It is estimated that a woman puts on roughly two stone during pregnancy – a weight that takes nine months to put on and for a lot of women, almost as much time, if not more to come off again.
Of course, much of this is lost at the time of birth, with the baby itself being responsible for roughly 7lb. With the trauma that the body has gone through during pregnancy and birth, it is often difficult to get back into exercise. The Wii Fit concept is a great way to get back into shape.
Setting A Goal
The beauty of Wii Fit is that the player works at their own pace. At the beginning of the game the player is introduced to his or her ‘personal trainer’ of which gender can be chosen. Each is fairly inoffensive and provides visual aids to each exercise.
The game runs an assessment of each player based on age and by running them through a series of ‘balance tests’ which assess fitness and athletic ability. These are easy to manage and give the player a ‘Wii Fit age”, similar to some of the best online casinos.
The player is then weighed, and a BMI score is given which indicates either underweight, ideal, overweight or obese. Depending on the player’s aspirations they can choose a goal of weight loss or just maintaining current standards within a time frame. The game will map on a graph the player’s weight gain or loss over this time period.
Setting a goal like this encourages the player. Wii Fit also gives fitness advice, which is helpful and gives a realistic view to weight loss. Women who have recently given birth will find that the Wii Fit sets realistic targets and offers gentle, friendly encouragement.
Puts The Fun Into Fitness
Another helpful component of Wii Fit is the time bank. After each game or exercise is completed, the player banks it into a piggy bank, hence keeping track of the amount of time spent on exercise. It is another way in which to hit targets, with every 30 minutes completed being added up in order to unlock new games or exercises.
Each game or exercise can be upgraded, dependant on ability or time spent on the exercise. This gives a steady advancement to the exercises and allows the player to go at their own pace without being made to feel like they are doing things they are not ready for; perfect for post-pregnancy when the body is still recovering.
There are a variety of balance games and yoga which help to improve posture and pelvic alignment, and for more vigorous interaction there are aerobic and muscle workouts, each designed to work on specific areas of the body. Different workouts are suggested by the ‘personal trainer’ which will give the most impact on individual muscle groups.
Most importantly, the games, workouts and exercises are challenging, yet fun with lots of colorful encouragement given and a leadership board so players can compete with one another. The games are difficult yet addictive and encourage improved posture – something which can be forgotten in the foray of competition.
Friendly Fitness Without The Gym
Many new mothers are often too tired or unable to make it to the gym due to their new commitments. Wii Fit provides a platform for exercise in the living room away from the prospectively daunting atmosphere of the gym. The format means that it can be completed at any time of the day and at different intervals, say, around children’s nap times.
Wii Fit is also user-sensitive, meaning that if desired, a password can be put on a player’s profile in order to keep vital statistics private. This means that although the player’s data is automatically saved, it is only visible to the password-holder.
Wii Fit is thus a friendly, fun way to get fit in the comfort of your own living room, and offers a genuine fitness experience that can be beneficial to women post-pregnancy. It is also family-friendly and, if nothing else, offers a brilliant interactive experience.
Apart from the Wii Fit and keeping fit during pregnancies, the expecting mothers can also have a good time playing a couple of great Wii games like Mario Kart. Below are some details:
Modes of Exercise
Yoga – A series of real yoga poses, including Sun Salutation and Downward-Facing Dog.
Strength Training – Push-ups, stretches, ab exercises, to name a few.
Aerobics – Running and dancing exercises, such as running in place while your Mii takes a scenic run through the park.
Balance Games – Activities such as skiing, walking a tightrope, and snowboarding.
Video Game Customization
If the player hasn’t already created a Mii on the Wii, they should do so before playing Wii Fit. Miis are custom avatars. They can be customized as to hair color and style, face shape, eye color, and much more. Miis make appearances in certain games, and in Wii Fit the player choose your Mii as their profile.
The Mii’s body shape represents the player’s own. The Balance Board measures weight, and the player enters their own height, so that the game can calculate their BMI, or Body Mass Index. As weight is lost, the Mii gets thinner as well. During certain exercises the other Miis on the system will stand by cheering the player on, so it is fun to make some Miis for family members and friends so they can be seen in-game.
Exercise Progress Graphs
Wii Fit keeps track of a player’s weight, BMI, age, and activity level over time. The game contains graphs so the player can look back to see their progress as you keep using the game. The more the game is played, the more features get unlocked. There will be new activities to perform, so the player has little mini-goals to work toward.
As with any exercise program, one’s success depends on how well they keep up with it. Even if a player doesn’t want to lose weight, the game can help them gain strength and improve flexibility. Or They can do some yoga to relax after work. Wii Fit isn’t a magical weight loss device, but it is a new twist on keeping fit.
