GeekSugar

Wii Fit Fitness Journal: A Retrospective

GeekSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:15:09 -0700

Although my Wii Fit 30 day Challenge is over, I have continued to use it and enjoy its benefits - I've taken up yoga, but I'm still enlisting the WF to guide me through some great balance games and strength training workouts at home. And even though Wii creator Shigeru Miyamoto stated in a recent Wired Magazine interview, that the Wii Fit is more of a "communication tool for families and a form of interactive entertainment" than a game, as far as I'm concerned I'd still call it a pretty good (and fun) workout. Check out my roundup of my Wii Fit experience, experiments, and tricks to get the most out of your Wii Fit!

View Slideshow ›

Wii Fit Fitness Journal: Week Four

GeekSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:00:56 -0700

Well, my month long journey with the Wii Fit has come to an end. Although I had a lot of fun (and lost a few pounds in the process), I'm actually excited to take my workouts to the next level! I was never a gym class sort of person, but using the Wii Fit's yoga workouts, really have me itching to get back to the gym and try out a full-fledged yoga class!

Needless to say, I had a blast training with the Wii Fit, and am actually planning on getting one for my parents this Christmas, since my dad really loved the balance games! How have your results been? And don't forget to cheer each other on in the Gaming Fitness group! To see my completed challenge results, read more!

Since I started the challenge, I have lost a total of four and a half pounds, I've reduced my BMI by one point, but the best result I've achieved is more flexibility, stronger arms, and stronger abs from all the yoga, planks, and jackknife challenges!

Have you been keeping up with my challenge? Tell us about the results you've achieved in the comments below!

Wii Fit Fitness Journal: Week Three

GeekSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 10:03:23 -0700

My 30 day Wi Fit Fitness Challenge is fast approaching the home stretch, and I couldn't be happier with the results! In just three weeks, I'm down four pounds, which may not seem like a lot, but it's pretty awesome considering I stopped my usual routine of going to the gym and didn't change my eating habits. Although I might miss my goal of losing eight pounds, I think losing any inches (and getting closer to a healthier BMI) is a pretty good testament that the Wii Fit really does work.

I spent a ton of time getting down with Rhythm Boxing, and increased my aerobic fitness (surely at the dismay of my downstairs neighbors) with the Free Run this week. I'm not so enthused about jogging in the real world, but when it comes to running with Wii Fit, I'm a calorie burner! Who knew!? To hear more about why I'm so into the Free Runs, and get a few more tips on how to fire up your Wii Fit workouts, just read more.

The best part about the "Free Run" is that you can change the channel, watch a movie, or catch up on episodes of The Hills, while jogging along. Your trainer will update you through the Wiimote and tell you if you are keeping a good pace and how much longer you have to go until your goal time. My only complaint? I wish you could increase your free run time in smaller increments - jumping from a 10 minute run to a 20 minute run might be a bit much for a novice runner to handle!

But to get a really awesome, sweat-inducing workout while running, try lifting your knees up high or taking a wider stance to work all the muscles in your legs. And I can't stress enough about how holding small weights in your hands while you're running (and really swinging those arms) will get your blood pumping - and tone your shoulders to boot!

Oh, and that Jackknife Trainer Challenge? My abs are burning just thinking about it! Have you been loving your Wii Fit this week? Tell us about your favorite exercises, and share your progress in the comments below!

Wii Fit Fitness Journal: Week Two

GeekSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:00:13 -0700

I'm absolutely hooked on my Wii Fit, and I'm not ashamed to say it. Although I have yet to get a kick-butt aerobic workout like I do at my gym during cardio kickboxing, I'm finding myself to be more flexible than ever - plus, I think I even stand up straighter! My dominant workouts this week were yoga (I can't believe how much I'm loving it) and running. Taking on the Island Run for the first time was really fun, since I got to check out the lay of the virtual land (which is pretty sweet, by the way).

Plus, once you're finished with your jaunt that's worth 10 minutes in your Wii Fit Bank, you'll surely need that sweat towel (especially if you use my tip from last week to hold full water bottles or weights in your hands while you're running)!

And what was the nicest surprise I discovered? To find out just read more.

But the nicest surprise, besides finding that I have more energy, is that my BMI is slowly trickling down the stat chart! Although it's not a significant difference, it surely is putting to rest any doubts I had about the Wii Fit being a fun and interactive weight loss aid. I'm stoked to see what the end results will be in two more weeks. But checking in with you newly addicted Wii Fit-ters - how is it going on your first week? Are you digging the yoga and hula hooping as much as I did? Tell us about your experiences, and share your tips in the comments below!

Wii Fit: Tips and Tricks

GeekSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 09:00:40 -0700

With my first week of the Wii Fit Fitness Challenge under my belt, I've discovered some tricks to get the most out of your workouts with your virtual trainer. But since Wii Fit is so easy to use and follow along with, you really won't have any trouble catching on right away and burning off that fro-yo you had for lunch! I'm really excited about the new challenges I have been unlocking every day, and hope that some of you who were lucky enough to get your hands on the Wii Fit can participate and share your tips with us as well! Check out my handy Wii Fit tips in the slideshow!

View Slideshow ›

Wii Fit Fitness Journal: Week One

GeekSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 10:00:27 -0700

So far, me and the Wii Fit are good pals. He knows how to make me laugh, how to sweat, and shows me what I'm made of - we're a good pair. This week, although a few days short of a full seven days of dissecting WF, it was a good one. I can tell from the soreness in my hips and abs that the time put into perfecting my Hula Hooping skills is paying off. Additionally, I've found that my endless tree and warrior poses are indeed helping my flexibility! Who knew that in the first week I could feel this many results off of a game.

At first, I thought that I may get bored with the same games every day, but thankfully, every ten minutes you put in on the Wii Fit, opens up a new activity. And every time you repeat an activity, a new difficulty level challenges you for a better, longer, or harder workout. Last night I ran the moderate trail on my run and actually broke a bit of a sweat! No kidding! Although there's been no change yet to my BMI, I did have some fun and made a few technical notes along the way that may help you in your Wii Fitness journey. To find out what they are, read more.

Use your Wii Fit on a hard surface or low pile carpeting to get the most accurate weight results. If you don't have either, try placing the Wii Fit on a plastic chair runner or place mat for the body test portion. Just remember to remove it after being weighed, so you don't slip!
You can log extra activity into your profile to add to your daily totals. From your profile page, click the graph, and then "Activity Log" to record your time at the gym, hitting the pavement, or even doing dishes!
You can skip the demo portion of the exercise by hitting "Try It."
Make sure to download the Wii Fit Channel to get a condensed version of some of the exercises.

I'll be serving up more great Wii Fit findings and tips this week, so stay tuned!

First Look at the Wii Fit and Rules for the Fitness Test

GeekSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:02:50 -0700

Yesterday, I hit the gym. . .I mean, the Wii Fit for a taste of what's to come in my 30 day Wii Fit Fitness Test. Although I wasn't expecting to break a sweat, I did have a nice dewy glow after trying out a few of the Wii Fit's features. My fave so far? Hula Hooping!

You may be wondering what rules I'll be setting for myself this month as I begin the 30 day Wii Fit Fitness Test. They are simple, but I can promise that I'll stick to them to give you the most accurate results possible. I'll even stop hitting the gym and make Wii Fit my only source of exercise for a full month! Am I scared? No. Cause even if I don't lose a pound, I'm sure I'll have a blast anyway.

To check out the rules and some of our initial reactions to a few of the games, just read more.

So here are the rules: I'll be Wii Fit-ting for 30 minutes each day, maintaining a Fit Approved healthy diet (no extremes here!), as well as maintaining all other normal daily activities that I engage in now (walking to the bus, walking to the store, etc.). Plus, I'll include a weekly run down of my planned activities so if you get your own Wii Fit, you can join in! This should be a true test to whether or not this baby packs a weight loss punch!

To kick off the festivities, a few of us gathered around the flat screen and tried out the Wii Fit for the first time. After registering my height and birthday, WF weighed me in and gave me my BMI (body mass index) and goals to work towards. I have to admit that exercising with the Wii is way more fun than I anticipated, leaving me excited to hit the balance board again tomorrow!

Running
Running with the Wii Fit has you holding the Wiimote in your pocket (or even your hand) while you run in place at different speeds with your guide as you jog through a scenic park. And once our tester was finished, he openly admitted that it was harder than expected.

Hula Hoop
I used to love my hula hoop when I was a kid, so this was totally fun for me! Just by rotating your hips, the Balance Board can sense your motions and has you twisting to catch more hula hoops to up your score. I was breathing harder at the end, so I can imagine that if you really put 100 percent into this exercise that you could get a pretty good ab and hip workout!

Tightrope Walking
Walking across a tightrope high above the ground isn't really anyone's idea of fun, unless it's on the Wii of course! Balance is the name of the game as you walk from one building to another dodging dangerous obstacles by jumping in the air and landing on the rope. . . without falling!

Skiing
Skiing down hill was much much harder than I thought it would be. But truth be told, I'm not much of a skier in the first place! You must slalom through the gates at a good pace to get a great score. I definitely need to practice more of this in my 30 days!

Tune in next week for my first official diary entry as I take on the Wii Fit for a 30 day fitness test!

Wii Fit Is in the House!

GeekSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:00:32 -0700

I was overjoyed when I walked into the office this morning to find a big rectangular box sitting on my desk just begging to be opened. Oh yes my friends, it's the Wii Fit! I'm lucky enough to get an advance taste of the exergaming monster and bring you the inside scoop on all the posing, toning, and reflex gaming goods. Not only am I looking forward to a more relaxed state of mind with yoga, but having some child-like fun with hula hooping, too!

And to truly test out the power of Wii Fit, I'll be conducting my own experimental 30 Day Fitness Journal, and share my results with all of you right here on geeksugar. Just like what Mickey DeLorenzo did for Wii Sports, I will do for Wii Fit. And it won't just be me dissecting the newest Wii title- FitSugar is getting in on the fun and will be bringing you some juicy Wii Fit findings of her own. So stay tuned for more Wii Fit madness!

Daily Tech: Pentax's Latest Red-Hot, Affordable DSLR

GeekSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:05:42 -0700

Pentax's new K-x DSLR only costs $650 and it comes in white, black, or special-edition red and navy hues - CNET
MySpace Music gets a new, interactive homepage with several new features - TechCrunch
Pro baseball player Heath Bell was able to lose weight in the off-season thanks to Wii Fit - The Wall Street Journal
You can now pick up a T-Mobile G1 for only $130 - CrunchGear
Microsoft's search engine Bing is growing in popularity - Mashable
It's giveaway and game time on GeekSugar! Be sure to log in and play our Best Video Game ever bracket! - GeekSugar