Last month, I gave you a side-by-side comparison of today’s most popular fitness gadgets. We looked at the Jawbone UP, the Nike FuelBand, the Fitbit Force, and a few other wearable devices you can take with you to track your physical activity on the go. There’s another contender in this area that deserves your consideration, and that’s the Wii Fit U. It’ll appeal most to those of you who already have a Nintendo Wii U game console, as opposed to those starting from scratch. Here’s a look at how it works.
Wii Fit U ‘Fit Meter’
The Fit Meter is one of three components that make up the complete Wii Fit U bundle. It’s the actual device you wear on the outside of your clothes when you’re out and about. Not only does it function as a pedometer, but it also keeps track of calories you burn and your activity throughout the day.
The Fit Meter has an acceleration sensor to measure the intensity of your workout, and an atmospheric pressure sensor to monitor your changes in altitude. With the press of a button, you can sync all your activity to your Wii Fit U profile to get more details about your workout, including handy graphs that show your total steps and calories burned.
Wii Fit U ‘Balance Board’
The Balance Board is the second component of the Wii Fit U bundle. It looks like a typical home scale, and measuring your weight (and BMI) is just one of it’s features. It’s mostly there to help you play the one of the many Wii Fit U game activities. You can sit or stand on the Balance Board, and integrated sensors can detect whether you’re standing on one foot or both, whether you’re standing straight or leaning and whether you’re sitting or standing. You’ll use it when doing yoga, and you’ll use it when piloting a bobsled through one of the games.
Wii Fit U Games
Neither of the other two components of Wii Fit U do you much good without the games and activities. They make it fun (and rewarding) to keep up with your routine.
From balancing games, to dance and yoga, to aerobics and strength training, Wii Fit U has you covered. Want to row crew? Feel like doing a salsa dance? What about taking out your stress from the day with a boxing match? These games and activities have you covered.
Nintendo sells a bundle that includes all three of these components—the Fit Meter, the Balance Board, and the games and activities—for $89.99. They’re available in most retail stores (Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Target), as well as on Amazon. You can get more information and watch a handful of demo videos here.
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