Glad to see that we can now view the rates for our reviews. Maybe next time Ciao should test the new...
Glad to see that we can now view the rates for our reviews. Maybe next time Ciao should test the new system before installing it?
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In April this year my lovely husband was 40 and before his birthday I had been saving all my Internet earnings from Ciao, Dooyoo and various cashback sites so that I could buy him something really special.
Amongst other things I decided to buy a Wii and WiiFit as we had considered buying them at Christmas but had decided that we couldn’t justify the expense at the time.
I paid £249.99 to buy the Wii and WiiFit together as a package from Play and of course I went through Quidco and got £10 cashback too so I was well pleased with that.
Dave was thrilled with the present and soon got the Wii set up so we could try out the Wii Sport games that came with it; more about those in another review.
So what about the WiiFit?
Well the first thing to know, if you didn’t already, is that this game comes with something called a balance board. This is a flat, strong, highly durable plastic board which stands a couple of inches off the floor. It is about 18 inches long by 10 inches deep.
The balance board sits on the floor a few feet from the TV and most of the WiiFit exercises are done standing on the board. You are told to use the balance board in bare feet as socks would make it too slippery and shoes would damage it. The other piece of equipment that is used is the Wii Remote which you need to hold in your hand and make sure that the wrist strap is fitted securely so that the remote doesn’t fly out of your hand as you exercise.
When you first log into WiiFit you need to set up a WiiMe which is effectively a representation of yourself on the screen. To do this you have various choices of face shape, hair style and colour, fair hair, spectacles etc and you then choose a coloured shirt for your WiiMe to wear. Using the controls on the remote you can make tour WiiMe look a bit like you.
You also input personal information such as height, age and date of birth at this stage.
Each time you log into WiiFit you will be asked if you want to perform a Body
Test. The first time we did this we went through the whole test which is mainly a set of balance exercises which when combined with your age and weight the WiiFit then gives you a WiiFit age. Personally I didn’t find this particularly helpful as it was just based on balance exercises. In fact mine was a little lower than my real age but Dave’s was about 20 years older!
The main function of the Body Test for me is the weighing. To do this I just have to press the button on the board to switch it on and the WiiFit initialises. It then tells me to stand on the board and I have to say how heavy my clothing is from a choice of 2lb, 4lb or ‘other’. I then have to stand still whilst it weighs me. On the TV screen I then see my current weight and my BMI. The comical bit here is that the WiiMe is a lovely slim little thing until I have been weighed and then she becomes rather more round to say the least!
I am then given the option of exiting at this point or going on to do the whole Body Test. I always exit and go on to the exercises. My weight is also shown on a graph and I am told how much weight, if any, I have lost or gained since my last visit. There is also a facility to set a weight loss goal to try and achieve and it does encourage you to set a sensible goal.
Each time I log into the WiiFit it greets me with notes on screen saying hello and asking how I am. It does also have some comical comments – for instance it told me the handset was broken on 1st April and then said ‘April Fool, only kidding’ so it breaks the monotony of seeing the same message every time I log in.
So what exercises does it have?
Well the exercises are split into categories – Yoga, Muscle Workouts, Aerobic Exercises, Balance Games and Favourites.
When I first logged in there were only three or four exercises in each of the four main categories to choose from. As I spent more time on the WiiFit more exercises were gradually opened up to me. I think this is a great way of setting the whole thing up as the initial exercises available are relatively easy and they gradually get more difficult as I spend more time on the WiiFit. This means that I couldn’t start off and think ‘oh I can manage the difficult exercises’ and do something that might harm me.
For the muscle workouts and yoga I had to choose either a male or female trainer to show me how to do the exercises properly so that I didn’t do myself any mischief!
Yoga This is pretty self explanatory and comprises various yoga poses to try. The trainer explains what to do and then I get the chance to try for myself. The initial ones are very simple including teaching yoga breathing. I must admit I have dabbled here but I’m more interested in the exercises.
Muscle Workouts Again my trainer explains these to me before I start. I have tried a few of these but as I suffer from a weakness in my lower back I am very careful about twisting and stretching so I don’t use this section too much either.
Aerobic Exercises This section is my favourite and includes step sessions, jogging, hula hoop and boxing amongst others. I love the step sessions and the initial one was relatively easy once I had got the hang of it. The screen shows a set of WiiMes all doing the step session so that I can follow what they are doing. It also shows the steps as footprints on the centre of the screen so that I can follow that if I would rather do it that way.
The steps are on and off the balance board to the back and to the two sides so I need to make sure that I have a clear area around me before I start. At the end I am given a score according to how many steps I have done perfectly, slightly out of time or missed completely. This score is then saved so that I can try and do better next time. As I did the step session more times a further one was opened to me which involves kicking, clapping and stepping on and off sideways as well as the original steps. I am still getting in a bit of a mess with this one but I am getting better.
Another good step session that has now opened is a free step which means that I just step on and off the board to the back for ten minutes, keeping a steady rhythm – I can then change channels on the TV and watch a programme whilst I am exercising. The rhythm is continued by a ticking noise from the remote.
The jogging session is the same in that I have done a short jog a few times and now a longer jog is open to me and also a ten minute one to do whilst watching TV. For jogging I have to move the Balance Board out of the way and just run on the spot. As I do the short jog, which is the only one I have tried so far, I see my WiiMe on screen running with other WiiMes through a sort of park past waterfalls etc. so it helps to relive the boredom of on the spot jogging a bit.
Balance Games In this section there is a tightrope walk, a game where I have to tilt a board to make balls fall though holes and a bubble walk amongst others.
I am hopeless at the board tilt but Dave got to a high level at his first try! I told him that no one likes a show off! LOL!
The bubble walk is a game where I am inside a big bubble in a stream and by shifting my weight from side to side and back to front my WiiMe walks inside the bubble down the stream, but if the bubble hits the bank of the stream it bursts.
I find the balance games good fun and my body gets exercised without me really noticing.
Favourites This is the section I always log straight into because as I use the various exercises they appear in the favourites section. This means that the ones I enjoy and do the most are all together in one place. Every so often I wander through all the sections to see what the newly opened exercises are.
WiiFit Instruction Book I thought that this was worth a mention as it is quite a thick paper backed book. I foolishly expected to see lots of information about all the exercises and games but no; it tells you the basics in 25 pages. There is then a little map of the jogging route (why?) and a couple of pages of charts for you to fill in your weight. This whole thing is then repeated in more languages than you can shake a stick at!
In Conclusion I have tried to keep this review informative but not too long. There is obviously a lot more I could say about all the different exercises but I thought, if I told you about my favourites, it would give you a flavour for the thing (hopefully) without boring you senseless!
We both really enjoy the WiiFit and I think it is a great way to get a bit of extra exercise and have some fun. I wouldn’t recommend it as your only form of exercise but it is great as a help or maybe a start if you currently do no exercise at all.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Get balanced, get healthy! This is the thinking behind the Wii Fit package, which includes ... more
the Wii Fit Balance Board and a range of fitness based programs and mini-games. The Wii Fit is an immensely popular way to get the whole family moving by giving ...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: Out of stock
Start by creating your personal profile Set up your Mii enter your height and let the ... more
Balance Board take your weight In just a few short seconds you ll know your current Body Mass Index BMI a measurement used to determine your Wii Fit age You l...
Wii Fit attracted millions of new players to the world of video games. Now Wii Fit Plus ... more
offers a range of new features and enhancements to help you reinvigorate your workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun. Youll find...
Postage & Packaging: Free Availability: Stock On Order
Includes Wii Balance BoardKnow Your Physique: Wii Fit Plus will now allow you to check and ... more
monitor 4 areas of your physique, BMI (body mass index), centre of gravity, and calories burnt during your workout you can then set your goals, against the...
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Helps improve posture and fitness in a fun way Disadvantages: You may get bored of the activities after a while and not great if you are already very fit
karenes 07.12.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Wii Fit (Wii)
Advantages: great for weightloss, fun for all the family, improves posture, balance and health Disadvantages: expensive, can only register up to 8 family members
ilusvm 29.10.2008 (29.10.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Wii Fit (Wii)
Advantages: fun, easy to use, great for kids Disadvantages: it's not enough to cause a large weight loss so if thats what your hoping for try something else.
boro-babe_123 04.11.2009 ·
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of WiiFit Plus (Wii)
Jun 1st, 2009
exceptional by (20%):
very helpful by (80%):
