Does Wii Fit the Bill?
Grace Macaskill - Sunday Mail
Apr 14, 2008
It's the biggest keep-fit craze since the hula hoop and swing ball.
Nintendo's ground-breaking Wii Fit will fly off the shelves when it goes on sale in May.
The Sunday Mail got its hands on one and gave it a full workout.
Sprinter Sabina Astarita was the perfect candidate to try out the device. The track star trains six days a week and also lifts weights twice a week.
We took her to the gym, where fitness instructor Raymond Hepburn put her through her paces on the rowing machine, treadmill and cross trainer.
Sabina, 21, then attempted three Wii work-outs.
She was hooked up to a monitor so Raymond could measure her peak and average heart rate and calculate the calories burned during each 20-minute workout.
Nintendo bills the interactive game as the new way to get families off the sofa and into fitness.
It includes 40 exercise routines such as jogging, yoga, aerobics and strength training.
Gamers stand on a 'balance board' while following on-screen instructions from their 'Mii' - a computer character they create.
But can exercise be fun? And just how effective is the Wii at shedding the pounds?
Sabina said: "It would be fantastic fun for all the family, especially if it gets the kids off the sofa."
But she gave it the thumbs-down when it comes to her own training.
"I'm definitely going to buy a Wii but I certainly won't be using it for training. It doesn't get my heart rate up enough."
Personal trainer Raymond added: "It's a really good device but it's not a full substitute for gym work."
He agreed it would be great to get kids exercising.
Raymond added: "It would be fantastic for people who might be overweight and not used to working out, as well as people who feel self-conscious in the gym.
"I'm surprised some of the Wii exercises burn so many calories but they don't raise the heart rate as much as the rowing machine or treadmill, so you're not really working your heart as hard.
"But if you are not exercising at all, this is a really good place to start."
Wii WORKOUT v GYM WORKOUT
JOGGING
Calories burned: 168.
Peak heart rate: 158 beats per minute.
Average heart rate: 142 bpm.
Sabina said: "It burns plenty of calories even though I didn't even feel I was exercising that hard. It's also fun following the little character running ahead on the screen."
HULA HOOPS
Calories burned: 140.
Peak heart rate: 125 bpm.
Average heart rate: 117.
Sabina: "I feel stupid doing this, twirling my hips around like an idiot but it's fun. I can imagine this would be hilarious at a party. I really like the bit where you have to lean over to catch a virtual hoop."
STEP AEROBICS
Calories burned: 112.
Peak heart rate: 123 bpm.
Average heart rate: 111 bpm.
Sabina: "This is complicated. You follow characters on screen. I might have burned more calories had I been a bit better at it."
ROWING MACHINE
Calories burned: 188.
Peak heart rate: 166 beats per minute.
Average heart rate: 149 bpm.
Sabina said: "I found the rowing machine much harder going than any of the workouts. It's probably because I'm not used to this sort of exercise and it's tiring."
TREADMILL
Calories burned: 184.
Peak heart rate: 177 bpm.
Average heart rate: 149 bpm.
Sabina: "I have a treadmill in my garage at home but I rarely go on it because I prefer training in the open air. Because I'm a sprinter, I don't usually run as long as this."
CROSS TRAINER
Calories burned: 204.
Peak heart rate: 167 bpm.
Average heart rate: 149 bpm.
Sabina: "I really enjoyed this machine. It's much less boring than just running and I could really feel it at the back of my legs. It's a great calorieburner."
SABINA SAYS: "The Wii is much more fun than the traditional exercise routine. I'm in shock that the jogging game burns almost as many calories as the treadmill. A lot of exercises require taking your shoes off, which can't be good for your knees if youare running and jumping. The yoga and balance section is really good because it makes you adjust your posture. You feel a bit silly doing some exercises but they would be fantastic fun if all the family got involved and even better at a party."
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