Fitness and the fun factor

Keeping, getting or staying fit can sometimes be a grind. But Gill Hamper has found a way of turning that whole business into a game

Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia a few years ago, my muscles, which used to be toned, are now weak and painful. As even the simplest action, such as walking or bending, can hurt, it is very tempting to rest all the time to avoid the pain. However, this lack of action makes them even weaker. It is a very vicious circle.

While I was at a Fibro support group meeting a few weeks ago, one of my friends said that she had been using the Nintendo Wii and found it very helpful, so I bought one to try it out.

It was easy to set up, all you do is find a channel for it on your TV, I use channel AV3, then attach the cables and plug everything in.

I started working with Wii Fit, a set of various sorts of exercise programmes and games. At the start of each session you enter your age, height and sex, and select an icon to represent you on the screen. You also need an extra accessory called a Balance Board.

When this is set up, it is able to tell you your Body Mass Index (BMI), weight and centre of gravity every time you log in. I found this helpful as my balance is poor, and learning how to stand so my centre of gravity is correct, makes me aware of when I am lopsided.

When I first began to use it, my movements were very slow and so was my reaction time. I was also worried about overdoing it, and being in pain either at the end of the session or the next day. Fortunately this did not happen, and I was able to use it again the next day.

I try to do it for 20 minutes a day, and already my muscles are working more effectively. Lifting a kettle of water no longer requires two hands, and now when I bend over to pick something up off the floor, I can often stand back up without holding on to anything.

Mixing fun with the benefits, I've also been playing games for which you don't need to use the Balance Board. My balance and co-ordination, which were a huge problem, have been helped a lot by the various games such as Penguin Slide and
Snowball Fight. There are games or exercises for every muscle group, but mainly I play the ones which also work on toning, balance, co-ordination and flexibility.

An added benefit of all this exercise is that I am losing weight, and the less I weigh and fitter I become the better I feel. The reason I am finding the Wii so effective is because of the games, which make it fun. Whereas 20 minutes of normal exercise can feel like forever, 20 minutes of playing games flies by.

INFORMATION
argos.co.uk: Wii Console + Wii Sports + Sports Resort + Wii Fit (incl. Balance Board) £229.99
Wii Fit Plus only (incl. Balance Board) £74.99