Are Wii getting fit or not?

I was getting ready to post a blog on body fat and BMI when another day of constant Wii Fit headlines came to my inbox. If you're not familiar with Wii Fit, it's Nintendo's new fitness game. As far away from gaming that one could be, I thought I'd still give you my two cents on it. But keep in mind, I have not actually used this. I don't see myself playing it anytime soon either. I just never got into the gaming thing. I was too busy being the Ozzie Smith and Michael Jordan of my neighborhood! But if you have kids, you might be hearing about it if you haven't already.

Let me first start by quoting Dr. Judith S. Stern, professor of Nutrition and Internal Medicine at the University of California, "My understanding is that Nintendo is saying that if you track BMI, and by using this program, that you'll improve your BMI, or lower your BMI. I say baloney to that. In fact, I'm sure you'll see very little change in BMI. It's not just BMI you want to look at, but how fat you are. When you are physically fit, you tend to replace fat with muscle, and your BMI probably won't change...I really think it's false and misleading."

Oh Baby!! Wii are on the same page. What's more interesting is that before seeing headline after headline of Wii Fit, I was going to post an article about the differences of BMI and body fat percentage. A new study by the Mayo Clinic has shed some light on what I've been talking about for years...body fat is more important than BMI! I'll post that over the weekend for you to see. But back to what Wii were talking about.

Wii Fit includes a balance board and software for about 90 bucks. When you begin, it takes your weight and gives you your BMI and then scores a balance test to give you a Wii Fit age. One personal trainer in his 20's was aged at 39. What does that mean? Most of our FT clients are between 35 and 65. I can easily point to them and argue that they are more fit than a LOT of people in their 20's. And then of course giving BMI vs. any other measurement. What about cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, flexibility or body circumferences?

Once you get started, you can do yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. One thing to keep in mind is that if this is getting people off the couch, I'd venture to say that they are not exercise savvy. This means that their form could be far from correct and the risk of injury is higher than normal. For example, it would be easy to cheat on lunges or pushups and risk injury or not maximizing the exercise.

But those that tested the Wii said the yoga was "pretty cool" and the hula hoop was "fun, and a good way to get your heart rate up". Another commented on the other games like soccer and skiing “It’s really fun — the games are the best part of this thing!”

The bottom line: Wii Fit is a fun way to get some activity, but I don't foresee this taking the place of gym memberships or personal trainers. People buy and play video games for fun. And that's the way it will remain. Of course, the first Wii Fit success story will make me eat those words!

To your health,

Tim

P.S. I'll post my article on the Mayo Clinic study this weekend. If you don't know your bodyfat, you'll definitely want to read it. I've got a little bit of work on Saturday and then some good 'ol R&R. I hope you have a safe, fun, and enjoyable holiday weekend!