Doctor Fishypants

Sunday, June 8, 2008

After anticipating the release of Wii Fit perhaps a bit too much, my first day with the game was a bit anticlimactic. After inputting my data (age and height) and succumbing to a brief balance test, the anthropomorphic Wii Fit Board slammed me with a weight of 193.8lbs and a corresponding BMI of 29.37 (anything over 30 is considered obese). My Wii Fit age, which is apparently calculated using these numbers and taking my actual age into account, is 33. Like Brain Age for the DS, this number seems somewhat arbitrary. It will no doubt approach my actual age (25) with increased practice.

There are four categories of exercises to do in Wii Fit: Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobics, and Balance Games. The game keeps track of the time you spend in each mode, unlocking more activities as you go. In my first 30 minutes of playing, I unlocked 5 or 6 new minigames. My first stop was Yoga, and the first stance was heavy breathing. It’s a nice way to ease you into the exercises, but I felt a bit silly standing in front of my TV trying to control my inhalation. Of the 5 stances I tried, I felt 3 were worthy of a second shot tomorrow. I think the Yoga exercises would give the best results as a morning stretch routine. The strength training exercises were more strenuous. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much trouble doing a push-up before. Because the balance board is so narrow, you’re forced to keep your arms very close together, making the push-up more difficult (especially for someone like myself, who has absolutely no upper body strength). The aerobics exercises seemed sufficient to get your heart rate up, but running in place with the Wii Remote in your pocket is no substitute for actual running. The balance games in Wii Fit are the closest the game comes to traditional video games. Essentially, every game requires you to shift your weight in order to ski down a slope, hoola-hoop, hit soccer balls, etc. They’re not particularly fun, nor do they seem to have the potential for exercise that the other three categories do. I imagine they’ll be relegated to the occasional diversion when I grow tired of the traditional exercises for a few minutes.

Wii Fit Statistics (Day 1)

Current Goal: Lose 3lbs in 2 weeks
Weight: 193.8lbs
BMI: 29.37
Wii Fit Age: 33

Nike+ Statistics (Run 24)

Current Goal: Run 14 times in 4 weeks
Distance: 2.27mi
Time: 29:15
Pace: 12:48min/mi
Calories: 334

Total Distance: 46.47mi
Average Pace: 12:37min/mi

Notes

Tomorrow, Wii Fit will begin tracking changes in my weight, BMI, etc. I’ll post those as well.

My current weight loss goal of 3lbs in 2 weeks is Wii Fit’s suggestion for beginners.

I’ve been running for a while now, but I noticed that today’s run was a bit easier after doing the Wii Fit exercises.

I’ve always had trouble explaining to friends and family why I invest so much time playing video games. Most people who don’t play games see it as a waste of time. I can spend hours in front of the television, procrastinating, trying to beat a level or solve a puzzle that really has no direct benefit to me other than the short satisfaction of accomplishing an arbitrary goal set by a developer I’ve never met on the other side of the country. But in spite of the obvious detriments, I’ve always felt that video games can have positive effects. Studies have shown that physicians who play video games make better surgeons, while giving a child a Game Boy before surgery is a great way to relieve stress and calm nerves. Video games have always been a social activity for me, getting friends together on weekends for late-night sessions of Goldeneye, Mario Kart, or Super Smash Bros.

I originally intended on giving this site a positive perspective on video games. I haven’t followed through on that goal as much as I’d like. I also wanted to use this blog to keep in touch with friends and let them know what I’ve been up to. To that end, I asked my fiance to buy me a present for my 25th birthday last week. It sold out too quickly, and we stood in line this morning to finally nab a copy of Wii Fit. I tried it out for about 30 minutes this afternoon before my daily run, and decided that the only way I’d stick to using it is to force myself to log my progress. There are probably countless Wii Fit blogs that will be springing up in the window following its release last week. IGN’s WiiGetFit is a great example. But while those sites maintain their blogs to increase traffic or promote Nintendo’s newest consumer craze, I intend to post (hopefully) daily updates as a way to keep myself on track. I’ll post daily statistics, impressions of the Wii Fit features, personal notes, etc. I’m also keeping track of my running using an iPod nano and Nike+. Nike+ is a great tool that you attach to the dock connector on your iPod. It serves as a pedometer and keeps track of your distance, speed, calories burned, etc. I’ll add that info to these posts as well.

I know that the common perception of game players is that they’re lazy and lack motivation. I’ve certainly had my share of wasted afternoons. And, unfortunately, I think those lazy days are starting to show. At roughly 195lbs, I think I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been. My weight has fluctuated somewhat, but with a desk job and even less activity than usual, I’m dangerously close to becoming eligible to participate in my own research on obesity. If anything can motivate me to lose the weight, it’ll be to prove to myself and my family that video games are well worth the time spent.