The original interactive fitness game, Wii Fit, found millions of followers. Wii Fit Plus aims to build on the success of its predecessor by offering all the same features and workouts along with enhancements to help players “reinvigorate their workouts, along with exercises and balance games designed to keep them fun.”

One of the appeals of the Wii Fit Plus comes from the ability to track your daily progress and monitor your weight, BMI (body mass index), MET value (metabolic equivalent or calories burnt), FitCash (time logged), centre of gravity and Wii Fit Age.

Wii’s successful use of a balance board peripheral helps players throughout the exercises and games, and measures your progress. The balance board accurately tracks your actions and tells you whether your technique needs improving. It is remarkably sensitive and provides instant bio-feedback during the activity.

What Types of Training and Workout Exercises are Available?

Players can now customize their workout routines.

A major problem of the original Wii Fit game was only performing one exercise at a time and not being able to create a seamless workout with a series of exercises. The Wii Fit Plus not only allows you to choose from specialized workout routines that focus on a fitness goal, targets certain areas or lasts 20-, 30- or 40-minutes but it easily allows players to set their own customized workouts.

The main features are:

• Training categories – aerobic exercises, muscle conditioning, Yoga, balance games and training plus
• Training routines – create customized training routines from all the original Wii Fit activities or new strength training, yoga activities or balance games. Alternatively, ask Wii Fit Plus to prepare them for you.
• Activities & balance games – all the original games such as ski slalom are included along with new training plus games such as skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu.
• Track & monitor your progress – recording a daily weight and fitness level allows players to check their progress.
• MET (Metabolic Equivalent) value – helps calculate the calories burnt. It is defined as “the ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate.”
• Weigh your pets – more of a gimmick than a feature if you ask me.
• Multiplayer mode – up to 8 people can play

The aim of the Wii Fit Plus is to have fun. The range and variety of games and customizations will keep people entertained and hopefully encourage players to play more often.

Top Marks

• Can create own exercises
• Can set the length of time
• Balance board is a great peripheral
• Instant bio-feedback from balance board
• Exercises will help your balance and strength
• Can be more interactive and entertaining than other forms of exercise
• Could have health benefits according to a study published in the British Medical Journal in February 2008
• Variety of fun balance board games
• Track your weight, body mass index (BMI), MET and time spent exercising providing a clearer picture of how your health is progressing over time
• All the equipment is quite intuitive so most people will quickly be able to navigate the system

Potential Problems

• Not a total fitness solution – focuses more on improving muscle tone and balance than cardio and weight loss
• Potential to hurt yourself
• Board is sensitive but players can still find ways to cheat
• Some games lack depth to keep players entertained after the initial novelty wears off
• Doesn’t replace real exercises (as heart rate generally not raised high enough for long enough but still better than sedentary activities)
• Health and fitness assessments not full explained
• Health and fitness assessment may not always be accurate, for instance, someone with a high muscle mass may be classified as overweight

Will the Wii Fit Plus Help Improve Your Fitness?

Nintendo is marketing the Wii Fit Plus as a mixture of fitness and fun, and certainly with the added improvements it works. It’s a decent alternative for those bored with the repetitiveness of going to a gym or too self-conscious to join a yoga or aerobics class.

Shortly after the release of the Wii Fit in 2008, it began earning a second life as a useful tool in helping victims of debilitating diseases and accidents on their way to recovery. Many medical professionals and physiotherapists incorporate the Wii into their patients’ therapy programs. They cite its ability to allow patients to work on weight bearing exercises, increase coordination, increase strength and stability, and increase fine and gross motor skills as some of the key benefits of the Wii.

Do you need a Wii to perform exercises? The simple answer is no you don’t. But the Wii can help you improve your technique, create a fun experience and provide a range of stats, personal targets and graphs. And an added bonus of not leaving your house is that you can fit exercising into spare moments throughout the day. All this may help to keep your enthusiasm and motivation high increasing your desire to improve your fitness and ultimately achieve your fitness goals.

Remember just like Wii Sports is not going to make you a tennis pro and Nintendo’s Brain Games will not make you a genius. Wii Fit Plus will not make you more fit unless you have the motivation to use it as a part of your fitness regime.

Our Rating:

Hardware & Software Requirements

Along with the Wii Fit Plus game and Wii Balance Board, you will need the Nintendo Wii console.

At the core of the Wii Fit Plus experience is the balance board. The board is stylish and surprisingly sturdy. It has four rubber feet to prevent slipping on smooth surfaces, interacts wirelessly with the Wii, weighs 8.8 lbs (4kg) and requires four AA batteries. The maximum weight allowance is 330 lbs (150kg).

More accessories are available but the one we would recommend is a silicon sleeve to help prevent slipping when sweat drops on the board and to protect it from scratches.

How to Get Started

Wii Fit Plus comes packaged with the Wii Balance Board. For people who already own the balance board, the Wii Fit Plus game is available for purchase separately.

	Product Description	Site Link
	Wii Fit Plus – game only or with board from Amazon USA
	Wii Fit Plus – game only or with board from Amazon UK
	Wii Fit Plus – game only or with board from Argos UK

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