Through taking part in the My Child and Nintendo Wii Fit survey, mums Helen Blake and Julliette Atkinson were selected to take our Wii Fit Challenge. We sent each mum a Wii console and Wii Fit and asked them to road-test the Wii Fit over the course of a month.
We want to know what mums think of the Wii Fit, whether it helps get rid of the post-baby weight, if it's better than sweating it out at the gym, and best of all if the whole family can use it to improve their fitness levels. We are also keen to know what kids think of it and whether mums think it's a good way to help combine our kids' love of technology with a dose of healthy exercise.
So far the Wii Fit has settled in well at home.
On our first day with it, each member of the family took the body test. My BMI was at top end for my height, 25.16. My Wii Fit age was recorded at 47, that's 12 years more than my age, so I was a little shocked! However, as the week has progressed and I have accumulated time on the 'Piggy Fit bank', I have seen this reduced to 39, so I'm obviously doing something right.
My eldest daughter has really enjoyed the Wii Fit, and particularly the Wii Sports. She is seven, but according to her body test, she is underweight and had a Wii Fit age of 33! This has dramatically reduced to 15 as she has been very keen to try all the exercises she has seen me doing.
(Ed: It's important to remember though, that BMI is an inaccurate measurement for children aged two to 20 due to the differing growth rates and patterns among younger children - so don't get alarmed or worried about it! See page 20 of the Wii Fit manuel for more details)
My youngest daughter, is three so cannot really follow a lot of the games properly yet, to make any readings make sense. However, she has enjoyed watching her sister reach pro-level at the bowling, and also has joined in with us doing our yoga poses!
In general, I do a lot of walking and swimming, but this does slow down during the school holidays when we have a family pace to work to. The Wii Fit this week has been a fantastic addition to my exercise. It has also allowed me to work on areas such as my waist, which tends to get neglected slightly - but which are probably the areas I should work on more.
I have particularly enjoyed the balance games, which include walking the tightrope, the table tilt, and hula hoop. I can really tell that these areas have been worked the next day, and I’m hoping that other people will start to notice soon!
The great thing about Wii Fit that I have found this week is that it works with you at your pace, and ensures that you start at the low levels and only ‘unlock’ the next level once you are ready and have put the right amount of work in.
It's also very addictive! Knowing that it's keeping track of what you do in a day is like having your own fitness trainer in your own home. It's fab, and you can’t cheat!
I started the first night I received it, and clocked up an hour trying out all the exercises in each of the four groups – aerobic, muscle, yoga and balance games. The next day, I picked my favourites from the night before in particular working the waist with the balance games. I have set myself a target of at least 30 minutes clocked time each day, but if I have been swimming instead, I can miss a bit of the Wii Fit if I don’t have time.
As for finding time to use it, I think my biggest obstacle is my seven year old daughter who is determined to maintain her top ranking at bowling and hula hoop! So far I don’t even come a close second, but she will have a long way to catch me on some of the other exercises!
I have noticed that I feel better in myself knowing that I have been exercising instead of maybe just sitting down in the evening. I look forward to trying to beat my previous records on the games, and am eagerly waiting for more activities to be unlocked for me to try.
More from Helen next week.
The Wii and Wii Fit arrived and I unpacked it with my nine year old son, who was excited as it was what he had been asking for the last few months!
We set it up to the TV and I read the instruction manual, then we turned it on so that we could have a go.
We designed our own 'Miis’ to take part in the exercises. Then we calculated our Body Mass Index. I was rather shocked at this as it stated that I was obese!
Trying out lots of the exercises with my son, we really enjoyed the hula hooping and ski jumping even though I wasn’t very good and it kept telling me I was unbalanced - it's made me all the more determined to improve.
I'd say myself and my son have spent at least 30 minutes on the Wii Fit each night and we have been competing against each other in the balancing games. We're both finding it very easy to use and I'm able to fit into my daily rountine along with work.
