Wii Fitness… What Fun!
I may be a bit behind the times when it comes to enjoying the fun and benefits of all the new interactive video game products on the market – like the Nintendo Wii Fit… but recently my techno-geek boyfriend purchased a Wii Fit for home. (He’s had one at work since they first hit the market.) Being a bit shy about actually getting a computer to do what I want, for me is intimidating, never mind the hand-eye coordination it takes to “win” a computer game…..I was never any good at these games as a kid.
I have to admit my extreme skepticism about the benefits of staring at a TV screen and using a computer game for fitness. But am always excited to hear about new ways to inspire and encourage people to increase their exercise and activity level, and ANYTHING that people enjoy doing that involves movement can be a great way to improve health and fitness.
After playing with the Wii Fit only a couple of times, I am a happy to report that I am a fan of the fun, interaction, and health benefits that this gadget can provide! Last night my family spent 6 hours playing Wii Fit games together!!! Tennis, Baseball, Boxing, Bowling, Golf, balance games, yoga. I think we explored the gamut of options! I can honestly say that I can feel my abs this morning – so core muscle strengthening was definitely happening, and I wasn’t one of the folks that spent tons of time playing! So can only imagine how sore a few other people might be today! We had more fun, spent more time laughing, talking, and encouraging each other in competition that the evening flew by and nobody wanted to stop playing.
While I wouldn’t want to spend all my workout time on the Wii…I think it’s a great option for friendly competition, a way to check-in on your health status with weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), goal setting, and some basic fitness testing for strength, balance, and control. This gizmo provides instant feedback to see where you’re at, games and skill challenges to improve your health, and a way to do something besides just be a couch potato in front of the TV. I also think that the balance awareness and assessment tools are excellent. More about that in an upcoming blog post!
Do you Wii??? If you’re doing or teaching Pilates and haven’t tried this yet…find a friend who’s got one – create your Mii (your own personal cartoon version of you!) and go play! I’d love to hear what you think about using Wii Fit as a tool to help your clients track improvements with their health and check-in with Posture and being “on center” for balance and body control that is such a key aspect of Pilates training.
Share your Wii Fit experience!
Hi there- I’m a UK based Pilates instructor and I often get asked by my students to recommend reputable companies to buy equipment and clothing from. Is there anything/anyone online who I could perhaps link to from my new site?
Hi – as a Pilates instructor myself, I’m often asked where people can acquire equipment from a reputable source online – any ideas?
Hi Tracy!
I’ve had several emails from international customers who are challenged with finding companies to purchase products from. I’m not sure what your UK options are? Perhaps we’ll get some additional comments here to assist you.
I have personally purchased equipment from all the “Top” Pilates equipment manufacturers: Peak, Stott, Gratz, and Balanced Body – and have been happy with everything I’ve purchased, although delays in shipping are sometimes an issue!
I haven’t had much luck with the clothing vendors I’ve tried to work with in the past, but there are a lot of companies out there. Clothes are such a personal feel and fit – find vendors with products you like to wear and go from there.
I’ve got quite a few ebooks & MP3 Pilates Mat Workouts at http://www.Centerworks.com that are popular purchases for international clients because they are instantly available and there’s no shipping fees. We do also ship overseas if your students are looking for products and resources to supplement their workout program.
Hope this helps!
Great read. Thanks for the info!