Mark Lee is getting very excited about the release of Wii Fit this week - could it be the end of his lycra shorts forever?

There's been much discussion in the media of Wii Fit, even before it's launch here in Europe. One of the biggest talking points is the notion of actually reviewing such a product. It does seem to be proving difficult to many, with scores ranging from abysmal to astounding. The title is "good" in one 'workout' breath yet "poor" in a second 'game' breath. Do you actually play Wii Fit? Or is it to be taken as a workout tool with heart?

There are going to be many theories in the next few months, yet here is my take as to why I believe Wii Fit could be the real 'revolution'...

As soon as I saw Miyamoto hold the Wii Balance Board above his head I wanted, no, needed it in my life. And so this seasoned gamer has sat patiently anticipating and clamouring for Wii Fit ever since that initial unveiling. And no, it's not because I'm over/underweight but surprisingly because (even though I want to keep fit) I simply find the notion of exercise a scary endeavour.

Exercise can be... terrifying! And I'm not the only one who thinks so...

It's not hard to imagine that the majority of people decide to join a gym in January when too much food and booze has played havoc with their systems. The average price of a (UK) full gym membership is usually in the region of �35 per month - coupled with Direct Debit 'lockdown'. Throw in the option of both Peak and Off-Peak memberships (designating when you can actually use these clubs) and it's sometimes easier to just lift tins of beans or jog/bike around your local area.

Personally I find running on a treadmill to be a soul (and ankle) destroying affair. Cycling on a bike that goes nowhere whilst listening to the gym's trance music from 1999 is also not my idea of comfort. Shouldn't maintaining a healthy body be a calming, personalised experience? Not a debt-producing, arm-breaking, confidence-sapping one? Go to any gym in the country and the first thing that hits you is the eerie atmosphere. Confident, friendly staff meet visitors as Schwarzenegger types strut around the sheepish like they own the world. Heaven forbid if you use their treadmill at their usual time or indeed stay on their equipment for longer than half an hour! And please don't try to adapt the weight machines to your suiting. Do so and you'll have Arnie and his many staff breathing down your neck.

So, don't go to the gym I hear you cry! And so we don't. By March as much as 70% of January members have left their gym contracts. Most special offers have ended by then and clubs are looking forward to the summer months for their ad campaigns. Member retention is traditionally at its lowest.

What starts as a fleeting idea to get fitter by many tends to turn into weekly jogs to a local landmark and back. Planning your route around your local area can be hard enough - but did you take into consideration the place where local dogs like to leave presents? (And no, we're not talking Nintendog presents here!) Did you make sure that it's safe to jog past that off-licence after 6pm? Thought not.

And as if that's not bad enough... we live in Europe. Do people know what it does in Europe? Yes, it rains. Frequently. Yet look out of the window and you'll see people that constantly dress up in Lycra shorts, bright white tops and shiny white trainers and run even in the rain/snow/hail. If that's not born of desperation I don't know what is. After all, they are the ones who hate the gym just like I do. They are the ones who want to keep fit yet feel like they are unwanted as they suffer the indignity of posh gyms, splashing in puddles, standing in dog dirt, dodging boozed up teens and racing pensioners in mobility machines.

And so when Miyamoto held that Balance Board, I realised that the Wii Fit audience is untapped and covers all of those looking for a personalised, easier, indoor workout. A TV workout for our generation.

So now it's just a few days to go. Listen carefully and amongst the collective sighs of relief you'll hear a million draws shutting. I guess those Lycra shorts won't be needed ever again.

- Mark Lee,
N-E Staff Writer