GamesRadar got expert yoga instructor, Sally Coucouvanis, to try out the Wii Fit then talk about whether it's yoga excersises are accurate to the yoga lifestyle.
Despite having a few pros, it turns out the Wii Fit isn't as accurate as Nintendo would like it to be.
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We nabbed Sally Coucouvanis, a certified yoga instructor for children with special needs to help us assess whether Nintendo’s Wii game was true to the yogi lifestyle.
GamesRadar: Do you think these beginning calculations are anything to take seriously for yoga? How about for children?
Sally: Yoga is for everybody - you do not have to be “fit” to do it. Although now, it is very popular to have a faster, more flowing yoga at gyms. And some people do it now to lose weight, but that is not the intention. I think the weigh in and BMI might be good for some, but others might get discouraged. I did like knowing I was placed in the “healthy” category.
GR: Are these exercises accurate to yoga? Were they taught correctly?
Sally: The instructor is pretty good with the instructions. But it’s weird keeping your foot on the Board the whole time - like with the Warrior pose [which only requires one foot at a time]. For breathing, it was fine though.
I could’ve used more direction. Tree pose could have been better. Warrior was kinda lame, but the half moon one was good.
GR: Wii Fit says your center of balance is towards the back right with more weight on your heels. Seems like the game is calling out your posture. What’s up with that?
Sally: I thought my posture was fine. I think it’s interesting the game doesn’t think I do. When I lean forward to correct it, it feels like I’m tipping over.
GR: Is the instructor giving you good tips on the exercises?
Sally: Not too much. You never get a sense how you’re supposed to “feel” doing the pose. So you don’t really know if you’re doing it right.
GR: After years of experience, do you take offense to the game calling you a newcomer?
Sally: Yes! Totally!
GR: You saw how Wii Fit emphasizes taking your time and working out properly. On the other hand, the “game” aspect rewards you by the time you’ve spent playing with new, unlockable exercises. Is there a danger to that reward system? Or is that a healthy incentive to keep playing?
Sally: People could push themselves and possibly injure themselves. Even with DVD’s, it’s better to have an instructor there to help with proper alignment with the pose. The whole game concept is very weird to me.
GR: Would you recommend these exact poses for children?
Sally: For kids, I’m really not sure about any of it. Older kids, yes. And adults too.
GR: Does Wii Fit do it for you? Would you play it again? Or would you tell Nintendo to suck it?
Sally: No. No. And yes on the suck it part!
Sally: Yoga’s main aim in a nutshell is to calm the mind using breath and body and to bring awareness for great circulation and health. Yoga has cognitive, physical and emotional benefits. I did not feel that in the game.
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Comments with -10 or lower "thumbs" are removed from display.
Nothing beats a healthy diet and moderate lifestyle. These active Wii games are really just there for your entertainment, not to change your life, imo. But hey, I hear DDR works wonders! It's probably more effective than this, anyway.
EDIT Rated down? Obviously someone doesn't like DDR...
I can see the Wii Fit helping in terms of getting in a little exercise if you're schedule is way too busy for you to go hit the gym or walk a few blocks. Thinking about Japan's lifestyle, it must have seemed like a much better idea to Nintendo than it does to us. We have all this space, and gyms everywhere trying to get our business, and whether you believe this or not, our work hours are much more flexible than theirs (or any other industrialized Asian country).
After working XX hours behind a desk, a Japanese businessman/woman may see the Wii Fit as a relaxing and fun way to squeeze in a little exercise. Work out machines as we know them are probably a huge waste of space to most Japanese.
Im not surprised about this, I mean Even I know the horrible idea Wii fit is.
I feel that the Wii Fit is just there to reinforce an already healthy lifestyle, not bring about drastic changes like some miracle solution.
EDIT Since replies have been disabled, Final Blade, I'm just going to clarify that I was being facetious with the 5 mile statement. =)
By exercising I mean getting off your ass and doing some physical activity. Shoveling believe it or not is pretty good exercise, along with just walking around your block and lifting some weights. If you want to go to the gym and rid the bike for 30-60 minutes that helps too.
Of course were pretty much stating the same thing so i'll just stop here. And lol how I get thumbs down for stating the truth.
i didn't even know wii fit was supposed to be 'yoga'.
But hang on- Yoga does not sound soo intimadating.
Why cant we all just get outside and then start to exercise? Why waist a lot of money on a game?
And yeah, I agree with RCG above - nothing beats a healthy diet and moderate lifestyle.