Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board Review

5 Comments

1. MariaSmiles "me" says:

   May 23, 2010 at 9:24 pm

   Review by MariaSmiles “me” for Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
   Rating:
   INTRO:
   
   After years of wanting a Wii, we finally got one! And, of course, like any overly-excited newbie, I couldn’t wait to get the new WiiFit (WiiFit Plus). I picked it up at midnight, with the Balance Board. (TIP: if ur buying from brick-and-mortar stores, call ahead, it took me an hour to convince them that it was ok to sell it to me, and it was already 12:30a!) I got home, set it up (took just a few minutes, mostly unwrapping) and played until 5am! I was nearly falling asleep between games, but it was so much fun, I couldn’t stop! Now, THAT’s a motivator to work out! It even asked if I was a ‘NIGHT OWL’ and I had the option to keep my “day” ‘open’ until 3am, for those late-night workout sessions!

   THE GAMES, & WHY I LOVE THEM:
   
   Without leaving my 12′x12′ living room, I can do: Circus Juggling, Skateboarding, Island Cycling, HulaHooping, Rhythm Parade, Segwaying, & Perfect 10 – these are the ones I like the most right now. My current favorite is the Bulls-Eye game (you flap your arms to ‘fly’ over water and reach platforms!) It’s just awesome! And, it’s cool that most of the activities are all on the same island – so you can bike it, run it, walk it, fly it, segway it, float it, bounce it, etc.! I also like that, in most games (not the Bubble one, tho), you don’t ‘die’ if you do it ‘wrong’. Nothing’s worse than almost getting to the end of a cycling game, and then running into a tree and having to start over – ugh! But, with WiiFit, it’s so pleasant, you just maneuver your way back on track! No stress! Yet, I like that u still do collect points – I already have a competition to ‘beat’ my BF’s scores – I even left him a ‘note’ on the wii to try to beat mine in a couple of games, when he woke up! We haven’t tried the ‘multiplayer’ mode yet.

   STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, & KEEPING TRACK:
   
   I LOVE the ‘make your own’ routine – you pick as many activities as you want, from dozens of Yoga Postures, and Strength Training choices (they even tell you how long the total ‘workout’ will take, as you make your selections) and then you hit ‘start’; and it cycles thru them, one-after-the-other, checking off each one, as you go; and, saving the ‘routine’ for the future. If you don’t need to have that much customization, or if you need more guidance, you can choose from 5 options for a pre-made routine (Lifestyle, Health, Youth, Form, & Combine), or you can click the cute balance board graphic and it creates one for you! The tracking capability is nice, complete with graphs, and a visual calendar which I ‘stamp’ every day I use the WiiFit. You can even add your daily step count AND activities you do outside of the WiiFit! This appeals to my analytical and visual side! Another option it gives you is that you can choose a food (from a selection of 20 or so), and then make a daily goal to burn as many calories as that food has – I didn’t realize sticky rice had so many calories!

   SHOW ME THE NUMBERS:
   
   It calculates your BMI from your user-entered height and a balance board-measured weight. The weight measurement seemed a little off, as it made both me and my BF about 5-10 lbs lighter than we’ve been told, from other scales. But, that’s A-OK with me! It seems like it’s mostly set up to help you lose weight and burn calories (while improving your balance & posture), however my BF and I have different goals – I’m trying to lose 20 lbs, and he’s trying to gain 20 lbs. The Wii did rightfully call him underweight and told him to do strength-training to build muscle. It just laughed at me and told me to ‘strap in’! haha – jk!

   WISHES & BENEFITS:
   
   While it might not be 100% perfect (wish there was no ‘dying’ in the Balance Bubble or Tightrope game; and in the snowball fight, it’d be nice to have the option to physically move my arm to throw, instead of just pushing ‘A’ to throw; skateboarding goes thru a long ‘training run’ every time you play; it would be cool if Super Hula Hoop was more than just Left AND Right circles (like add arms or something); and oh, to be able to enter total calories eaten for the day; etc.), it sure is a LOT of fun and DEFINITELY motivates u to MOVE! The corny but pleasant music, scenery, and challenges are already helping me look forward to getting going in the morning and coming home at night. You earn fit credits, with activities, which then allow you to unlock more advanced activities, giving you a good bit of motivation to keep going – imagine if they gave you ‘legal trade’ currency coins for working out! Plus, it always fits into my schedule: I can do as little as a *minute* of activity or as much as I want! It’s closer than a gym, there’s no monthly dues, you can wear whatever you want, it’s open at 3am, the smoothies are always organic, and (depending on where u play) there isn’t that icky/smelly/sticky/germy/loud atmosphere of a typical gym! Team up with a friend, for a little extra motivation and competition!

   SUMMARY:
   
   For those who aren’t familiar with video games, (or who see them as a ‘waste’ of time) this is a great one to ‘start’ with. The Wii is my first real game system (other than an old Intellivision, we’ve had Super Nintendo, Game Cube, & Playstations in the house, but with all those cryptic buttons and ‘codes’, and my busy schedule, I never bothered with them). However, the Wii was up and running in no time and the ‘controls’ are very intuitive. I’ve even had a lot of ‘older’ people playing and having fun, in short order! The Balance Board was easy to set up, easy to figure out, and is SUPER fun to play with, oh, and I burned a boatload of calories – woo-hoo! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Wii Balance Board AND the WiiFit Plus!

   UPDATE:
   
   Did another 30 mins this afternoon: tried the Penguin Game and the Flame and the Tightrope – all were lots of fun (keeping the flame still was a little stressful with noisy neighbors!)

   UPDATE 2:
   
   My parents just came over and I had them try it out, using the “Trial” mode, so they didn’t have to go through the in-depth setup process – my mom really liked the HulaHoop activity and my dad really liked the Bull’s Eye activity (where you flap your wings to fly and land on targets!) We had such a great time – it was hilarious to watch each other!! The trial mode is a great feature – it lets you share your WiiFit Plus experience with guests who are not looking to set up a whole profile and get weighed and do balance tests, etc. Of course, there are those ‘measurement’ options in the Trial mode, if a guest user so chooses, they just won’t be able to save their profile.

   I rely on reviews here at Amazon, to help me make informed buying choices. I hope this review has helped you in the same manner. If you voted this as helpful, I Thank You!
   
2. Cynthia James says:

   May 23, 2010 at 9:26 pm

   Review by Cynthia James for Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
   Rating:
   Ok, so I’m in my mid 40′s, I’ve broken everything from my neck in 2 places to my ankle in 3 places, my knees were rammed into an engine block at 65mph when I was 25 and haven’t been right since, ad in 2 concussions in this lifetime so I don’t have the best balance to boot. Then toss in a nice little dose of being peri-menopausal and HATING doing anything outside in the FL Summer, which lasts for 7 months of 90 degree plus weather, and sprinkle that with a tad of depression from NOT being outside which doesn’t exactly have you running about the house singling merrily while pushing a vacuum and you have 15 extra lbs that you haven’t a CLUE where those little suckers came from , and you are flopping and sagging in places you never knew you had to begin with to ad insult to the poundage! Now according to the wii I’m just above normal putting me in the barely overweigh category, but I FEEL overweight and I know I’ve gotten weaker/un toned and I FEEL it.

   I know I needed to and WANTED to get and feel more fit but I HATE gyms, gym rats, the stereo typical gym ANYTHING. I don’t want some sleek 20 year old in my face saying “AGAIN, do it AGAIN” I,.e. (you want to look like me, you never ever will..but try, try HARDER) No thanks!
   
   I don’t want some guy telling me ‘a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips!’ either. And tho I think I’ve seen every late nite infomercial for every get fit contraption there is, and nope, I have not parted ways with my $19.95 yet, nor is their a bow flex in the corner of every room, yet I see many of them for sale in the flyer for $50 bucks HMMMMMMM!

   So, for about a year now I’ve been eyeing the nintendo wii with the wii fit. Here, there, everywhere. Then they drop the price. Hmmmm And then they come out with a wii fit PLUS…HMMMMMM. Ok, so me and my $300 dollars took a chance and parted ways. (for the console plus the balance board and wii fit plus)

   I LOVE THIS THING! Not only does it calculate your BMI and weight and all that. (Even has a place for you to put Fido or Fluffy on the “scale” but I’ve been too selfish to share yet and see what that’s all about. IT’S FUN! And don’t let the little weeble looking characters fool you, you WILL get a work out. But what’s great, is you’re actually smiling because it is cute and engaging and you don’t feel the pain till after the fact. And you find yourself wanting to…go do some more, too! I’ve given it a dedicated TV and room so I can just wander in there and do 1 or 2 exercises, or spend an hour. It also tells you how many calories you’ve burned for each activity and keeps a running tab-it will tell you how long each day you worked out (cumulative) as well as calories burned, (so I can have that moment on the lips without the lifetime on the hips) for each actively as well as for the day. And IT’S CUTE and it’s FUN, I cant say that enough. And it may look easy, but ITS NOT.

   Now I think any GQ gym rat out there who can do 500 chin ups and runs 5 miles every morning might laugh at it. But if you are just an average person who doesn’t want to get out of shape or out of shape person, which are about 90% of us, then its great. Their are a couple more serious sections, Yoga and Weight Training I think, that have more adult looking trainers to guide you, but the rest of the activities are colorful and you are a “weeble”. And it lets you know when you are doing great or not so great, and it is not belittling at all, if anything it makes you want to try to do better next time.

   My ONLY complaint is I hate have to push “A” 3 times to get to a game I already played and know how to play-now if you push A fast you can skip past the tutorials pretty quickly, but it still annoys me, because I want to PLAY IT AGAIN. But on a good note, you can walk away from it or get off of it without messing everything up.

   And as a person who has been beaten up pretty bad (auto wreck, high speed horse wreck/fall) and who has spent WAAAAAYY tooo much of her life in PT (which can be even MORE depressing than a gym), let me say this, THIS is a GREAT rehab tool. If they would have had one of these in the hospital I would have gotten so much better so much faster. I hope PT rehabs/hospitals and even nursing homes will get and use these! My leg isn’t right, nor are my knees or my balance for that matter, but, wow, I can see improvement already! And I go to bed happily sore, but look forward to DOING IT AGAIN! So even if you have some disability you can still use this! I even cheat when my leg has had enough and can sit on the board and use my tush for some of the games just as well, and I’m still active and moving my upper half! Oh and another helpful hint…don’t do it barefoot like on the box, at the very least wear socks and after hurting the bottom of my sensitive footsie, I now wear rubber soled lightweight slippers to give some cushy to the bottom of my boney feet. Works GREAT.

   The only thing I find a little disturbing is the board says something like “ouch” or “oh” when you step on it. If my scale did that I never would have put on 15lbs LOL!

   So what are you waiting for…GO BUY THIS, (and I suggest a bottle of Motrin,and maybe a heating pad, because you’ll be having too much fun to notice the pain and soreness till after the fact!)
3. G. Serra says:

   May 23, 2010 at 10:10 pm

   Review by G. Serra for Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
   Rating:
   So, after 5 days playing and getting exercises with my Wii Fit Plus (from now on WFP), I think I am ready to write a review, I will try to make it short but useful as possible. (English is not my native language, you will notice immediately).

   First, about me:
   
   I do not go to the gym (have tried but don’t get used to), nor do exercises, or run… but I do move around a lot because of my job, I work on the field, so I have to walk a lot, also I do eat consciously, from December 2008 to nowadays I have lost 15 lbs and was decided to not go back.
   
   So I was looking at Wii Fit this summer, and knew about WFP and decided to wait. Meanwhile, I was on the blogs, the forums, online videos, about people experience about this game, and I wanted to get fit and have fun.

   Then, I got WFP:
   
   I explored the games, the routines, I was doing my daily body tests, I am true about this and I want to get fit. At the end of the second day with WFP, I felt the lack of exercises in my body, for example the Rhythm Kung Fu, some think this mini game is lame, but my biceps were hurting, probably because of the fast move of the arms forward. The Jack-knife made my abs to shake, I was amazed about how weak I was, when I try to hold a pose and start shaking after 10 seconds, I struggle to keep the poses because I know it is working out my body; I feel it, a start to a better life, so, if you are true about this game, pardon, “Investment”, you will feel the work out.

   Game play review:
   
   The game fits my needs; I have a wide variety of choosing how and where I want to work out. Example I can choose a category of exercises to work my arms, abs, legs, etc. Also I can combine those to avoid interruption, and the best of all for me, I can select how long I want to work out, 10 minutes, 15, 30… and the game will arrange the exercises to fit that time, in any of Yoga, Yoga & Strength, or Strength only category, and as you do the poses, the game will put a checkmark on it and continue, so you will “carpe diem” that time as much as possible.

   About the balance board:
   
   I notice immediately something was not right about my weight according to WFP, so I compared my weight on the balance board to a professional scale (you know, like one of those the doctors have on their office), the scale is calibrated correctly, 1 litter of water is exactly 1 kg, since the weight I get from the pro scale is as I am, with my cloths on (unless I want to weight without cloths, then I will have to weight without cloths on the balance board, that would be the more accurate weight of your body), I chose a cero lb discount (the part where I am asked to select the weight of my cloths), and I did the numbers, and found out and offset of 3 pounds, exactly 3 pounds, my balance board is measuring 3 pounds lower than real weight, and I use the balance board on hard floor, so I do not need the leg extensions.

   Other than that, it is very sensitive and does the job… oh! by the way, you will need a yoga mat if you work on hard floor, as some poses requires you to bend on your knees, and if your hands are sweating, or your feet, you will slide off, so get a yoga mat for extra grip and soften bones/floor contact.

   So, that’s it, my final review, invest on WFP, do not get it just for the games, they do work you out, but I think this game is targeted to do the fit exercises (Yoga and Strength), after your routine, play some mini games to “carpe diem” your daily use of WFP, as those counts too towards your kcal goal (or Cal, with capital C) and time spent.
4. Shannon B Davis says:

   May 23, 2010 at 10:33 pm

   Review by Shannon B Davis for Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
   Rating:
   After having owned the Wii Fit Plus for two months now, I would like to update my review. The Wii Fit continues to deliver fun to my household. After two months, everyone in my family still jumps onto it almost every day to do a body test, and play a few games. We’ve also used it as a party game, using the multiplayer to entertain a multi-aged group from a preschooler through adults. I recently read that while the Wii Fit isn’t a true workout, its goal isn’t that – the goal is to get people off the couch and moving. To that end, it’s great and it’s appropriate for all ages.

   The strength of this title is in its fun mini-games, if you see them as physical games rather than a “workout”. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’re going to love it. It’s a great way to get the whole family involved in an active activity, one that you can do inside on a rainy day. After all, anything you do standing up burns more calories than sitting down, which is why I have always used my Wii standing up since I bought it. You can use the balance board for other Wii-based fitness titles, so whether you enjoy this game or not, you do get the balance board. Most of my review, however, will be about the game. In brief, the balance board is an amazing piece of technology and I have no criticism of it.

   The balance games are lots of fun. I consider myself to have excellent balance – and indeed – I score very high on a single leg balance, but these games are really challenging. It’s an interesting idea to play the equivalent of a marble balance game, only you are the marble – or in some cases – the board. Balance Bubble and Obstacle Course are two of my favorite mini-games. Balance Bubble detects shifts in your balance as you guide a delicate bubble down a watercourse without getting popped. Obstacle Course has you running and jumping, almost like a live Super Mario Bros. I am also a yoga enthusiast, and I did feel that the yoga segments led me to have better form through the awareness of my balance. The hula hoop game was far more fun than real hula hoop, where I spend most of my time picking up the hoop again. Another great minigame is Island Cycling, where you cycle through an item picking up flags, trying to find the shortest route. Most of the games engage your mind as well as your body, which is perhaps the reason why we keep coming back to play. Some of the strength workouts were very challenging, such as the pushup and side plank. Overall, the minigames that make up the workouts are a lot of fun.

   I definitely can see how this game is appropriate for older adults, as I’ve heard it recommended for them. There is a focus on safety, and the activities start out very easy. The game will suggest that you get help or lean up against a wall. The workouts are not very long, and they might just be at the right level for a new exerciser who wants to improve their fitness. For someone that works out all the time, these workouts are not that challenging. I did not sweat, for example, as I do with EA Active from time to time. I also found my heart stopped pumping as fast when an activity would end and I’d have to pick the next one. I use other Wii games and exercise videos for my real workout, but that doesn’t stop me from spending 5-15 minutes every day with my Wii Fit. I may not be burning a lot of calories, but I’ve become very competitive with my family members on certain minigames.

   And that’s certainly a motivating factor on the Wii Fit. You can see your scores stacked up against other people in your family. The game truly involves the whole family. It will ask me why my spouse hasn’t been around lately. Plus, you can use the Wii Fit Plus for BabyStats (weighing your baby) and PetStats. We don’t have a pet, but I do have an infant. The Wii Fit Plus has really cute “messages” for your baby, like “Don’t eat things that are on the floor.” I come back every day to compete against myself, in the Body Test, but I also come back to make sure I maintain my top score in Balance Bubble!

   The game is certainly cute in that trademark Nintendo way. You are represented by your Mii, and the workouts take out in cute locations. The graphics are not equal to anything you’d see on other game systems or even other games – but they don’t have to be. You get the point, and besides, it’s quite cheery. For example, the running activity actually takes you on a jog outside on an attractive island. The Kung Fu fighting game takes place in a mountaintop temple.

   However, with all these pluses in the Wii Fit Plus, there are some downsides – or at least some people may see them as downsides. The game starts out with a big wake-up call about your weight, but not all users necessarily need to hear it. When I started the game, I was only three months postpartum and was in the process of losing the baby weight at the slow recommended pace, through breastfeeding, diet and exercise. I feel pretty fit and work out a lot. So, having the game tell me “dah dah dah dah – You’re Overweight!” was a message I was quite familiar with but not looking to have it rubbed in. You may choose to skip the daily body test, but the game will nag you and then you can be told you’re overweight every day. It adjusts the avatar from skinny to fat to demonstrate how you supposedly look (and nevermind your T&A – all the Miis are apple-shaped). Next, I was presented with a balance game that I had never seen before. I didn’t quite understand it, so next I hear that my Wii Age is “51″, two decades older than I actually am. Then the game suggested that I lower my BMI to 22, when I have always been happy at around 23 and am aiming to get back there. 24 and lower is considered healthy, and that’s not even considering that BMI is irrelevant to athletes. So, I’m not a big fan of the negative reinforcement. My best friend was visiting but before we could create her an account to play with us, she had to go through the body test. It actually bummed her out, because like me, she’s fit but she also spends much of life dieting and exercising to stay that way. Like many women, she has a complex about her body! I did find out later that you can play the multiplayer Wii with Guest users and not subject your friends to the Body Test. If someone were recovering from an eating disorder, this game’s focus on weight alone as a meter of fitness could be a dangerous thing. The plucky little Wii board character that gives you tips and tricks comes across, to me, as condescending. For example, I may have done a five mile run the day before, and not got on my Wii. So, I’ll hear a message about how I should work out every day and not skip days. The Wii Fit is a bit self-centered, not realizing that you may have other workout routines that do not involve it! Also, it nudges you about your family members. My best friend came to visit and played on the Wii with me, as I previously mentioned. She lives three hours away, so she hasn’t logged in since then – now the Wii asks me every day how G is doing and why she isn’t playing!

   Ironically, it’s not much of a workout so the Wii Fit itself won’t be contributing much to my bottom line so to speak. As I said, EA Active and some other exercise videos and fitness activities will do more for that. So that’s why I feel it oversteps its bounds in that area. I wish it was just minigames. EA Sports Active could stand to pick up some of these features! I do love Wii Fitness Coach, which can build up to be a really hard workout (i.e. breathing hard, sore the next day from the strength training). I’ve also heard that Jillian Michael’s Fitness Ultimatum is a good game, although I haven’t tried it. So of all the wii-based fitness titles, the Wii Fit Plus is probably the least of a workout. However, it’s the most like a game, and therefore may keep people’s attention better, especially kids.
5. Virginia says:

   May 23, 2010 at 10:55 pm

   Review by Virginia for Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board
   Rating:
   I purchased the Wii specifically for this set (Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board) after reading about a few differently-abled users.

   I am wheelchair bound 70% of the time, on a cane 30% of the time after 3 spinal surgeries (I have multiple congenital spinal disorders) and was VERY surprised at how many games I can play! Many of the walking based games can be played just standing there and moving your arms. I’ve even sat on the board to play the some of the balance based games. When I stand, 60-80% of my weight is supported by my left leg (I basically drag my right one) and the balance games have helped me to regain some of the muscle in my right leg on days when I can stand. I can do 5 of the yoga poses, play about 1/2 of the balance games, and maybe 1/3 of the aerobics games. Strength training is out for me. But the bonus games are a blast…btw, the bubble game can be played sitting down!

   Since the board is so low, I’ve found I can step on and off of it (a big wow for me since I can’t even walk un-aided) so that also adds to the games I can play.

   Best of all…it is genuinely fun! I find myself playing every day…sometimes twice a day. And I SWEAT! ME! I am sooooo happy to have something I can do that is safe, I can do at home, I can use with a walker if I need, or sit on my bad days and STILL get a good workout.

   Even better is that my incredibly in-shape husband can take the SAME GAME, put it on advanced, and be sweating himself in no time!

   My favorite is the sitting Zen balance game. You sit on the board, back straight, keeping balanced as a candle slowly burns down with nice background sounds and a truly relaxing atmosphere. It’s 2 minutes of peace and balance that I always look forward to at the end of my workout.

   I recommend this to ANYONE with disabilities. My 85 yr old home-bound grandmother could find 10 games she could play. And the basic Wii Sports games that come with the Wii are all wheelchair friendly. No board needed and I’ve played ALL five (boxing, bowling, golf, tennis and baseball) from my chair. I never thought I’d bowl again…what a blast!

   In short…if you’re disabled, don’t write this one off. If you can stand with a walker and move your legs at ALL, you can play lots of games; if you can sit unaided (or maybe rig a backrest) then you can play even more; if you are completely wheelchair bound, I’d stick with the Wii Sports it comes with as all games can be played from your chair.

   Have fun…I am!!