Wii Fit Backlash

Wii Fit Backlash
"It does work, if you're willing to stick with it"

By Mike Smith
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Nobody uses Wii Fit, eh? So said a Forbes article we reprinted last week, which quoted notable video game blogger Brian Crecente as saying, "I don't know a single person who has bought the game who uses it routinely after a month ."

Crecente apparently doesn't know very many of our readers, who responded to the article in substantial numbers both to set us straight about their Wii Fit habits, and to offer advice about how to get the most out of Nintendo's ground-breaking fitness game.

Here's a taste -- and believe us, we really do mean a taste -- of the comments we received.
Wii Fit proves useful at a Los Angeles children's hospital.

"If you ask us here at Children's Hospital Los Angeles, we can get kids who normally won't participate in physical therapy to really gain motivation and anticipate their therapy if it involves the Wii and Wii Fit. This interactive movement and coordination is great for us and we document the improvement using the Wii.

Maybe you can suggest an article on the Wii's effective use in pediatric physical therapy?"
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."

Wii Fit Videos
More workout games needed?

"This is in regards to the article about the Wii Fit. The article was about people who had purchased the game and in a couple of weeks stopped using it. Was this a true case of actually working hard and doing exercise, or sheer boredom? Why couldn't the Wii people make up new exercises for the Wii Fit, or make a bigger board for running/walking in place as well as push-ups and more strength exercises? Have they ever thought of releasing 3 or 4 games with a bunch of different workout programs on them? Just a suggestion."
"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. It even inspired me to buy some free weights, which I have incorporated into my routine. You are right when you suggest that you only get out of it what you put in...but Wii Fit does work if you are willing to stick with it."
"Most ridiculous article I have read all year"

"This is the most ridiculous article I have read all year. Instead of applauding Nintendo for attempting to get us off the couch, you lambaste them and blame them for our inherent laziness! Maybe you should also criticize the manufacturer of every piece of fitness equipment ever sold, like the ever popular Stair-Stepper coat rack, or maybe the weight-set door stops?"
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."
Gamestop manager: Wii Fit "was successful long before it even released in the US"

"As a GameStop store manager, I have to agree/disagree with a lot of the content in the recent article about Wii Fit. First...the article focused solely on the American market, but is stated as though this applies to everyone. The article basically says that most Wii Fits sold are collecting dust and no one is getting in shape. Wikipedia says Wii Fit has sold 14 million copies as of December 2008 but maybe only a million in the US. That means only 1 in every 14 bought were by Americans. And we already know the decidedly 'American' trend in regards to physical fitness, with the USA easily being the fattest country. I don't even need to cite a source (which the article never does) in regards to fitness trends in the US because it is widely accepted that there are numerous products that prey on people looking to get in shape with no effort. However...this game was successful long before it even released in the US."
Parent grounds son from video games...except Wii Fit

"Due to recent school grades, my 11-year-old son was grounded from computer and TV activities. A light bulb went off in my head yesterday and I modified his restrictions to allow him to only play the Wii Fit game (after his homework was done, of course). He and his sister have been competitive in their scores so far. Hopefully this tactic will stick with him after he regains his privileges; if not, I will need to find other ways to get him to continuing playing. I have played Wii Fit a few times but prefer the high-cardio, sweaty workout I get from my DVD 'Yoga For Dummies'."

Nat, what a good post. My wife works with people who have said they can't believe the change in their bodies after using wii fit. I find the tv on wii more than broadcast tv these past weeks. We are having fun and losing weight and building muscle back where it used to be. This is such a good thing. The difference with wii is that it has a fun slant that straight workouts do not. Thanks again for getting this forum up.

Great article! I've been using the Wii as my exercise regimen since we got it on January 15 and have used it practically every day. My 19 year old daughter has been using it at least 4 days a week since we got it. She's not overweight but she has definitely toned up and looks slimmer.