Mii and My Wii

Don't you just love it when you get a new toy?

Oh, I wouldn't have one except we fell prey to the siren call of the impulse purchase after an afternoon spent at Kim's house, playing with her Wii.

I didn't even really know what a Wii was until she explained over cups of tea why her arms and shoulders were so tired and sore that day. She had been boxing on her Wii, you see.

""I'll show you ", she said. "But first I have to draw my blinds, or people walking by on the street will think I'm crazy".

A Wii (pronounced "wee" as in 'very small' or 'I have to go') is a gaming system that exercises more than your thumbs. You actually have to move around and expend real energy to play. My friend held a small remote strapped to her wrist in one hand and another smaller one in her other hand. She started up the Wii Boxing game and then demonstrated how it all worked by punching the heck out of the little cartoon guy on her TV screen.

She swung, she punched, she ducked, she danced back and forth on her living-room floor. She glared fiercely at her animated opponent, and then finally gave him the 'ol KO. He was down for the count!

It looked so fun Jeff and I had to try. There we were: insanely punching the air with all our hearts, and having a blast.

We played virtual tennis too, swinging the Wii remote like a tennis racket. And bowling too!
(As in life, I wasn't very talented at tennis and bowling, but I rocked at boxing! ) (Oh, and there's golf and baseball too..)

So now, three days later I have a Wii system of my own--its great exercise, really! And yes, you do sort of look silly hopping about in your living-room, but apparently it's rather a popular game, and it's only me who's never heard of it. I've been missing out. :)

A few people on the internet have actually posted their own Wii "Weight Loss Experiments" and had some success. The YouTube movie I post here is a compilation of footage put together by one of the guys who lost weight by playing with the Wii gaming system for half an hour a day for a month or so.

It so totally beats eating carrot sticks! I actually get out of breath playing this thing, and my triceps don't know what hit them. (Ah, I am so totally trying to justify blowing more money on video games...)

Come to my house and I'll let you play! :)