How To Help Kids Maintain A Healthy Body Weight

Are you stuck with ideas on how to get your kids physically active? Are you worried about their current fitness level? Read more

Pedometers: A Simple Solution To A Complex Problem

There are dozens of reasons not to exercise. But, let’s face it. Read more

Does TV Really Contribute to Child Obesity?

According to a recent article by the Los Angeles Times, “Getting kids to exercise more and cut down on television watching can dramatically reduce their risk of being overweight. Read more

Wii Fit: How will it move you?

The upcoming Nintendo Wii gaming title Wii Fit, which is scheduled to be released on May 21, should be one of Nintendo’s hottest gaming titles of this year.

The active-play phenomenon started by Wii Sports now spreads to your whole body with the help of the pressure-sensitive Wii Balance Board, which comes packed with Wii Fit. The board is used for an extensive array of fun and dynamic activities, including aerobics, yoga, muscle building and balance. Many of these activities focus on providing a “core” workout, a popular exercise method that emphasizes slower, controlled motions.

Wii Fit measures your physical progress the more you play it. All of this information is saved in a profile that is tied to your Wii. To benefit from this kind of progress tracking, you first need to establish some baselines for Wii Fit to gauge your development. After entering basic statistics, such as your height and date of birth, the game will calculate your body mass index (BMI: a statistical measure of weight scaled to a person’s height), center of gravity, and balance capabilities. Interestingly, after measuring how you stand on the pad, the game will let you know how you carry your weight and you’ll also be asked to test your balance by shifting your weight from foot to foot.

Once all of this is complete, your Wii Fit age is calculated by the game. Goals are an important part of achieving fitness, and you’ll be able to set specific goals in Wii Fit. You can choose to lose a certain amount of weight or achieve a target BMI within a certain amount of time. The game will help you keep track of your progress and even suggest when a goal might be unrealistic.

Once you’ve got your goals set, you can move on to the actual exercise events. These activities run the gamut from practicing specific yoga poses to playing fun games, such as walking a tightrope or skiing. For each minute you spend on a particular exercise, you’ll earn credits that will eventually unlock new, more advanced events. In addition to using frequent body tests to keep extensive records of all the time you spend on various events, Wii Fit will chart your progress on BMI, weight loss, your body age, and so on. You can even enter other exercise activities you take part in away from Wii Fit, which will also count toward your overall progress.

The Wii has made its mark using interactive and physical gameplay, requiring the physical involvement of the players instead of the couch potato thumb involvement of regular competitive game consoles. Currently selling out in the UK, the Wii Fit will surely have similar results in the US. And it will be interesting to see whether this physical gameplay will result in noticeable changes in the health and fitness of our technology-driven youth.

To find great deals on the Wii Fit and accessories, visit the Wii Fitness Depot.

Sports Nutrition Tip: Avoid Drinking Sodas

When you’re training, go easy on the soft drinks in your sports nutrition diet. There has been some indication that drinking a lot of carbonated sodas, especially cola, can have an adverse effect on bone strength, especially in teenage girls. Read more

6 Reasons To Exercise

Exercise is essential to remain healthy and fit. Below, are several good reasons to start and maintain an exercise program now. Read more

Exercise Tip: Workout At Home

There are a number of exercises you can do at home. Read more

Moderate Exercise Can Save The Day

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work or school and by the time you get home you’re full out of steam and can’t wrap your mind around exerting another ounce of energy for the day? Read more

Water: The Body’s Lifeblood

The human body can last weeks without food, but only days without water. The body is made up of approximately 55 to75 per cent water. Read more

Why Play Sports?

For children everywhere, it is easy to become stimulated by the various technology and other things that are around them. For some, it may seem like a struggle to tear your child away from the technology that is so available and ready for them. Read more