I'll admit it - I'm a sucker for fitness gadgets. It is one part magical thinking, as in, if I find the perfect fitness tool all of my problems will be solved and I'll be instantly as fit as I want to be, and one part ooh look, shiny new cool thing! I have multiple aerobic steps, including a cheapo one that is too short (Seamus likes to stand on it so he can see out the window more easily), a fancy tall wooden one that wobbled, and the one that I currently use, a double decker affair that is actually very good. I have a balance ball and a resistance band. I have dumbbells in weights ranging from five to 12, and two sets of legs weights. Lately every time I go by the fitness section at Target I catch myself eyeing the kettle bells speculatively. After all, they've been mentioned in Shape, Self and Women's Health. Hmm...maybe I have a small obsession with fitness magazines too.
I also have a whole shelf full of exercise videos and DVDs - cardio focused and weights focused, Pilates and kickboxing, and ones that target specific spots. Now, while you do need some variety in your workouts, you don't need quite that much variety. The secret to getting exercise videos to getting exercise videos to work for you is to do them on a consistent basis.
Most recently I've been wondering about the Wii. A bunch of different people have referenced using it as a fitness tool on their blogs, and it does look like fun. My former boss is a fan too. The devil on my shoulder says "Gadgety goodness! Go for it!" The angel on my shoulder says "Do you really think a video game will give you as good a workout as getting up off your ass and going to the gym?" (My shoulder angel swears a surprisingly large percentage of the time.) The devil counters with "But what about when you don't make it to the gym? They have yoga..." Then I look at the angel and wail "Yoga! I miss yoga and it doesn't fit into my schedule at all right now." The angel crosses his arms, raises a skeptical eyebrow and mutters something I don't quite catch under his breath. The devil cackles and swings his arm as if he's playing tennis on the Wii.
What say you, Internet? Have you tried the Wii? Does it actually provide a workout?
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