I'm thinking about asking for a Wii Fit for my birthday, but I'm wondering what kind of work out you get with it. I love our Wii, and I can see how it might translate into exercise. Does it really get your heart rate going? Does it tone your muscles? What are your favorite games?

It would depend on fit you are to begin with.

For me personally, it's an amusing occasional addition to what I already do. On the other hand, if I would have started with it, at 295 pounds and no exercise experience I think it would have been a more useful and powerfully motivating tool.

We have a few games, including the Jillian Michaels one. My heart rate doesn't really increase, but it's certainly higher than when I sit at the computer! It's a fun family thing to do.

I enjoy hula hooping, a few of the strength training moves, running in place and the repeated squats on the J.M. game.

I would like to add a second question to this thread:

How much would I spend to buy the whole thing, since I don't have nothing. To purchase everything so I would be able to use the games for the wii fit how much should I be saving?

I believe the console is $250.00, the Wii Fit anywhere from $80-$130. The games are $40-$60 each. Our console was a Christmas present from my MIL to my son so some of the numbers are a google guess

We bought the Wii Fit from Sam's for $120.00, it included a game we didn't want - so my unscrupulous husband returned it to Walmart for $60.00, costing us $60.00 in the end.

I wouldn't have bought it on my own - spendier than a year's membership at the gym! My MIL spares no expense on my son though - so we lucked out.

Funny you should post this! I work at a health magazine that just did a short on this topic. It stated that there was a recent study done on the effectiveness of the Wii Fit. They tested the golf, tennis, boxing, bowling and baseball games and tested the participants heart rates. All 5 games increased heart rates and burn anywhere from 3.1 to 7.2 calories per minute compared to the 1.8 calories burned with a sedentary video game.

Hope this helps!

It depends on what you do on the Wii Fit. This morning I did advanced step (which just makes me laugh), and expert boxing and super hula hoop. I worked up a pretty good sweat with the last two. It also depends on how hard you work it. With the boxing, you don't get any extra points for how hard you hit, but I feel a big difference if I'm really into it. And for hula hoop it helps to have a goal. My goal this morning was to get 2000 spins, and I got like 1960, it was a pretty good workout to get the numbers up that high. Personally I don't feel like I get much out of step or running. But I do like the option of doing 30 minutes of step and being able to change the channel and watch tv while doing it (the wii remote beeps to keep you in time with the steps). It's a much better option than sitting on the couch to watch tv.

As far as cost -
A Wii is about $250 and Wii fit with the balance board is like $90.

Thanks for your input!

For our Wii, I went to the local gaming store and figured out exactly what we needed, and then I looked for a good deal on eBay. I'll do the same thing if we buy a Wii Fit

That helps a lot, thanks!

That's interesting. It sounds like they tested Wii Sports (which has golf, tennis, boxing, bowling, and baseball) which are regular games using the regular controller.

Wii Fit has the balance board and is designed to increase fitness, so I would actually expect the numbers for using it to be higher than the Wii Sports numbers.

Wii Fit, in my opinion, is very limited. I've actually ditched the Wii Fit yoga in favor of actual yoga, mostly because of the delay between poses. In yoga, everything should flow... you shouldn't have to pick up your Wiimote to try to fast forward through your stats and the trainer's rambling at the end of every pose. So don't even bother with the yoga, really.

The aerobics workouts are the only ones that get me going. I do super hula hoop and long distance run. Those two will definitely raise your heart rate and work up a sweat. Of course, any workout video could easily do the same thing.

More than anything, I use the Wii Fit with my balance board to check my BMI and weight everyday. You can set goals and it comes up with a chart showing losses and gains, as well. Mine is pretty much a glorified scale at this point. Fortunately, my grandma bought me the whole system so I don't have to be miffed about wasting any money on it. :P

I just read this morning on a fitness guy's blog that he's got Wii-itis.
His shoulder got inflamed from playing too much Wii tennis!
I can feel it in my shoulder and elbows too when I play too much tennis and baseball.

My daughter has done the WiiFit more than I have.
I feel like I get a pretty good workout with the boxing.
The other day I was mad at my boss, so I "virtually" challenged her in a boxing match and I won-LOL!!
It was great for stress relief!

I didn't really care for the Wii Fit. First of all, I didn't want to weight myself that often. Weight Watchers, which I'm using, doesn't really recommend that. I also didn't think a lot of the games were that challenging. I liked the Advanced Step so I could change the channel and watch tv while to Board still counted my steps. In the end, I feel like I get a better workout using the Wii Sports that the console came with. I really enjoy the boxing. I actually sold my Wii Fit after a few weeks finding that I didn't turn to it that often after the novelty wore off.

Love getting all this input, thanks!

When I do the advanced hula, the advanced step and the advanced boxing, it really makes me sweat. The hula is the real killer. Ack!!! I am usually begging my husband to finish my hula for me after the first 5 minutes or so but he likes to watch me squirm and whine as I finish it. You've got to unlock all the advanced ones though. I really love the soccer balance game. At first I couldn't stop getting hit by the shoes, now I have a score of 555 which is the highest you can get! Perfection! Bwa ah ahhh! The secret to that is that I did it like 30 times in a row. Excessive, yes. The strength moves are really great too, I like the advanced plank... or the plank test against the trainer. That's fun stuff. Very hard.

I like it It isn't much of a real work out if you've been exercising (except the strength & advanced boxing...I love those!) for a while but it helps people get up and get started or if you & your /friends/family are anything like my DH & I....you can turn it into a friendly competitive thing

I LOVE The Yoga. I never did yoga before so using the wii fit for that has helped. As far as having you click your way through your stats etc, take your time. Its okay to wait 10 seconds before your next pose. Yoga shouldnt be rushed. I do the Wii Fit at night and the treadmill in the morning. Anything is better than just sitting down and watching tv or being in front of a computer. It's also a lot of fun!