Virtual fitness program has possibilities
When my fiance, Matt, asked me to work out and get in shape with him this summer, I immediately responded with enthusiasm. I began to look at gyms online, figuring out which offered two-week or one-month trial periods, discovering whether personal trainers would be available, and learning which places had the newest equipment and cleanest facilities.
But before I speak any more, a small confession is in order: I don't go out of my way to exercise very often. Blessed with a fairly good metabolism and always involved in sports, I've never felt the need to hit the gym and lift weights, or run for hours on the treadmill. Instead, I've been content to take long walks after dinner or play the occasional round of golf.
That said, it's time to reveal the real reason I was so excited about my fiance's idea. If we were to join a gym, I would have an excuse to buy cute workout clothes. Sad, but true. In any event, it was a win-win situation from all angles: Matt would have an exercise buddy, I'd get some new gear, and perhaps would even get myself into shape in the process.
I dragged Matt to TJ Maxx with me -- I may be a clothes horse, but at least I'm a bargain shopper -- and while I scoured the racks for anything Nike, he slipped away to the video-game store next door. After about 10 minutes of shopping, my arms were full of running shorts and brightly colored tank tops. As I moved toward the checkout line, shifting the weight of the clothes from one arm to the next, my cell phone began to ring.
It was Matt, and he sounded excited. "I got it!" he nearly yelled into the receiver.
"Got what?" I responded, trying to balance the phone between my shoulder and my ear.
"The Wii Fit!" he exclaimed, "I just saved us like a hundred bucks on a gym membership!"
I looked down at the gym clothes secured between my left arm and my body, dumbfounded, and said, "What?"
Unable to believe that a video game could fulfill Matt's original workout desires, I got off the phone, bought the exercise gear anyway, and flagged my fiance down as he burst through the front doors of TJ's with an enormous bag in his hands and a huge grin on his face.
After we returned home, my mother and I gathered in front of the television as Matt arranged what looked like a large white skateboard, sans wheels, directly in front of the screen. Grabbing a controller, he punched a few buttons and before our eyes was a virtual man onscreen, dressed in workout gear, stretching out and demonstrating how to use the board to do lunges. A few more buttons, and suddenly, the Wii system was asking Matt to step onto the board so it could measure his weight and calculate his Body Mass Index.
As the seemingly magic board accurately determined Matt's weight, my mother and I looked at one another, amused and a little bit impressed. When the Wii began to determine Matt's workout regimen, introduced him to his virtual physical trainer, and gave him options for a nutrition plan, I was downright floored.
While I watched, Matt did exercises on the board, the computer sensors monitoring his ability to balance and his proficiency at different tasks. As he gradually mastered simpler exercises, the Wii allowed him to move on to things like hula hooping, walking on a "tightrope," yoga and more.
I'm excited about the virtual fitness program, and think it's incredible that video games are taking a turn for the practical.
Part of me, though, is concerned that programs like the Wii Fit might one day replace going out to a gym and interacting with others. Are we able to feel accountable to a virtual trainer? Are we likely to work out when there are so many other distractions around the house?
On the other hand, perhaps the program will help people who wouldn't normally exercise -- me! -- to take up a fitness regimen.
For now, I'm taking a shot at getting in shape at home with my virtual trainer.
And I'm not returning the clothes.
By Megan Bode
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