Fitness Plague of the minute: Wii Fit

First off: If Wii Fit is your exercise modality of choice, that is and thereby you are, lame. Sorry folks, this, just like every other fitness piece of junk isn’t the answer.

For the uninitiated: the Wii Fit is a pad you stand on to interact with a video game. Basically you balance, bend and hop on this thing and get in amazing shape, or so they claim.

Admittedly, if you are very out of shape or you’re in good shape and play for 8 hours straight, yeah, you’ll be really sore and think you got a great workout.

But did you?

Maybe you sweated a little, but seriously, if you’re working out for 45 minutes and don’t sweat some you’re not working all that hard (or your taking really long rest periods between sets cause you like to waste time).

I mean, hell, I build up a sweat after 45 minutes of cleaning my house.

No body claims the hula hoop is a great workout tool, but do it for 45 minutes and see if you sweat….

Somebody call US Weekly…we found out Hayden’s fitness secret..it’s a god damn $3.00 hula hoop….I thought it was working hard and a really good consistent diet….

Nope, it’s a god damn kids toy.

Now weight…er…wait…..I know you say ,

“But Roy I know 2 people who used Wii Fit and lost 10lbs. What do you say about that?”

I say,

“Thats entirely possible, if they consumed fewer calories than they ate to the tune of roughly 35,000 calories….then they lost 10lbs. It wasn’t the Wii Fit, it was the law of thermodynamics. In and of itself, Wii Fit had nothing to do with it. In fact, I would think spending the same time on the treadmill and doing some lunges would have probably worked just as well if not better”.

Lets face it Wii Fit isn’t really “working out”…..

So many people have been drinking the Wii Fit Kool-Aid even schools are adopting it as a substitute for physical education.

Functional Training, CrossFit, P90X…Drink up!

Across the country schools are discontinuing physical education and recess, you know things where kids actually move and play and develop mentally, physically, kinesthetically, for the Nintendo Wii Fit…..

WHAT!

I guess I’m the dumb one…can someone please explain to me how standing on a little white pad or pretending…

PRETENDING

….to hit a baseball is better or equivalent to THE REAL FREAKING THING! Ohhhh, maybe someone should look for some facts: Virtual Gaming no Replacement for Real Exercise or Active Computer Games No Substitute for Playing real Sports

I’m sure this also has nothing to do with Nintendo and advertising and manipulating the school boards with money.

Because getting Wii Fit into schools exposes Wii Fit to the primary market so the kids will want one and go home and ask for it…..this has NOTHING to do with that whatsoever.

It’s whats best for the kids.

Don’t get me wrong: I DO NOT hate Wii Fit. Actually, it’s kind of a cool thing and, for the most part agree with this take on it, Wii Fit a Promising Tool for all Ages, Though Game’s Health Measurements are Flawed.

Surprisingly, active video games like Wii Fit could add to the total activity level for a lot of people especially if your completely uninitiated to exercise and/or overweight (read a fatty Mcfat fat).

If used regularly these may be able to help curb the rising levels of fattyism in this country:

Adding Activity to Video Games Fights Obesity, Study Shows

Active Video Games A Good Alternative To Moderate Exercise For Kids, Study Suggests

That said: Wii Fit is NOT a good modality for getting in “good” shape.

Seriously, the last study equated “moderate” exercise to walking on a treadmill at 3.5 mph. Folks, thats not moderate, thats like a reeeeaaallly slooooow strolllll. Here is the reality regarding the Wii Fit and exercise…

IT WILL NOT GET YOU IN SHAPE!

I know this because, if you honestly think prancing, bending, hopping and balancing on a little white pad is the answer you are either lazy or delusional (maybe stupid), probably both, and lazy people who can convince themselves that producing 2 beads of sweat 3 times a week for 20 minutes typically don’t do a good job of getting in shape.

It may be a perfectly good supplement, but it should NOT be the exercise program.

Here is a secret: you have to work really hard to get in really good shape.

Does this really fit the bill?