Top Nintendo Wii Fitness Games

Dumbbell Set for the Wii

Generally, getting a workout while playing video games sounds like a contradiction in terms. We usually associate the gaming genre with a sedentary lifestyle, a leading cause of obesity. At first glance, our common sense tells us to avoid "gaming" in order to maximize our health - however, there's an important catch. Wii fitness games aren't like first person shooter games where you sit on your coach and aim your semi-automatic assault weapon at an unwary target, nor are they anything at all like adventure games like Sonic or Mario (well, there is one exception to this rule, which we'll cover later) where you jump around trying to outrun slow-moving bad guys, collect rewards (like mushrooms or weapons in Metroid) and make it to the next difficulty level. Nor will you pound your opponents at close range with your devilish karate or kung fu moves like in Konami's "Street Fighter Turbo" (but you get to try boxing if you want - again, we'll cover this below).

The reality is that Nintendo has sold millions of fitness games - millions (or multiples 1 x 10 to the 6th power for you math geeks) - because they do the opposite. They don't turn you into a "coach potato" (unless you overdo it!), they get you off the coach, onto the exercise mat and into that much desired fat burning zone by engaging your attention in dynamic lifelike scenarios that seem like exercise or fitness related activities, but are really simulated video games. Sounds a little complicated until you turn on your TV and Wii, slip in your game disc, and select your game. Then you're hooked.

Wii Bowling Ball

If I had to rate the #1 reason why the fitness games for Wii work, I'd have to give a short history lesson first about how the Nintendo geniuses over in Tokyo created a revoluationary game to appeal to Japan's extremely busy lifestyle - if you don't know how hard the Japanese industrial or private sector employee works, try reading about their health issues. One of the lesser known causes of death in Japan is death from overwork, a condition caused by exhausting the body while working to point of creating or magnifying health complications leading to cardiac arrest. We might decide from our intellectual loftiness that video games are "just for nerds", or that they absolutely, positively can't make a difference in your health, but the reality is that they really seem to need them in some parts of Japan, a region dominated by active volacoes and immense mountain regions whose means of staying afloat in the international economy has been to produce enormous innovation through perseverence, resourcefulness, and lots of hard work. Ok, I'm off my soapbox for now.

See is believing, but first check out what I've written here and you might just change your conception of video games. As I've said before, I believe that reaching the personal fitness "finish line' with the Nintendo Wii is not only possible; its fun. I've had a blast trying it out. It works, and all in all I'd say the Wii's biggest strength in the fitness category is that it makes a lot of ordinarily boring and inconvenient work at the gym or home workout center into a lot of serious fun (especially for you work-a-holics!).

Nintendo Wii - NEW Amazon Price: $199.99

Turn your living room into a personal gym without needing exercise equipment. The Wii is great for busy people who want to get in their daily exercise goals and have fun doing it. Easy and convenient to use, the Wii is extremely versatile. It allows you to join other users online using Wii Wifi, connects you to games from Playstation, NES, DS, Sega and Xbox with Virtual Console and has a ton of top rated games for the whole family. Wii Sports game included.

Buy Nintendo Wii from $148.98

If you're like me, just getting outside on a blazing summer day or a freezing winter morning to jog around the neighborhood, or driving a few miles in the sweltering car seat is enough to take a serious slice of fun out of my workout. I lose energy that I could spend in the gym getting my body in shape and feeling healthy and alive. In the winter I have to bundle up and than strip down all my layers in the locker room. In the summer, by the time I get to the gym, the last thing I want to do is sweat more than I already have, and I arrive tired from the heat.

I like how the Wii makes it possible to get your heart pumping while it entertains you. Furthermore, the revolutionary design of the Nintendo Wii allows the game console to detect controller movements in 3 dimensions. What does that mean for gym enthusiasts? Read on.

The 3D controller has spawned a whole new generation of cutting-edge video games based on your favorite workout routines, activities and sports. Now you can get in your 45 minutes of aerobics or play a game of tennis on a rainy day without having to shell out hard-earned dough for gas, monthly membership or club fees or even bring your umbrella!

Wii Fitness Games Work

If you need some cold hard facts to convince you of the popularity of Wii Fitness games, read this excerpt from an article on Yahoo that responded to consumer backlash to a story that printed that the "Wii Fit game" was ineffective ("Wii Fit" continues to be the most popular Nintendo Wii fitness game, and is ranked #4 overall by Forbes magazine):

"Wii does work if you are willing to stick with it"

"As an obese female (BMI 40) I was excited when Wii Fit came out. I started using Wii Fit about one month ago. Truthfully, I'm now addicted. I started playing only 15-30 minutes every other day or so, but now do about 2 hours daily. I have seen a dramatic drop in my weight and a huge increase in my stamina..."

"Woman loses 40 pounds to Wii Fit habit"

"I just read the article regarding the lack of use of Wii Fit. Ha!!! My husband bought me the game in September, and I am using it 6-7 days a week. I have lost 40 pounds since using Wii Fit. I still find the advanced hula hoop to be a killer. I have done yoga, balance games, and aerobics. I have also done some strength exercises. I love Wii Fit."

"Wal-Mart manager drops pounds"

"I am a Department Manager at Wal-Mart and every morning Wal-Mart has a morning meeting. We have put the Wii Fitness to the test to see if it works. One of our Assistant Managers has been using it faithfully for, I believe, 2 months (at least 1 month), and she has lost weight in doing so. Before the Wii she did not exercise, and she smoked. She stopped smoking and has been faithful to the Wii Fit. She is raving about the Wii Fit and and seems more energetic."

Clearly, Wii fitness games work

The final question on my mind when I considered purchasing the Wii was its price. I wanted something that slimmed my waist but didn't bore a hole in my pocketbook. Check out how the Wii compares to a simple, no frills gym membership:




The total amounts for Year 1 and Year 5 for the gym membership include a minimal modifier to account for gas spending averages. If you would walk, hang glide, or skateboard to the gym, you're breaking trends and saving the environment. You are awesome.

I like what I see

The numbers add up. Nintendo will net you an average savings of $200.00 after your first year, and over $2,000.00 after 5 years over the life of a regular gym membership if you drive, and slightly less if you make it to the gym without consuming petroleum. Ready to check out all the cool "gym short knocker" games this article promised to show you?

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Wii Fit Game w/ Balance Board
$112.65 on Amazon

Wii Fit is Nintendo's top selling fitness game. The dynamic duo of Wii Sports Resort and the revolutionary Wii Remote brought penalty kicks, hole-in-ones, and match point serves straight into players' living rooms. With Wii Fit, Nintendo converts your living home into a personal fitness center. Family members will have a blast getting a fun "core body" workout, and bragging about their results and progress on the Wii Menu game channel.

Learn to block incoming soccer balls, hit the slopes with Snowboard Slamom or stretch and hold the perfect yoga posture. As Wii Fit players use the Wii Balance Board (included with Wii Fit) their body's overall balance is measured and linked to the workout in an innovative way, a revolutionary technique that allows the game to tailor a customized workout routine to meet their specific needs and goals for each individual session. Wii Fit also uses the Wii balance board for daily weight, balance, and core strength resistance tests to help players track their progress in an interactive progress display.

It's no surprise this has been Nintendo's top-selling fitness game!

Wii Fit Plus With Balance Board
$97.99 on Amazon

Wii Fit Plus offers a wide selection of new features and refinements to Wii Fit to help players renew and enhance their workouts. The game includes new exercises and balance games designed to keep their exercise session entertaining, stimulating, and fun. Players will quickly note the Wii Fit experience's newest time saving feature: they can now easily create their own custom workout routines or choose 20-40 minute workouts based on the amount of time they can set aside to exercise. Players can choose from customized workout routines that focus on their personal fitness goals or that hit targeted areas in the body, such as the "core" muscle group.

Wii Fit Plus also includes the new Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu workouts, giving dedicated players even more cool fitness play. Players can also access dynamic workout stats to track how many calories they burn and can even activate a cool feature that lets them weigh their pets!

Wii Yoga: $36.99 (8% Off)

Wii Yoga can help bring you another step closer to fitness, giving you specific step-by-step guidance from a variety of Yoga Gurus to improve your posture, dexterity and competency. Gurus guide you through a variety of popular Yoga exercises and you can track your progress with a dynamic in game system and create a Yoga schedule to match their individual requirements. The Guru makes customized suggestions to you based on your overall progress, which are calculated using the Wii Balance Board technology.

Yoga for Wii has three interactive game modes: Story Mode where players begin their Yoga training as a beginner and finish as a Yoga Guru. Training Mode where players can learn new poses to supplement their routines; and Routine Mode, a punch drill of yoga poses featuring either user-created or pre-created Yoga routines. There are mini-games to quiz the player's yoga proficiency and default routines created to help alleviate common posture problems and to get the player in their desired Yoga posture for improved health, fitness and relaxation.

Wii Yoga is beneficial to anyone wanting to try Yoga in an interactive environment and allows the user to discover a unique way of training for improved balance, endurance and flexibility while at the same time creating the powerful connection between mind and body which is key for making the most of Yoga for Wii.

Wii Yoga Features

* Perform a multitude of Yoga poses and get immediate feedback through the Balance Board and/or the Wii Remote.
* Follow specially targeted training schedules or get to know the Yoga philosophy with a stroll through the temple.
* Practice in four beautiful levels each with an amazing variety of exercises in varying difficulties.
* Anja Rubik, Worldwide Top 3 Top Model guides you through her favorite Yoga routines.

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