, there are real criticisms of utilizing BMI to measure obesity in children. But what bothers me the most about this story is the young girl's devastation. Girls and women are under tremendous societal pressure to be thin.

Source

Bethany recently gave us a heads up on the soon-to-be-released Wii Fit. Already hot in Japan, the game has been swiped up by 1.76 million Japanese and crowned their top-selling game of the year.

What makes Wii Fit special is an electronic balance board capable of monitoring movement and weight. A bit of a cyber-personal trainer, Wii Fit will help determine your Body Mass Index (the balance board records your weight, you add in your height and age), and initially test/grade your balancing skills. Wii Fit will also provide visual and verbal kudos and criticism, spitting out graphs and charts to reveal your progress over time.

Here are a few Wii Fit games that interest me:

• Wii Hula: A strenuous game where you catch hula hoops on your arms and then try to keep them spinning on your hips. This is my one chance to hula hoop, I've never been able to gyrate the hips properly to keep the hula above ground!
• Wii Yoga: Anything to get Americans in a Sun Salutation is alright by me. If more couples spent time deep breathing followed by a triangle pose, I bet this country would have a lower divorce rate.
• Strength Training and Balance Games Galore: Planks, jackknives, row squats and tightrope walking are better than popcorn and a movie any day.

My neighbors love their Wii. Another family just extended an invitation for a little Wii boxing this weekend. Will Americans embrace this next generation Wii like the Japanese? I bet Wii will.

Source

Looking for ways to motivate your kids to exercise this winter? The ever-popular Nintendo Wii will soon release Wii Fit. Just like Wii games are played on your feet, simulating the movements you'd use in a real sport, Wii Fit aims to get players hearts racing.

The program records your height and weight and gives each participant their BMI. Then it takes players through different physical activities, including skiing, hula hooping, balancing, push-ups, etc. Players can get immediate feedback from their Wii personal trainer and keep track of their progress.

Just like the Wii, Wii Fit isn't exactly like a real workout. But it is physical and for reluctant exercisers it may just bring enough novelty to the workout to make it fun.

Source

There are several video games out there that involve actual human movement in order to activate the players who appear on the screen. Nintendo's Wii system is a gaming phenomenon, especially with its tennis and golf games (both requiring the player to hold onto the joystick controller and swing it like a real racket or golf club). Video games are becoming virtual sports, making this once sedentary activity a bit more physical. In fact, researchers from West Virginia University not that long ago found that one video game in particular is actually helping kids improve their heart health and fitness levels.

The game is called "Dance Dance Revolution," and yes, if you've ever stepped foot inside a Dave & Buster's (basically, it's a Chuck 'e Cheese's for adults, with wall-to-wall video games and cocktail-serving barmaids), this is the game where people bounce around a light-up dance floor and make utter fools of themselves. Fortunately, there's a home version, so you can still reap the calorie-burning and heart-pumping benefits of dancing around like a crazy person, only you can save yourself the public embarrassment. More or less, it's the perfect thing for self-conscious kids who may want to lose weight, but aren't really comfortable enough to exercise with friends (or for the adult who simply wants a new, fun way to exercise).

Source

So much for video games being easy. Thanks to Nintendo's Wii Fit, you can turn your living room into a virtual gym.

Wii Fit can calculate your body mass index (BMI) and then provide you with a customized workout plan to help you achieve what it also calculates to be your ideal BMI. Using a pressure-sensitive balance board, Wii Fit allows you to enjoy over forty types of physical fitness based games. From ski jumping to yoga, the Wii Fit makes a home workout, dare I say, fun.

But, you'll at least have to wait until after this holiday season to find the Wii Fit, as it will not be hitting stores until 2008. Until then, maybe you can play some of the current Wii games that are available. Research from a UK study revealed that playing active games on the Wii for thirty minutes a day can improve cardiovascular health and help a person lose up to 27 pounds over the course of a year.

Source