Personal Fitness - Nintendo Wii Style.

Nintendo Wii - EA Sport Active 2

Over the last two years I have had a singular focus on my efforts to resurrect a healthy and fit lifestyle. I have run and run and run. While I knew I needed to begin a strength training regimen to complement my running, I never found a suitable outlet until recently.

I recently purchased a Nintendo Wii gaming system for my oldest son. It will serve to promote hand and eye coordination while also teaching him a bit about sportsmanship. In the course of searching for games I noticed their was a fair complement of workout games for the Wii console.

One game in particular which stood out was EA Sports Active 2. This game uses a heart rate monitor and leg activity/motion band to record your movements as you exercise with your trainer.

I purchased this game and began a three week beginner cardiovascular workout. The training sessions last about 30 minutes and incorporate a variety of exercises. Every workout begins with three of four warm up exercises and ends with a cool down of about the same number of exercises. The schedule is set up for four workouts per week, which you can modify to complete them any days of the week which are suitable for your schedule.

I have worked muscles this week I haven't used for years. What makes this tolerable is you are pushing a beginner's envelope - you are not working as hard as you would in a Marine basic training camp.

You enter your age at the beginning of the program and it then uses this information to set up your heart rate zones based upon your calculated max heart rate (220 - your age is your max heart rate). As you work out you can see your heart rate accelerate and decline on the screen in addition to the heart rate zone you are currently training within.

My major physical weakness to date has been a very flimsy, marshmellow-esque core. This training program is addressing my weak core and should translate into faster times in the spring. My legs have become stronger from running; this program will tone the rest of my body. I am very anxious to complete the program - although informing friends I was trained by Nintendo doesn't have a lot of cachet value.