Nintendo Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board

Bought this item as a family present at Christmas to accompany the Wii console we got last year. Even the unpacking instructions on the box were a really clever touch, and the balance board is so sturdy. A really well put together piece of kit. Setting up was as easy as adding a new controller, flick the switch, press the button & presto, you're ready. Lob in the CD to the console and start. All the Mii's from the plaza come over and the information previously stored does too. You start by being weighed and tested to give you a Wii-fit age which can be part of a daily routine with this item (or not). The down side is that if you are not that good at some of the tests your age goes up, so you have to take it with a pinch of salt / don't be too serious about it. If you want some fun there are plenty of games that hide the fact that you are actually working some muscles (until later when you ache) and for the fitness gurus, there are yoga and muscle workouts too. The latter are really common sense exercises that perhaps most of us wouldn't normally think to do but they work well. You can set yourself targets and burn off some calories and it has enough good sense to remind you to take a break too. As an over 40, my wife and I both enjoy playing on it regularly. The kids, like fireworks, burned brightly on it for a fortnight and have now fizzled out a bit, possibly with getting back to school. Even guests who pop round succumb to playing on it. Absolute winner.

I can't say enough good things about the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus and Balance Board Bundle in White. It's been a total game-changer for me when it comes to staying active and having fun at the same time. First off, let me tell you how easy it was to get started. Setting up the balance board and getting everything connected to my Wii was a breeze. Within minutes, I was ready to dive into the world of Wii Fit Plus. And let me tell you, the variety of exercises and activities is seriously impressive. From yoga and strength training to fun mini-games that get your heart pumping, there's something for everyone. I've even roped my friends and family into joining me for multiplayer challenges – it's a blast! What I love most is how it doesn't feel like a chore to work out anymore. The games are so engaging that I find myself wanting to come back for more every day. Plus, the feedback and progress tracking features keep me motivated to keep pushing myself. If you're looking for a fun and effective way to get moving and improve your fitness, look no further than the Nintendo Wii Fit Plus Bundle. It's been a total lifesaver for me, and I can't recommend it enough!

Setup easy, you can "play" / exercise on your own or choose multiplayer. The hardest bit was establishing where the hell the sync button was on the Wii console - it is beind a hidden "door" which I didn't know existed - once synced with the wii remote it all worked a treat. Have done a few exercises and even my youngest daughter (6) has got in on the act doing some jogging, hula hooping and she loved the snowball fighting, although she found the co-ordination difficult - but thats expected for her age with this game. You can set goals / targets and set your own exercise routine or follow one the system recommends according to your shape / targets etc Will add another review update in a month..... Update:- Power pack on board charged whilst I was using it and power pack has been used on its own all afternoon by my daughter - so much for me getting exercise!! Power still going strong on 1 charge after 5 hours of almost constant use, the balancing games are great for adults and kids, hence my lack of use today, but it kept little lady occupied whilst I did some spring cleaning!!

Anything that gets you active for a period of time has to be applauded, but not beginning on a false premise of accuracy in readings. As such this is a novel and amusing way of getting the slouch couches off their butt. There are various categories ranging from aerobics to muscle toning and postural balance which are quite innovative. Within these are various levels you can target based on time spent on the exercise and with some, how much effort you put in. The graphics are good and responsive and some like the cycling is fun as you have a little dog chasing you part of the way on your route. BUT, the initial measurements of your BMI, weight, age, balance etc. lead to widely inaccurate estimates of your initial condition. I am no slouch and, in fact work out three times a week at 2 hours a session with weights and an exercise bike, yet the Wii board calculated my condition as poor and 15 years older in fitness terms on my first weigh-in. Laughable. I have a more accurate Tanita BMI and weight meter and it measures your BMI (Body Mass Index) from the electrical resistance of your body through its metal footpads you stand on. The more body fat you have, the greater the electrical resistance measured and hence the higher the BMI reading. The reading of the Wii board is 2 and a half percent over the reading of the Tanita. I think the Wii board doesn't actually work out your BMI; rather, it goes on established weight versus height graphs, which estimate what your BMI is at a particular weight, height and gender. The high pitch voice welcoming you to a day's session is novel at first, but starts to annoy after a week or so. Similarly, the "well done" messages start to become meaningless and empty as well. To conclude, this is a good piece of kit for beginners and as a means of adding variety to your exercise routine, but if you're used to working out seriously, you will find it somewhat unsatisfactory if you solely rely on it for your workout and not use other equipment. UPDATE** 5/3/12. I have just started another week of exercise and as if to highlight my reservations of its accuracy, it has established I now weigh a pound heavier than last week even though I entered my clothes as weighing a pound lighter , and even though I have lost half a pound (according to my Tanita). Also, it has taken 23 years off my age fitness and I am now 9 years younger than my actual age. I am beginning to suspect these readings are equivalent to those of the Mystic Lady machine at the arcade which pops out a card of your future when you put a coin in!

Having had Wii Fit for over a year and been quite frustrated by the time it takes to work through the routines I was very keen to give this a try to see if there was an improvement over the original. It certainly is, you get everything you had with the Wii Fit plus a number of extras. There is quite a lot that is new on Wii Fit Plus, some of it is a novelty like the ability to add in either your pets or a baby - all that does is allow you to weigh them on a regular basis so that you can check their weight. Helpful if you have pets you are trying to slim down and useful perhaps if you want to check your baby's progress but don't worry they aren't allowed to exercise so Nintendo haven't 'lost the plot'. There is the facility to plan a workout although the only sections you can choose from are the Yoga and the Muscle exercises. This is a handy little feature as it totals up the time so you can choose the right number of workouts to fill say a half hour slot and then use that on a regular basis. If I have a criticism of this feature it is that it only appears to let you have one custom workout stored at any one time - I would have preferred the ability to store half a dozen. That said there are some preset routines which you can choose from to allow you to work on specific targets such as fitness, flexibility etc and this is very useful. If you prefer you can also ask the Wii Fit to design a routine for you. I do love this flexibility because very often I want to do a half hour workout and I used to hate waiting for all the interval between exercises. The slight downside is that it doesn't score your performance for each exercise but in any event that used to get tedious to me so I am pleased that I can now avoid it. Nintendo have also added a whole new section of fun 'games' called Training Plus which include things like skateboarding, snowball fights, flying like a bird, juggling - I could go on and on. I have tried them all and they are good fun, some more so than others from my perspective, but I think it is fair to say that there is something for everyone in that section and they would be hilarious at a party as some of them are especially tricky to master. If I have a criticism of this section it is that I would have liked some instructions on how to do them but to be honest once you have tried and got a rotten score you soon learn what you should be doing to do better! I love the fact that Nintendo have also introduced a little brain work into the exercises as well. One of the features when it works out your brain age required me to balance whilst clicking on random numbers in ascending order - sounds simple but when you are trying to keep your centre of gravity in the centre and use you brain to select numbers you do need to concentrate. Similarly in one of the fun games you have to swing your hips to hit 'mushrooms' whose numbers add up to 10 which means doing quick mental arithmetic whilst exercising - great fun and a good way to smarten up your mental arithmetic. Other new features includes the provision of a MET Value - A MET value is added to each exercise, in order to calculate calories burnt. MET stands for "metabolic equivalent" and is defined as "the ratio of the work metabolic rate to the resting metabolic rate". Sounds complicated but in practice it just gives you an idea of how many calories you have burnt during your workout which is useful. Nintendo have provided some expanded training modes - Aerobic & Jogging both have additional courses, Step Rhythm Remix includes new songs. There are 3 new Yoga exercises and 3 new Muscle exercises. All this plus the option for Multiplayer mode to allow all the family to join in. So do I think it is worth buying - yes I do, it has renewed my interest in keeping fit and that can't be a bad thing.

I have finally found hope that I can lose the two stone I have gained since my working life changed to a very sedentary one of 10 hour days. I hate gyms, and most evenings am just too tired to do much except flop on the sofa with a glass of wine. This does not help! Within a very short time I have become very fond of this fitness tool. It completely adapts to my lifestyle, is always there, and lets me choose what I want to do in the comfort of my own home. No wasted gym fees or travel time to and from a gym. No depressing realisation of how out of shape I am compared with the gym rats around me. The system personalises itself to you in so many ways -it is a pleasure to start it up and do the body test, see the pounds dropping off. How lovely to see the downward slope of my BMI graph, pointing straight at the target I have set. Unlike a gym, it;'s great fun, whether done alone or in company. It's something my daughter and I can do together when it suits us, and get fit at the same time. The games are entertaining and make you laugh too -something that never happened in a gym! This is the answer to my need to get fit and stay fit -it really makes it easy, and with no recurring fees. Once you've bought it, that's it. Maybe around 2 months' worth of gym fees but get to keep it for life. Best of all it has given me hope again and lifted a despondency that I would be stuck in unfitness and all that that would bring. It has actually made me happier!

Following a trip to my doctor regarding weight loss and hoping for a prescription for one of those new slimming pills I was instead prescribed a Wii! He had just bought one and was trying to get a go as his children were hogging it. You can read my review of the Wii elsewhere, but if you have one do obtain one of these balance boards and a Wii Fit Plus game. Providing you are less than 23 stone this board will hold your weight, and as it uses four AA batteries I advise getting a charger (the Duracell one is very good). The game will weigh you, test your fitness level and tell you your fitness age. You can just do this if you are short on time, or opt for their freestyle training program. Choose from a variety of different exercise types from fun sports to running, yoga to hula hoping, stepping on a treadmill, boxing and the more traditional exercises involving balancing, stretching and all of that. As you get better there are more advanced options and new routines will appear. As well as the board you will use the Wiimote and Nunchuk...apart from that, just your body. The graphics are attractive and easy to see, the setting being the idyllic Wuhu Island which looks delightfully like the illustrations in a manga novel. You will explore it as you run around it and also in other options where you ride a bike, or even a Segway. Other locations include a typical gymnasium (choose a male or female instructor), boxing training room and catwalk in space where you leap logs, demolition balls and jump onto moving platforms. None of the games or workouts take more than about ten minutes to complete and you can choose how much you do. This is surely the beauty of this program; you don't need much time to set it up and get moving. Have I lost any weight? No, but I haven't gained any either which is a definite plus and I certainly feel better.

This was quite cheep but still does the job very well