Written by Maiky de Bakker
Edited by Mark Lee

Welcome to N-Europe’s 8 days of Wii Fit. N-Europe staff writer Maiky took on Wii Fit to see if it would make a difference to his lifestyle. Read on to discover if Maiky found it to be a help or a hindrance. Beware! Frustrations follow!

DAY 1

BMI = 27.70 weight = 102.1 Wii fit age= 33

Here I am and already I’m really working up a sweat! But enough about me carrying the box across town...Let’s get to it!

After countless office days consisting of irregular eating patterns, I was expecting Wii fit to slide into my life like a personal trainer I could use any time I wanted. This personal trainer cuts me deep as it instantly shows my unhealthy lifestyle on the scale. Overweight. Great. My current age is thirty two yet my total wii fit age is only a year older. Now I guess that’s not bad but I’m still overweight.
I’d rather have my health than my age! I am asked to set a BMI goal and I set the goal of twenty two in two weeks. I hope this isn’t too much of a strain as it seems attainable and I’m going to give it my all!

After having a run through of most of the exercises on offer I found that the aerobic exercises were the most enjoyable ones. My heart was racing as I jogged past Mii’s and headed flying boots. As I winded down with a few light muscle exercises, I was unaware that my entire family was entranced by my workout. Keeping them off the board could be the hardest exercise I encounter!

DAY 2/3

BMI = 29.90 weight = 103 Wii fit age= 36

After a long, gruelling day at the office I nearly missed my workout! I didn’t get a stamp but I did train - only it was after midnight. Although my BMI and weight had marginally increased I understood that I had let myself go during the busy working day. As it was my day off I brought my mother over from the nursing home she lives in (she is 50 years old.) I demonstrated the board and to my surprise she loved it! Although we had to stay near her (as she would lose her balance and get lost in the menu’s) she wholly enjoyed the experience.

DAY 4

BMI = 27.80 weight = 102 Wii fit age= 27!

Today I held another event in which I demoed the title (along with other wii titles.) Because of this I did more exercise than normal throughout the day. (This was fun because people started to call me the exercise pro!) After today’s long workout, I must say that already my stomach is feeling tighter - maybe it’s this new belt? In all seriousness, I can feel the title already having an effect on me. Good news for the next few weeks!

DAY 5

BMI = 28.10 weight = 102.5 Wii fit age= 34

After all of the frolics of yesterday, frustratingly, today’s results meant that I had gained weight. I am trying my best but I must say it’s hard to find the time to get an extensive, worthwhile workout. Nintendo should have perhaps offered a two player option so that I could workout with another user instead of after them.
It’s a shame you can’t hook up two Balance boards to one Wii. (Maybe in the future we will see such an offering.)
Faults aside, the title still maintains it’s ‘wow-factor’ on others. Even today a friend came to check it out and thought this might be something for them. Notorious for their World Of Warcraft gaming, I was pleasantly surprised.

DAY 6

BMI = 28.68 weight = 102.1 Wii fit age= 37

Frustration is starting to creep in due to the fact that I seem to be judged more by my balance abilities than my actual ‘weight-loss’ performance. What is even worse is that I have been handling balance machines all my life - motorbikes. What is even more frustrating is that my wife ( who could trip on a leaf) does the balance games better than I do! No, I won’t start to complain too much, it’s just frustrating when you want to focus solely on your athletic ability.
Furthermore, I’ve discovered that that if you have large feet and you attempt the “chair” yoga exercise, your toes will rest too much on the front of the board. This ultimately makes it impossible to shift your balance to the middle of the board. I would recommend that those blessed with clowns feet shift them both to the back of the board! Maybe tomorrow I will focus on the muscle workouts as these seem to accurately gauge your ability. Doing more push-ups each day is easier measured than circling your hips faster than the previous attempt.

DAY 7
BMI = 28.65 weight = 102.4 Wii fit age= 32

Woohoo! I do get the feeling I am getting better at things - my balance is still a bit off yet my Wii fit age has fallen by a good few years - a whole ONE year younger than my actual age! Now that’s a good motivator! My lower legs and stomach are aching every morning and when I am at work the balance board is always at the back of my mind. Maybe the secret to the title is the lifestyle change it brings. Heck, I’ve even started eating healthier, just so my weight is kept down. Who says exercise can’t be a fun game?

When I returned home I spent a good amount of time jogging, utilising it as both a warm up and cool down tool. It’s a shame you cannot use your own music in-game for the jogging so it looks like the pounding stereo will be annoying the neighbours for another ten minutes tomorrow!
I’m still coming up against the hardest thing though -creating the time to work out. Aiming for the thirty minute workout still proves difficult, yet one hour is when my body really starts to feel like I’ve done something worthwhile. That’s a rarity saved for weekends. I’m also having to workout after my children have gone to bed. Which isn’t the best time to start physical activities. My late night gaming habits have also had to be put on hold. Do Nintendo not know that this is keeping me from Mario Kart?

DAY 8

BMI = 27.80 weight = 101.8 Wii fit age= 40

Things are finally looking up for me. My weight is now teetering under my starting weight yet my BMI indicates that I still have a long way to go to get to my goal of twenty two. But thanks to my slightly unbalanced day my age has gone up to 40. Yes 40.
The fact that I am now able to do more of the muscular exercises (such as push-ups) just doesn’t seem to affect anything at all. The Wii fit age is just pointless – yet why is it so addictive? Let’s hope Nintendo takes note of this and thinks about what they are actually showing before throwing it to us. I understand the need for goal setting in exercise/games yet the wii fit age seems tacked on to keep it solely in line with Wii Sports.

Impressions:

Eight days with the title has left me frustrated yet mildly impressed. There is no doubt that my health IS benefiting from using the title. Not only do I think more about my food intake, but I think about the effects a healthy lifestyle will have on both my friends and family. Looking back at my BMI, weight and wii age is a mixed blessing.
It hasn’t really changed much but with only eight days not much is going to happen. However, putting the pieces in place to get to my required goals is what the title does really well. It makes you think. It makes you notice that taking the stairs or walking to work does make a difference – no matter how small. And for that reason alone I cannot wait to get back on the balance board for many more days to come.

Written by Maiky de Bakker
- N-Europe Staff Writer