Wii Fitness For Dummies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was not sure what to expect from a book called Wii Fitness for Dummies, but I decided to take a chance on it. I'm glad I did. As the busy mother of teens, I have not played video games in years. A friend of mine told me the Wii had several new exercise games and suggested I give it a try. The problem with the games is that they have so many options and for someone inexperienced, it was frustrating to try to set up your profile with all the information before getting started and to understand what the different measures mean. For example, in the setup, the Wii rates your balance. Why? This book explains that.

It was also helpful to have the detailed verbal descriptions of how to do the exercises. I found it difficult to pick up on some of the exercises watching on screen (like the step routines). The step-by-step (no pun intended) instructions in the book were very helpful for many of the exercises, particularly the ones for Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010, which uses the Wii remote for some of the strength training exercises. The authors are personal trainers, so I felt comfortable following their recommendations on how to do the exercises correctly. The book also includes a lot of photos to show correct positioning.

Before getting the book, I was a little concerned that because they were personal trainers, it would be geared toward people who were already avid exercise enthusiasts or fitness experts, but it really addressed people with varying fitness levels. I do have some health concerns and I also appreciated that the authors took time to note when an exercise might not be appropriate with someone having a particular health problem. This likely spared me a lot of joint injuries!

Another good thing about the book is that you don't have to read it from cover to cover to get started. The chapters are broken down by game and include a "getting started" section for each game, so you can just turn to the game you have and get started. I also liked the bonus chapters at the end, with the list of accessories available for the Wii fit and suggested "free style" type routines. A lot of the accessories would have been hard to find without the book.

It was also well written, which is more than I can say for a lot of Dummies books. (I bought one on Pressure Cooking that was terrible.) I've been trying to convince my mother to get a Wii so she can do some basic exercise in her home that might also be fun for her, and for her, even turning the Wii on would be a challenge, so I like that the book has instructions on how to navigate through the different menus.

Exercising with the Wii is not quite like exercising at a gym (for one thing, it can actually be fun), and it helps to have a book that addresses the complexities of exercising while standing on a small rectangle, for example! I do question the editor's choice of a cover photo. The authors go out of their way to stress the importance of wearing the right clothing for exercising, and those loose sweatpants with the strings at the bottom are not in line with their recommendations at all.

It is also very cool that you can get it on your Kindle.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Wii Fitness For Dummies

Product Description:
Have fun while getting fit!
Here's how to get the most from your Wii Fitness system
It's a perfect fit - Wii gaming fun designed to improve your overall health and fitness! The advice of these two personal trainers makes it even better. You'll learn to use Wii Fit Plus, EA Sports Active: Personal Trainer, and Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010. Find out how to create your own individualized workout and watch yourself improve!

Open the book and find:

Get 32% OFF