Gear Blogger by Michelle Fama
Get Started: Try the Nintendo Wii
Jun 4, 2008
I was the first in my group of friends to save the princess from the evil dragon in Nintendo’s first generation Super Mario Bros. game. I’m still tickled at my video game prowess back then; I can still remember exactly where to jump to hit the invisible mushrooms that gave a gazillion extra lives, or how to find the secret warp to the last level. (Any of you out there that can remember more secrets, please join me in reminiscing and sharing.) I could do it all—so long as my playing thumb didn’t give out!
Alas, times have changed. My thumb will be ok, but my core, not so sure with Nintendo’s highly hyped stay in shape game wii Fit (Amazon.com, $164.50). When I saw it offers four fitness options—balance games, aerobic exercises, yoga and muscle workouts—I naturally took yoga for the first test drive.
After going through a BMI test that spits out hide-your-face worthy results just short of “you are fat, and you shouldn’t have eaten that pint of ice cream last night” you learn your wii fit age and can enter goals and a deadline for achieving them. The technology behind wii fit lies within the sturdy balance board that is split into 4 different quadrants. The 15 yoga poses that wii Fit takes you through require you to balance on a board and hold the pose for a short period of time. For Tree pose, for instance, it had me stand in the middle of the board on one leg, while watching a yellow circle on the screen. The pink cursor represented my balance and as long as it stayed within the yellow circle I was doing ok. If the cursor gets zig-zaggy, better luck next time. Although I never quite felt the yogic focus and clarity that comes from a Vinyasa’s power to unite mind and body and breath, I was able to maintain a sober and still pink cursor rather effortlessly. My female on-screen teacher was more Bond than Buddha with her sultry accent that seemed a little British mixed with byte. And her cues, such as “Feel your waist stretching,” or “Great job, keep it up!” added more humor than help, but I did learn which leg I was more balanced on. I felt still, focused—and I had fun. And I did feel challenged in some of the other exercises like Akatasana (Chair pose, but done on the toes). The computer rates your abilities based on how balanced and centered you are on the board. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get 4-stars …
I don’t see wii Fit turning into the replacement for a Level 1 or 2 class at your local yoga studio. No computer game can replace the community and corrections you get in a regular, in-person practice. But I am happy that some of yoga’s principles and poses can now become household names to folks who otherwise wouldn’t know an Ashram from an airport terminal. As for me, I’ll still be showing up at my favorite yoga class, sitting in my usual spot, and seeing the same yogis there day after day. That’s the joy of my practice. I may, however, sneak in some wii Fit from time to time. I don’t have different levels to conquer and a princess to save, but I want that elusive 4-star rating in my Chair pose.
