On Day 1 I burnt off 68 Calories.

On Day 2 I burnt off 103 Calories.

On Day 3 I burnt off 84 Calories.

On Day 4 I burnt off 173 Calories

Day 5 is the final daily entry in this series, although further updates will reported as appropriate.

Day 5

For day 5 I put my own routine together again.

The first exercise on Day 5 was Rhythm Kung Fu which is a light hearted and easygoing copy cat rhythm exercise.

Using the balance board, Wii Remote and Wii Nunchuk, you need to copy the movements and timing of the other Mii’s on screen, to form basic kung fu style actions and stances. In it’s basic form Rhythm Kung Fu isn’t the most challenging of exercised, but it’s not supposed to be, it’s short, sweet and about balance.

Rhythm Kung Fu burnt off approx 13 calories.

The next exercise as part of  the routine was the Jogging plus game. Obviously the game is very similar to the original Wii Fit jogging game (shown left) with a couple of differences. Rather then following a Mii trainer you follow a Dog or Cat around the course, after which you are asked a number of observational questions about landmarks you have passed.

Jogging is still performed using just the Wii Remote held in the hand or stored in a pocket, and after completing the beginner course I had burnt off 16 calories, and it unlocked the  next course.

The third activity today was the advanced course of the cycling game, as described on Day 4. However I knew the course better today so ended up cycling less distance and burning off less calories. This isn’t a time challenge so if you are interested in losing weight then feel free to take the scenic route, on this occasion I burned off approx 54 calories, and also unlocked the Island view course.

In total on Day 5 the exercises took 17 mins and burned off approx 86 Calories which is about the same as 56 g of smoked Salmon.

End of Week Summary.

The exercises on Day 1 lasted 8 mins and burnt off approx 68 calories

The exercises on Day 2 lasted 16 mins and burnt off approx 103 calories

The exercises on Day 3 lasted 14 mins and burnt off approx 84 calories

The exercises on Day 4 lasted 35 mins and burnt off approx 173 calories

The exercises on Day 5 lasted 17 mins and burned off approx 86 Calories

In total the exercises lasted 90 mins and burned off approx 514 Calories

On Day 1 I burnt off 68 Calories.

On Day 2 I burnt off 103 Calories.

On Day 3 I burnt off 84 Calories.

Day 4

For Day 4 I decided to put my own routine together rather then use one of the predefined routines.

I did this through browsing through the list of frequently used activities in the My Wii Fit Section.

The first exercise today was Advanced Rhythm Boxing, which takes the basics of the Rhythm Boxing and expands them with a longer time span and more complex routines . Some of the routines were so complex that I ended up forgetting some of them.

Despite my difficulties the Advanced Rhythm Boxing managed to burn off approx 51 calories.

Next I chose the Cycling exercise (see day 2) which not only burnt approx 17 calories but also unlocked the Advanced Cycling Exercise which I promptly started.

Building on the basic cycling game, the advanced version adds a longer course with more flags to collect and with added hills. Hills certainly take some getting up and they turn the game into quite a serious exercise. The down hill sections on the map come as a welcome relief.

During the Advanced Cycling Exercise I burnt of approx 76 Calories.

The final exercise today was the Step Plus routine. The Step routines simulate astep aerobics exercise  class, and you have to step on and off the Balance Board in time and from the direction that the sequence displays on screen. There is a well timed backing track that is played whilst you exercise.

Using the Advanced step routine I burnt off Approx 29 calories so it was a nice, steady and enjoyable exercise.

In total today routine took 35 mins and burnt off approx 173 Calories which is roughly the same as a 150 g portion of Chicken Fricassee

On Day 1 I burnt off 68 Calories.

On Day 2 I burnt off 103 Calories.

Day 3

Using the ‘My Wii Fit Plus’ mode I chose the Waste Reduction Routine and Wii Fit put together a 3 part routine for me.

The first Exercise routine I took part in was the Jackknife muscle workout. In the Jackknife you lay down on your back on the floor with your feet on the Balance Board.

The on screen trainer then talks you through the exercise where you lift your legs and head into the air at the same time to form a V shape, this is repeated for 10 reps, and you will feel the pull in your muscles.

The second routine today was the Single Leg Twist Muscle Workout. In this workout you stand on the Balance Board and raise one leg up to your waist height whilst bending your knee so that your feet are facing the floor, and then putting it down on the board again.

This is repeated ten times for each leg.

The final exercise today was the Snowball Fight training plus exercise. For the Snowball Fight game your Mii is hidden behind a protective wall, and you control it by leaning left or right on the board. By leaning to the left your Mii jumps out to the left of the barrier and by leaning to the right your Mii jumps out to the right of the barrier. When out in the open you use the Wii Remote to aim and throw snowballs at the other combatants, in the fun and gentle exercise.

In total the 3 exercises took 5 mins of exercise and burnt off approx 19 Calories which is the same as a 15 gram portion of olives.

Keen to keep up the good work I repeated the Over Indulged routine from Day 1.

In total today my exercises took 14 mins and burnt off 84 Calories, the same as 1 cup of fresh blueberries.

On Day 1 I burnt off 68 Calories.

Day 2

Using the ‘My Wii Fit Plus’ mode I chose the The Leaner Mii Routine and Wii Fit put together a 3 part routine for me

The first part of the routine was the Hula Hoop games which is an aerobic exercise.The Hula Hoop games uses the Balance Board to detect when you rotate your hips.

The faster you rotate the faster your Mii Hula’s on screen, occasionally other hoops are thrown at you and you have to lean to the correct side to catch them, the more hoops you have spinning at any one time the higher your score.

The second part of the routine was the cycling game which is a training plus exercise. The cycling game simulates riding a bike by getting you to jog on the balance board whilst steering the bike using the Wii Remote like a steering wheel, it’s a system that works quite well.

In the cycling game you have to navigate around the town collecting flags and your time is recorded – although you are you not racing against the clock. The cycling game provides a good workout.

The third exercise in the routine was the Skateboarding game which is another training plus exercise.

For the Skateboarding game you turn the balance board sideways so that it resembles a skate board. To play the game you kick off and then lean left or right to steer, as you skate around the arena hitting small jumps to score points.

The 3 exercises in the routine took about 8 mins and burnt off approx 39 Calories.

I was a little disappointed with the number of calories burnt off and as I had a little spare time I repeated the Over Indulged routine from Day 1

Taking both routines into account I had burnt off approx 103 Calories which equates to about  107g of baked cod or 15g of Walnuts.

I followed the exercises with a steady walk.

We all put on a few pounds & a lot of us will have received Wii Fit or Wii Fit Plus for Christmas.

But is Wii Fit a genuine fitness aid or just a cash cow for Nintendo, albeit a fun one

I thought I would try Wii Fit Plus for myself to see if  it can be used to drop a few pounds or at least slow down the weight gain during this festive time.

Using the ‘My Wii Fit Plus’ mode I’m going to try out the pre-build fitness programs, one program each day to see if there is any short term benefit.

Day 1

Using the ‘My Wii Fit Plus’ mode I chose the Over Indulgence option and Wii Fit put together a 3 part routine for me.

The first part of the routine was the Jogging game which is an Aerobic exercise. The jogging game doesn’t require the Wii Fit Balance Board, instead you put the Wii Remote in your pocket and hold it in your hand and perform a jogging motion.

As you jog your Mii mirrors you on screen as you follow a trainer on screen, the aim is not to beat the trainer in a face but to run at about 60% of your Max speed and to follow him around the Island. Jogging can build up a sweat if you aren’t used to the game so try not to push yourself to much.

The Second part of the Routine  was another Aerobic Exercise in Rhythm Boxing. Unlike the Wii Sports Boxing Game you don’t face an opponent, instead you have to punch a Punching Bag to a Rhythm defined by the trainer.

The Boxing Games uses the Wii Remote, Wii Nunchuk, and balance board to track the position of your hands and feet.  You will really start to feel the strain in your arms as your progress through this exercise, it will also test your memory as you get more complex rhythms to follow.

The third and final Exercise in today’s Routine  was a muscle workout called Lunge.

The exercise uses the Wii Balance board to track your balance as you perform 10 reps with each leg, the in game trainer talks you through how to do the exercise. Whilst doing the Lunges may seem like a more relaxed form of exercise by the end of the routine you will certainly be feeling your legs by the end of the Reps.

In total the 3 exercises came to about 8 mins and burnt off approx 68 calories with equates to a portion of peaches in syrup.

I followed the exercises with a brisk 20 min walk.