Christmas is Coming!
Yesterday we officially started our Countdown to a Credit-Crunch Christmas, and all this week we'll be looking at getting fit in time for the festive season.
After the news broke last week that Angelina Jolie used her children's Nintendo Wii fit board to get back into shape, we were curious. Until now the whole Wii console in general has been labelled, whether you realise it or not, as a game and therefore not necessarily worthy of your valuable time.
It's probably been on your bloke's Birthday and Christmas lists too for the past two years, as demand for the consoles far exceeds the supplies.
Girls have never really got into playing their video games as much as guys and this unfortunately carries on into adulthood too. Men still love to blow things up on their consoles and women still get ignored when they make any form of suggestion.
However, if Ange is taking some time out from being a yummy mummy to indulge in some fun fitness, then why shouldn't we? First things first, we take a look at what the fuss is all about and if it could be the fitness of the future.
The reason why this board has become such a phenomenon is because up until now, there hasn't been anything like this on the market and therefore nothing to compare it too.
Wii Fit is a video game that has been developed for the Wii console. It focuses on making exercise like a game by using a thing called the Wii balance board. Are you with us so far? It may sound a little complicated, but all it really is, is a white board that is plonked in front of you for you to stand and manoeuvre yourself on.
The balance board can also calculate your body mass index when you tell them what height you are. Now this can be the fatal part, as soon as your body mass is read out on the screen, you'll either feel elated or crushed. Either way, it could inspire you and your family to put their best foot forward and give some of the games a try.
This part of the game in the past has caused some minor controversy in the UK, as the BMI calculation of one girl labelled her as overweight, when she was in fact, healthy. The BMI calculation portion of the Wii fit is perhaps one function which shouldn't be used by all age groups, as younger kids won't understand it and teenagers may see it as a worry.
The game has a whopping 40 different activities including yoga, push-ups, jogging and hula hooping. So basically it can probably give you a full body workout without leaving your home. It also features a programme of balance games and this is where the real fun supposedly happens, as you can experience ski jumping, skiing, football and penguin sliding (yes, really!) all without leaving the comfort of your home.
Now this is all very well, but can it really give you a serious workout? The game has received some mixed responses regarding this question, mainly because there isn't set boundaries for you to test yourself and your fitness each workout. So, despite your best intentions you may find yourself cheating occasionally.
The price of the game is also a bit daunting, costing a whopping £69.99. While that may initially sound expensive, compared to the price of a gym membership, it may be a cheaper option for you to consider. But then there's the question of whether this does actually have any proper fitness benefits, and again it's something you would have to test out for yourself, as it works for each person in different ways.
While it is billed as a family game, the one board will make it difficult for other family members to join in, although on some games they can shout and cheer for you, as to which direction etc. to take.
At the end of the day, it's a game which will continue to sell because of its hype, but it's your choice as to whether it's right for you this Christmas. Tomorrow we'll be going back to basics and looking at the simple exercise and fitness methods, we could all take up in order to shape up for the festive period.
And I'll also be running my Belly dancing blog from now until Christmas, so check it out here and see how I'm getting on in my battle to tone up and shed the flab.