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Wii Fit

By Charlotte on September 21, 2009 3:17 PM

Most mornings, our alarm buzzes at 6:30 a.m. sending Bob and me in different directions.  He showers and heads to work.  I go to the family room to meet my workout buddy: Wii Fit.

DSCN1990.JPG"Today is your 234th day," Wii says, greeting me with a graph showing the fluctuations in my body mass index (BMI) for the past few days.

 

My interactive trainer takes home exercise to a new level.  It tracks my progress, congratulates me on meeting goals and encourages me (ok, sometimes scolds) when I slip up.  It's much like working out with a friend except Wii Fit never notices that I exercise in my pajamas before putting on my makeup!

 

Although I can begin with a body test or training, I always exercise first, choosing from:

s         Yoga - Half-moon, warrior and other poises for toning muscles and improving posture

s         Strength training - Leg extensions, push-ups, jackknives and other muscle-building moves

s         Aerobics - Hula hoop, step, running and boxing exercises that burn body fat

s         Games - Skiing, soccer, table tilt and others for improving your sense of balance

s         Favorites - The routines I've done most often.

 

I've practiced enough to unlock almost all 48 exercises though I'm still working on strength training, and I've yet to convince Bob to join me in the two-person run.  When you're new to Wii Fit, however, you can access only a few moves in each area. 

 

A male or female trainer demonstrates each exercise, and works out with you.  You mimic them while holding the Wii Fit controller, standing on the Wii Balance Board or both.   Afterwards, you're rewarded with stars showing your skill-level (trust me, it's alright to start as a couch potato) and a score for comparison with those of others using the system.  Wii Fit times the session, praising you and encouraging breaks at regular intervals. 

 

After working out, I take the basic body test, which reports:

s         Center of balance - Information that can help improve your posture.

s         BMI - Degree of body fat based on your height and weight, and classified as obese, overweight, normal or underweight.

s         Weight - How heavy you are today, how that compares to your last recorded weight and how well the change reflects your goal.

 

Wii Fit saves the results so you can easily track your progress.  But you can password protect the information if you'd rather others not see it.  If you're not in a rush, you can also test your body control and balance.  Wii Fit combines these results with your age to determine your Wii Fit age.  That's fun, but it's usually not worth the extra time. 

 

In addition to selecting which tests to perform, you decide which moves to do in which order and how many times to repeat each one.  Sessions can be short or long, exercise- and information-packed, or purely fun.  Choices like this mean you can tailor the time to meet your needs and make Wii Fit the ideal workout partner for anyone with a busy schedule.

 

To use Wii Fit, you must first have the Wii console.  The Boomer Brief recommends the original Wii Fit, which comes with the Wii Balance Board.  New Wii Fit Plus, available Oct. 4, can be purchased with or without the Balance Board.

 

 

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Guest Room

Diabetes-Friendly Chicken Burrito Bowl

ChickenBurritoBowlEverydayDiabetes 600.jpg

By Laura Cipullo and Lisa Mikus, authors of Everyday Diabetes Meals
Image credit: Colin Erricson

Prepare your own Mexican quick fix with this Chipotle-inspired bowl. Carbs are moderated by filling the bowl with beans, extra veggies and chicken. No need for rice, since the beans count as carbs.

Tips:

If you love tomatoes, increase the quantity to 1/2 cup, but note that the carbohydrates will also increase.

If preparing this recipe for one person, cut all of the ingredients in half. Or simply prepare the full recipe up to the end of step 2 and store leftover chicken and vegetable-bean mixture in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave on High for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through, and continue with step 3.

Health Bite: The iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc in black beans help to keep bones strong and healthy.

Continue Reading »

Playing Favorites

Windy City

It's been almost 18 years since Alison Krauss gave us a solo album, but the wait is over with Windy City. The release (her fifth solo studio album) features ten covers of classic songs (and some bonus tracks) she picked with producer Buddy Cannon.

Continue Reading »

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