The Wii Fit Experiment: Week Two

When I started this little experiment, I had a vague idea of what I would be getting myself into. I figured, hey, it's a simple work out that may or may not provide some element of weight loss. I was not wrong in assuming this, because it's very much the case; but as I alluded to last week, there's a glaring problem with how it is I am using Wii Fit.

I think there's a key reason why Nintendo hasn't publicly stated what Wii Fit will do to your body. At first, I assumed it was simply legal issues; you simply can't guarantee weight loss for every single person who uses your product. While that may be true, I think there's an even more glaring answer: Wii Fit may not be meant to be used as often as I am for this experiment.

Wii Fit allows for up to 4 hours of training a day, but I could not comprehend anyone doing that every day. I think at best, Wii Fit is meant to be used lightly, and my body is quickly confirming that assumption. For the last two weeks, I have been doing extensive aerobic training (with usually a 20 to 30 minute 'free run' thrown in for a decent workout) in order to facilitate weight loss over the course of this experiment. I've noticed a sharp pain in my lower legs and ankles that has progressively gotten worse as I go.

When we interviewed Nintendo at GDC about Wii Fit, I was curious why Matt asked if you could work-out with your shoes on. This last week opened my eyes: running in place for thirty minutes without shoes on gives absolutely no arch support, which causes pain in my feet, and thus the problems I may be currently facing. While you don't use the Balance Board for the running exercises, there is something to be said about Nintendo's lack of foresight to accomodate this issue. Last week I mentioned that Wii Fit doesn't offer any suggestion to not do certain workouts on a day-by-day basis (aside from the "it's Sunday, why not rest?" message), so this could potentially become a greater problem.

As I said in the introduction to this experiment, I'm not terribly out of shape. I walk the equivalent of 2 km a day, and recently I've been having troubles going up and down stairs without pain in my shins and calves. Because of this, I've made my last few days of exercise extremely light on strenuous activities, and I believe my body weight rebounded slightly due to that change of pace. I've still lost weight overall, but not nearly at the pace I had hoped for.


I'm curious if anyone else has had any physical strains beyond that of simple muscle pains while using Wii Fit? If you have, feel free to drop me an email. Maybe there's a common thread of problems that could be identified.

Check back next week for the penultimate update to the Wii Fit experiment.