The Nintendo Wii Balance Board blends fitness with technology. The "Biggest Loser" Wii game features a series of exercises compatible with the Wii Balance Board, therefore blending weight-loss exercise with balance and functional training. The multifunctional Wii Balance Board is your cyber-personal trainer. It weighs you in before you start your workout and tracks your movements, which appear on a video screen.
Biggest Loser and Wii
The Biggest Loser Wii game lets you compete against former contestants of the company's television game show. Users choose between four-, eight- and 12-week programs, which take place in the virtual location of the Biggest Loser Ranch, featured in the "Biggest Loser" television show. The game facilitates upper body, lower body, core, yoga and aerobic workouts, and about 66 of the exercises are compatible with the Nintendo Wii Balance Board. After choosing a contender from the list of former contestants, you choose whether you want Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper as your virtual trainer.
Wii Research
The Wii Fit Board provides a mild workout, reports the American Council on Exercise. The council sponsored two Wii Fit studies, both performed at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse Exercise and Health Program. One study examined the benefits of the regular Wii exercise program, and the other studied the Wii sport-related games. Most of the exercises lacked the intensity to comply with the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for improving cardiovascular endurance and enhancing caloric expenditure, reports lead researcher John Porcari.
Exercise Intensity
The American Council on Exercise research team reported the Wii exercises incorporating running movements, as well as exercises that simulated boxing and kickboxing, required the highest levels of exertion. Two programs on the Biggest Loser Challenge video game for Wii meet these standards. The 12-week advanced-level Marathon man program combines running movements with military-type exercises such as jumping jacks and squat thrusts. Fighting Fit, also a 12-week program combines upper body boxing movements with lower body kicking exercises that move on and off the balance board.
Balance and Core
The Wii Fit board adds a mild balance element to any type of exercise but while the balance challenge is minimal, the feedback is invaluable. As you perform exercises such as the yoga tree, which involves standing on one leg, the on-screen video shows you how well you are doing, while your virtual trainer offers cues to help you find stability.The Biggest Loser Challenge features a 12-week program called Enlightenment, which features yoga balance and core exercise but the Wii board also adds a balance challenge to traditional exercises such as the squat or the lunge.
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