cherydactyl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cherydactyl) wrote2008-12-27 12:46 pm
cherydactyl) wrote2008-12-27 12:46 pm
Wii Fit
Wow, is Wii Fit fun! We've been arguing about who gets to use it next. It includes a "body measurement" function that checks and tracks your weight and BMI (Body Mass Index), but it's pretty dependent on the user either weighing themselves with similar clothing load each day, or estimating how much their clothes weigh. It includes a reminder to use the measurement tools every day, which can be done without putting the Fit disc in the Wii via the installed 'Wii Fit Channel.'
I suck at the balance games much more than I thought I would. The aerobics look useful. I tried a few, and they definitely got my heart rate up. I wonder if they are all just a few minutes at a time. Hopefully as you unlock higher challenges one of the things increased is time. I have only done one strength exercise, but it seemed like the starting exercises were more advanced that I would have expected. I started out with push-ups and side plank, which was the one of first exercises available, for example. I had to do the six suggested push-ups from my knees.
I've done the first few yoga poses, and I think it will be helpful in developing my home practice regularity. I'm even thinking about the World Yoga Practice Month for January...30 minutes of yoga every day for the entire month. The apparent order of new yoga poses is a little baffling to me, as Dancer appears to be in the lineup before Up Dog. It teaches tree pose, one of the starting pose options, with the leg on the thigh, which is usually very challenging for a beginner yogi. The pose names are a little off...Sun Salutation seems really to be a half Sun Salutation according to S's report of it, and the Wii Half Moon is not Ardha Chandrasana that I am used to, which is a fairly advanced one-legged asana, but rather a simple side stretch, similar to the "blown palm" that my yoga instructor uses on occasion. I worry about anyone using the Wii Fit as their first yoga instruction, as my trainer/model's knee did a bad thing in Warrior (really Warrior II). One should never, never, never let one's knee slide to the front side; always keep it directly over the foot. Anything else could be really bad news for your knee.
The biofeedback aspect is really interesting. Using a target for center of gravity on the screen in games like the ski jump and slalom are really useful. Some yoga exercises also use a center of gravity target to measure steadiness and help focus. Interestingly, the Wii Fit BMI measurement seems to be getting S and M more aware that they are underweight and need to gain a little. I never would have expected that.
As you complete more activities and master challenges, the game unlocks extra exercises and tools. It doesn't just unlock new things in the area you are working in, but in other areas. I assume that's a deliberate attempt to get the user to change their focus and balance the activities. It really is exercise, because I'm feeling that beautiful soreness that shows I have been working out.
I suck at the balance games much more than I thought I would. The aerobics look useful. I tried a few, and they definitely got my heart rate up. I wonder if they are all just a few minutes at a time. Hopefully as you unlock higher challenges one of the things increased is time. I have only done one strength exercise, but it seemed like the starting exercises were more advanced that I would have expected. I started out with push-ups and side plank, which was the one of first exercises available, for example. I had to do the six suggested push-ups from my knees.
I've done the first few yoga poses, and I think it will be helpful in developing my home practice regularity. I'm even thinking about the World Yoga Practice Month for January...30 minutes of yoga every day for the entire month. The apparent order of new yoga poses is a little baffling to me, as Dancer appears to be in the lineup before Up Dog. It teaches tree pose, one of the starting pose options, with the leg on the thigh, which is usually very challenging for a beginner yogi. The pose names are a little off...Sun Salutation seems really to be a half Sun Salutation according to S's report of it, and the Wii Half Moon is not Ardha Chandrasana that I am used to, which is a fairly advanced one-legged asana, but rather a simple side stretch, similar to the "blown palm" that my yoga instructor uses on occasion. I worry about anyone using the Wii Fit as their first yoga instruction, as my trainer/model's knee did a bad thing in Warrior (really Warrior II). One should never, never, never let one's knee slide to the front side; always keep it directly over the foot. Anything else could be really bad news for your knee.
The biofeedback aspect is really interesting. Using a target for center of gravity on the screen in games like the ski jump and slalom are really useful. Some yoga exercises also use a center of gravity target to measure steadiness and help focus. Interestingly, the Wii Fit BMI measurement seems to be getting S and M more aware that they are underweight and need to gain a little. I never would have expected that.
As you complete more activities and master challenges, the game unlocks extra exercises and tools. It doesn't just unlock new things in the area you are working in, but in other areas. I assume that's a deliberate attempt to get the user to change their focus and balance the activities. It really is exercise, because I'm feeling that beautiful soreness that shows I have been working out.
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Did you see the one labeled "Why NOT every guy should buy their girlfriend the Wii Fit"?
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The sun salutation is indeed missing half of it. I was wondering at that and some of the other poses as well.
I really adore my Wii Fit though overall. Have fun with yours. We spent a lot of time with my sister in law and mother in law playing with it.
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I suspect they didn't think they could reasonably teach a full Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation). I'm kind of glad at that, because I could just imagine some really bad results. The transition from Up Dog to Down Dog, for example, can be really hard on the back unless you have strong enough muscles and good form. I struggle with it, and I have been doing yoga for well over 15 years.
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Will definitely be interesting to see what EA does with their game and their focus. I love biofeedback games. Have used a meditation feedback game for a long time. So I am glad to see these advances being made.