Actually Use Wii Fit and Its Ilk

Like so many others, I bought into Wii Fit with hopes that it would signal the beginning of a healthier lifestyle. And after using it a grand total of two times–the day I bought it and the day after–I, like so many others, gave up.

It’s not that I got tired so much as I was just bored. It felt like I was always racing to match the motions and timing of the on-screen instructor, like I was watching a DVD instead of using an interactive product. Sure, the mini-games were temporarily entertaining distractions, but there wasn’t much meat.

And now, like so many others, I’m vowing to make 2010 a healthier year. A new version of Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus, looks to have addressed at least some of my complaints–custom routines mean you don’t have to stop after every activity and futz around with the menu–and Electronic Arts has crafted its own offering with EA Sports Active.

Of course, this is only one part of a plan–specifically, the “get into a routine” portion–that extends beyond games and eventually encompasses keeping better track of what I’m eating, the possibility of jogging, bike rides (once my section of northeast Indiana thaws out, that is), and, of course, publicly admitting all of this so that I have to stick with it or face mockery from whoever actually read this far down. In other words, it’s a start.