OK, so I named this page Fitness Bytes, but if you are expecting to find an encyclopaedia of fitness tips here – you are going to be disappointed. This page is dedicated to people like me, the fat, unfit, 50 somethings of this world, who think it’s time to make the effort to lose weight and get more exercise before they dig themselves into an early grave.

We are always being told to lose weight and exercise more. We can usually come up with plenty of excuses not to do either of those things of course, but if we are honest with ourselves, we know that is exactly what is needed. There are few, if any, exercise classes suitable for those of us who are more than a few pounds overweight, and have a Body Mass Index (BMI) way over 25 (mine is 42), and most of us would feel self-conscious going to a class anyway.

Well I have finally found a form of exercise that is fun, effective and safe. Earlier this year I decided to try out the Wii Fit (Wii Fit Plus has arrived since then). So I purchased my Nintendo Wii games console, and the wii fit exercise board and hoped that the money I had spent would not be wasted, and that the Wii Fit would not be another five minute wonder that was used for a while until the novelty wore off and then just left to collect dust. I can honestly say there is no dust on my wii! I have finally found a way to get moving, exercise sensibly and have fun too. The wii fit is the best thing since chocolate as far as I am concerned. Thanks to Nintendo, I can finally get the recommended amount of exercise (and more) each week in the privacy of my own home.

When you first start using the wii fit, you create a character called a ‘Mii’. Of course my Mii is called Barb. Then you take the Body Test, which measures your BMI, weight and athletic ability. Once you have done this simple test, you get given your Wii Fit Age – well all I can say is take it with a pinch of salt. I have been anything from 25 to 67 (my real age is 53). I should also have mentioned here that your weight varies depending upon where you place the wii fit board on the floor, so try to stick to the same place each time you use it. Don’t get paranoid about your age, weight or BMI – the wii fit should only be used as a guideline for tracking your progress. It is recommended that you take the Body Test everyday, but personally I just take it a couple of times a week.

OK, so you’ve recorded your initial Body Test, the wii now saves your results, and you choose your goal. How many pounds do you want to lose? How fast do you want to lose it? If you have more than a stone to lose you will want to lose it gradually – doctors say a weightloss of around 1-2 pounds a week is best. In other words, don’t set yourself unrealistic goals. You can reset your goal at any time – very useful if you have failed to meet your original goal, or if you have managed to achieve it more quickly than expected!

At this point it would be appropriate to mention Healthy Eating – note I said Healthy Eating NOT Dieting. Long term weight loss is all about changing habits, and making Healthy Eating part of your lifestyle. When you go ‘on a diet’ you are more or less saying you will do it for a few weeks and see how it goes. You may well lose weight, but once you come off the ‘diet’, it usually all goes back on. Been there, done that. I’ve been a Yo Yo dieter for years. The latest Celebrity diet is just not the answer. The key to long term weight loss is Healthy Eating, moderate exercise, and a complete change of lifestyle. Easier said than done of course. If you want to find out about Healthy Eating and that includes recommended portion sizes, (overeat on fruit and veg on top of everything else and you will still put on weight!) I highly recommend a visit to the British Heart Foundation website. You will find plenty of information there including what constitutes a healthy diet, portion sizes, and how to keep your heart healthy.

OK – enough said about Healthy Eating – let’s get back to the Wii Fit and the exercise bit! So you have done your Body Test, found out your ‘Wii Fit Age’ – now it’s time to actually get moving! There’s a good choice of fitness training available with the Wii Fit. Take another look at the Wii Fit Website for a closer look at what you can do with your Wii.

At this point I must stress that if you haven’t exercised for years or if you have any kind of long-term health problem, you should seek advice from your medical practitioner regarding the kind of exercise that would be best for you to start with. Even if you do not have any health problems, it is very important that you start with gentle exercise and build up your routine gradually. You could do yourself more harm than good if you try to do too much too soon, and can easily strain your muscles. If you’ve been a couch potato for years – do not try working out for an hour on your first day. I started with just ten minutes four times a week. A few months later I can manage the recommended thirty minutes.

So what exactly have I been doing on the Wii? A mixture of Aerobics, Balance Exercises, Yoga, and Muscle Toning. Aerobic Exercises include:

Hula Hoop
Jogging
Steps

There are three skill levels for each different aerobic activity , and as you progress you unlock the more difficult levels. I am totally useless at hula hoop – in fact I don’t even bother with it. Jogging is a really good aerobic exercise. You begin with the short distance run, and can progress to a longer distance run, or if you are a real glutton for punishment try the free jogging option, where you can jog for as long as you like, or until you are totally out of breath and unable to continue (not recommended – be sensible with your exercise!). I can just about manage the long distance run, but haven’t tried the free jogging yet. My favourite aerobic exercise is definitely the Steps option. Again, there are three levels, the basic level, step plus, which is longer, faster and more difficult, and free step. Step aerobics is a great form of exercise and is easy to do, although I must confess to having had two left feet to start with!

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