I feel like I am asking a question a day lately, but here is another.
I am really feeling like I'm not getting enough exercise right now and have tried to fit some in, but I have so many excuses, they aren't worth mentioning. The time frame that makes the most sense is after dinner, and after my son has gone down for the night, when we usually sit on our butts to watch TV, but it is too dark to go out alone.
My husband and I have both looked at the Wii, and the $195 tag may be doable, but we keep thinking of the add ons. Is there someone out there that has one of these systems that can tell me the "true" cost? First you have to by the Wii, then the extra controller, then the "game", right? How much is all that? Also, what games does anyone suggest? I am 5 months pregnant so don't want to overdo it, but want something that will still work my flabby butt after delivery, so that I don't have to buy multiple programs. My husband doesn't need to lose any weight, but just needs some more activity. I am one of those people that feels that if I'm not sore after a workout, it didn't do anything, but I really want it to be fun and something that we can do together. Can anyone help me out?
We personally love it. We just have the Wii and Wii fit. WE are finally going to add to it 5 months later. The Wii Just Dance also works up a sweat. I lost 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks but lost inches and built up muscle.
All of us in the family use it and have a blast. It's been great for spending even more time together as a family. Cheaper than going out for mini golf or go carts etc. We even have friends over and play.
I love the Wii, but personally, I didn't like the Wii Fit. My husband bought one for me after my second baby. For the same money, I felt like I could have bought a bunch of workout videos that would have provided better, more targeted workouts. My main complaint about the Wii Fit is that you have to proceed through various levels before it will 'unlock' the next level of exercise. I just felt like some of the basic exercises were too easy. Also here was too much stopping and starting for me. If you want to get a solid 30 minutes (or more) of cardio or strength training, I think workout videos would be better. . After you complete a 'level' with the WFit - which may only be five or ten minuted of exercise - you have to stop and navigate to the next level and start over again. Also didn't like the way they presented the Step aerobic exercises - you have to look at the pattern of footprints on the screen, rather than listening to calls to know what to do. .
I LOVE the Wii Fit Plus! It's got a great variety on there! You could do some of the yoga while you are pregnant. Your husband could do the strength training. And all of the games are fun! There's also aerobics on there that can really work you out! I've been doing my own routine of the strength training for a week now and I can absolutely tell that it is working. I'm trying to get ready for snow skiing! You can also do multi player with some of the games where you take turns for as long as you like to see who can get the higher score. When you are playing from your own profile with any of the activities tho, it saves your score so you can also compare scores and challenge each other!
The My Routine is a great feature. It makes your workout go much quicker if you are just wanting to do some personal training. This is what I've been doing. I selected the strength training activities I wanted to do and it goes through them one after another without you having to stop in between and click buttons to tell it what you want to do next.
As far as the pricing, the Wii Fit Plus with the balance board is $100. A new Wii remote (not the nunchuck) is $40. But you can also get used stuff from places like GameStop.
As far as other games, it depends on what you like. There is also the WiiWare that you download straight to your system (if you have wireless Internet access). Some of those games are only $5.
Ordering online with coupons is another way to save. http://www.dealnews.com and their coupon site http://www.dealcoupon.com are a great place to find deals and sales on things and coupons to use. You can sign up free to be alerted when they post any deals with the keyword "wii". Then they email you as soon as a new deal is posted! Not too long ago they had the Wii Fit Plus for $70. But that deal has since expired...
Feel free to ask me any other questions about the Wii. Only other games I have are Mario Party and Animal Crossing, and the WiiWare "Learning with the PooYoos" for my daughter!
In WiiFit, there is only one exercise for 2 people to do together (running - in place). I don't know the price off the top of my head, but you have to buy the Wii and the WiiFit game, which includes the "balance board" that you use for most exercises. There are other games for Wii that are not really exercises (like Wii Sports) but they are fun and you can do them together.
You would probably not be all that sore after using WiiFit doing the yoga or aerobic exercises (except Hula Hoop is harder than you think it would be), but the strength exercises are hard. You could not do many of the WiiFit exercises while you are pregnant and some of them would be challenging while you are recovering from delivery.
We think our Wii is worth it for exercise,we've had it about 3 months. We both use it, usually in the evenings, as you said, when we'd usually be sitting on our butts! I think it would be perfect for getting moving after having a baby. The thing I love is that you can exercise anytime, even for a few minutes at a time. Besides Wii Fit, we also have EA Sports Active. It's about $50 and you don't have to have Fit to use it. I almost like it better than Fit; it has the leg strap to put the nunchuck in, so it can direct you better on exercises your legs are doing. I also like how it puts all different exercises together in a workout for you (you can do something similar on Fit, but I think Active is better at that part). That being said, Fit is alot more fun, Active is about working out! Good luck!
Hi Gillian! We bought a Wii system a couple of months ago and then my husband got me the Wii Fit Plus for Christmas. We bought the system at a pawn shop for $140.00. I'm not sure how you feel about pawn shops, but we have one here that is very reputable and the system was/is in GREAT shape....like new! It came with TWO controllers and the Wii Sports. Then we only had to buy the nunchuck(s) which are much cheaper than the controllers. You might want to try checking Craigslist also. The Wii Fit Plus was $99 and TOTALLY worth it for me. I had a baby in September and I also have an almost 4 year old. Getting to the gym everyday is just NOT an option and it's been so cold here that going outside with a baby is not plausible either. I've used the Fit almost everyday since Christmas. I also try to get out once a week with friends for hiking or cross country skiing, but my main exercise comes from the Wii. I HATE working out, but the Wii makes it really fun for me. There are SO many different things you can do on it and almost all of them feel like you're playing a game instead of working out. It keeps track of your weight and your progress also which is really nice when you're trying to lose some pounds like me. So far I've lost almost 5. There is also yoga, which might be nice while you're pregnant. Like anything, you really have to work at it to get a good workout. I spend at least a half hour on there a day and sometimes I'm sore sometimes not depending on what I've done. There are "challenges" in the strength training that you can unlock after you've done a certain amount and those are definitely more taxing. You certainly can't just do one of their 6 minute workouts and expect it to do anything. You need to combine a bunch of stuff to feel like you're getting something out of it. My son even does a lot of the exercises with me and there are several games that he likes to play as well. All said and done we have spent about $230 plus about $30 on a couple of games from the pawn shop as well (they are only $10 each). I hope this helps. I LOVE mine!
We have a wii fit and still love it. I recently got a game called Outdoor challenge and LOVE it. You can get a serious workout in a very short time and it is FUN! It comes with a pad similar to one of the dance games where you place your feet. I love the stomp the mole game, sprint, run and jump, speed racer. Like anything though it just depends on how much you are willing to put into it, on what you get out of it. I actually got it on sale for $25 but looks like it goes for $50 normally and you DO NOT need to purchase an extra controller for it. The first time we played I was sore the next day from all the running!
We got the wii fit for Christmas (we don't yet have a wii but are borrowing one till we decided if we want to buy the wii console). We got the wii fit plus with our credit card points, but I have seen it at costco for less than the $195 you mentioned. I agree that if I'm not sore it's not a workout, but I just had a baby and I think its going to help me get some exercise-Nothing major, but help me move more. Plus my kids love it! They are just 3 &4 but it is easy for them to pick up. I haven't tried any games yet, but my friend told me to rent them from blockbuster before buying them. She said the biggest loser one was good. And yes-you have to buy the numchucks accessories to play every part of the game,but you can still play part of the games without them. Good luck and congrats on baby#2!
We have a lot of fun with our Wii Fit, but I really don't consider it a workout. Sure there are a couple of games that you feel (someone mentioned Hula Hoop-I thought it would be dumb but that is actually a decent core workout if you really do it!), but in general it's just a nice active video game. I much prefer my kids to play Wii Fit than a normal video game, which is the reason we ditched our PS2 and got the Wii in the first place. It's a nice way for them to be doing a little more moving in the dead of winter when the options for real activity are limited.
It might be a good way to break back into things post baby, and in those last few months of pregnancy (not sure how active you stay throughout pregnancy), but I haven't been through that process since we just got it a couple of months ago.
If you are looking for a quick workout you can squeeze in at home, I would suggest 30 Day Shred. You probably wouldn't want to do it at 5mo pg or immediately after birth as it does include ab work on your back, but I have to be honest and say that I have been shocked at how much I feel that 20min workout! (and no, I'm not an inactive couch potato-I am a runner and triathlete who was looking to mix is up in the off season) Best $10 for a workout dvd I've ever spent!
it didnt give me much of a workout to be honest, and got boring quickly.
i now have a treadmill which i like better
Personally, we bought the Wii Fit and sold it a month later. It just was not a "sore inducing" work-out. It was more fun than exercise. I, too, like a good strong workout and this was not it. I would totally recommend the P90X workout dvd set. It includes 13 hour long workouts, complete 90 day schedule, and even a diet plan if interested. I really feel like I worked out afterward and it is designed to keep your muscles guessing what comes next and not get bored. Good luck!
we got the wii and wii fit plus 195 +100= 295 extra controller with extra game was 40. wii fit comes with the balance board and the game. the other work out games are i think 30-60 bucks but i haven't tried them. i use the fit nearly everyday and i love it. apart from that after the baby you should try the biggest loser cardio blast it work very well for me.
Absolutely! I love mine. I'm a home exerciser anyway, so I have a HUGE workout DVD collection, but I LOVE my Wii Fit too. The balance board is especially cool with the Biggest Loser and Jillian Michaels Ultimatum 2010 workouts. Those will make you SWEAT, but you can tailor them how you need.
If you want pregnancy workout DVDs, there's Denise Austin's Pregnancy Workout (which I loved when pregnant), and others you could search for on Amazon. Also check out:
Chrissy
I received the Wii and the Wii Fit Plus for Christmas- total cost $350. Wii Fit plus comes with one game and balance board. I have really enjoyed it, because not only has it got me moving it has inspired my whole family to have fun while being active together. I found the best workouts to be under the aerobics section. Running in place and boxing are great. During the run their is different scenery to look at. Boxing will probably leave you sore. I like playing all the balance games. Which would fun during your pregnancy. Hope this helps.
We got a Wii as payment for my husband doing work for a friend. We have bought a few extra games. My husband wanted Zelda and it was $50 so we used his birthday money to buy it. Some of the family games are cheaper. We haven't bought an extra controller yet. My husband got me a Wii Fit Plus for Christmas and I use it about every other day. It is fun and I can do it here and there and stay inside with the kids. After a few exercises I have worked up a sweat. I'm not sore the next day but that is because I didn't do much.
I haven't lost weight but I have fun doing it and does get me up off my butt. If you compare it to a gym membership it might be worth it because going to a gym is very intimidating, at least to me. Plus it weighs you and gives feedback like how many calories you are burning. I love mine!
We bought a Wii and Wii Fit a couple months back. The cost break down is as follows:
Wii- $200
Wii Fit - $100 (includes game and board)
Extra controller- $50
You can rent games or buy them used online so you can keep that expense under control. Additionally, there are plenty of fun games with Wii Sport (comes with Wii) and with the Wii Fit.
As for the Wii Fit, it really is a fun way to exercise in the house. Some games provide a better workout than others but all are meant to get you moving! After trying different games, I was surprised to find myself sore the next day - That's a good sign. All in all, we like the Wii and our twin girls are also starting to learn how to play some toddler games.
