As the loyal readers of the site will know I have purchased a Wii Balance Board and Wii Fit. Now the real question on everyone’s mind is does Wii Fit actually work? There is only one way to find out and that is through highly scientific experimentation on a human subject. Unfortunately the TVGB budget for highly scientific research was used up when we attempted to see how much wood a woodchuck could actually chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood. A waste of money? Possibly. But thanks to that, instead of hiring subjects to research on, I have volunteered my body and probably a lot of my pride to conduct a semi-scientific experiment.

Wii Fit has told me that I am out of shape and overweight. With a BMI of 25.62 and a body weight of 189.2 pounds at the tender age of 25 I am not in perfect health. My balance is also of center to the left and I probably slouch too much. Can Wii Fit solve all these problems and help me lose weight? Over the next two months, which is the time period I set to lose 10 pounds or so, we’ll find out. I’ll be updating you every week as I train daily on the balance board. But it isn’t just about the balance board. Time and again Nintendo and more specifically Miyamoto have stressed that Wii Fit is meant to make people more conscious of their health and inspire them to exercise more. So that’s what I’ll be doing…if Wii Fit really works.

If it does inspire me then I am hoping to get a run in at least every other day and maybe actually show up at my gym too. This is all part of the test to see if a silly game can actually lead to a healthier life. As for getting back into the same shape I was in college when I was rowing 3-4 hours every morning and lifting every afternoon, I seriously doubt that will ever be an option again but just getting some muscle tone and definition back would be nice. So get ready, each week you’ll get my activities, how badly the board is kicking my butt and whether or not it has actually motivated me to get off my ass and do more. Who knows maybe I will even start eating better.

I’ll give you my starting stats now along with a picture of myself without a shirt on, which you may or may not want to actually see. I can tell you right now that after only two days of training my pectoral muscles and triceps are already sore and my abs are getting there. I really haven’t worked out in a while :(. On the flip side, the yoga has been generally relaxing and I actually went for a run today for the first time in ages.

I’ll see you next week at the same time with my new stats and updates on how I’m doing both physically and with dealing with my public embarrassment at people seeing me with no shirt.

Stats - Week One
Age: 25
Height: 6′0
BMI: 25.62 (Overweight)
Weight: 189.2 pounds
Wii Fit Age: 33