Wii Fit Brings Exercise to the Couch

Friday, May 30, 2008

Page 15

AT THE SIDEBAR (Column)

Wii Fit Brings Exercise to the Couch

By J’AMY PACHECO

Last Christmas, I did something that was sort of out of character for me. I bought my family a Wii video game system.

As I’ve mentioned here before, I’m not really much of a video gamer. The one game I got hooked on, an online “virtual” version of my favorite theme park, closed unexpectedly a few weeks ago. I’m still in mourning for the tiny, yellow-haired girl character I nurtured for almost three years, and remain traumatized enough by her loss that I am unlikely to get sucked into a game again. But that’s another story.

I bought the Wii video game system because I thought it would be something my husband and daughter could do together on their free weekends. My daughter works extraordinarily hard in school, and my husband not only works long days, but he also spends hours traveling to downtown Los Angeles from our desert home, and back. Consequently, my daughter rarely sees him except on weekends.

Since both of them enjoy video games, I thought they would have fun playing the Wii. I was right, and for months, they sat side-by-side guiding a guy named Link through dangerous adventures in an attempt to rescue a princess named Zelda.

But before that, on Christmas night after the Wii was unpacked and set up at Grandma’s house, everyone joined in the fun. The extended family took turns playing tennis, golf, boxing and bowling. I thought it was hilarious when everybody complained the next day of having sore arms from the “exercise.”

I was, therefore, intrigued when I read that Nintendo was coming out with a product called “Wii Fit.” The idea, I learned, was to get video gamers up and off the couch, moving around and getting fit.

That sounded pretty interesting. Then I watched a promotional video.

In it, I observed a family looking on adoringly while a boy pantomimed butting soccer balls with his head. Or maybe trying to miss them — I wasn’t sure. But I was pretty sure he was trying to evade the soccer cleats that the game’s screen occasionally tossed toward him.

What puzzled me was how the rest of the family sat – on the couch – watching while the boy dodged this way and that. Two things occurred to me: if they went outside with real soccer balls, they could all get some exercise; and the boy had a sister. I’m sure she would have loved to be able to toss real soccer balls and cleats at her brother’s head. I have brothers. I know how that goes.

There is apparently a module that lets you simulate rotating a hula hoop on your hips – without having to actually own one of the plastic rings. C’mon, everybody knows that holding the hula hoop up is the most difficult part of hooping. How hard could a pretend hula hoop be to manage?

I couldn’t help thinking that the cost of a hula hoop is under $5. The cost of the Wii Fit board is somewhere between $90 and $150. I’m not sure, because I couldn’t find any available online and had to price them on eBay.

Not only are there a bazillion Wii Fit games for sale on eBay, there are a lot of bidders. I guess a lot of video gamers want to experience “fun and fitness in one product,” as Nintendo says. Heck, you can even learn to do yoga with Wii Fit, and “before you know it, you’ll be a master.”

It’s not that I’m anti-fitness. I only look that way. Nah, I think it’s pretty great that Nintendo wants to get the people who buy their pricey games moving so they’ll live longer, more productive lives, and presumably, continue earning money to spend on Nintendo games. Yup, when I think exercise, I think Nintendo.

I also think of the guy in the promotional video who stares at his TV screen while doing push ups. Since he’s on his tummy on the ground and the game screen is not, his neck position looks awkward, and his face looks pained. Kind of like someone threw a cleat at his head.

If that’s too scary, you can apparently buy a bunch of the boards and everybody can dance their way to fitness. Or, you can put the Wii remote in your pocket and “free run.”

Or…you could put on some shoes and run to your heart’s content — outside. You could grab a real ball and play catch with your kids, or go skating, or play tennis, golf, or whatever interests you.

As a last resort, you can watch the Wii Fit promotional video. If you laugh as hard as I did, you’ll find yourself feeling more fit right away.

I certainly did!