Using the Wii to Rebuild Cardio Endurance

January 3, 2013

I took several unexpected weeks off when we bought our new house.

Have you ever tried to keep up an exercise routine while you are moving?

It’s tough. I won’t say it’s impossible, but I will say that I didn’t do it.

I could feel my cardio endurance slipping away. Our new home is two stories. I realized after we were in the midst of moving in that I would feel a bit winded, just climbing to the second story.

Exercise is definitely key to my feeling of well-being. And unfortunately, I just let it drift away.

Now I know that muscle memory will definitely bring it back quickly, but it requires effort to bring it back.

And unfortunately, just as I had once been in the habit of exercising, I had quickly gotten into the habit of NOT exercising.

I knew I didn’t have the stones to do a real Jillian Michaels workout as soon as I reclaimed my healthy lifestyle. I would have to build up to it.

Cardio felt like the best way to do it, but I also wanted it to be fun. After all, I had to both get back into the exercise habit AND build up my endurance again.

I chose to use the Wii to do it, and for the past week, I rebuilt my cardio strength with Just Dance 2 and 3.

If you aren’t familiar with the Wii, Just Dance is a game series of popular Top 40’s-esque songs (and a few other random songs I have NEVER heard before). You have an Avatar on screen, and you mirror his or her moves. It keeps track of your movements, rewarding you with points as you dance.

It’s a surprisingly tough workout! Best yet, it’s fun, so I’m able to pop it in and quickly do a 30 minute workout without even realizing it!

After just one day, I felt my cardio endurance returning. A few days later, I pretty much felt like my old self again. And best yet, I feel like I have reclaimed my exercise habit. Hopefully, this time it won’t leave again.

Posted in Dork Attack, Exercise

http://www.265andfalling.com Steve

I haven’t tried the Just Dance games…but I use to have a somewhat unhealthy obsession with DDR…so maybe I’ll have to give them a try.
- http://www.stellarpath.net/ Jeremy Logsdon
  
  I haven’t done DDR in years! Just Dance is very different movement than DDR, though, so be warned about that. If you lived nearby, I’d let you borrow one of mine to try it out.
Poochy Ponders

I have Zumba for Wii- I am going to try the Just Dance Games as well – it will not only get me moving it will give me fun play time with my 4 year old who believes she is already a dance star!
- http://www.stellarpath.net/ Jeremy Logsdon
  
  My wife does Zumba, which is a bit much for me. I like Zumba classes, but I can’t get into it on the Wii, but she absolutely loves it. A big part of the reason I like Just Dance is simply because I like so much of the music. But I can definitely see it being fun to use with your daughter!
http://www.FitandFreeEmily.com Emily

omg, YES. I love Just Dance!! I’m pretty sad that I don’t have the latest release, but I suppose playing Ke$ha’s “Tick Tock” over and over again will suffice.
- http://www.stellarpath.net/ Jeremy Logsdon
  
  I’m partial to Ting Tings “That’s Not My Name,” myself.
hanlie

I love dancing, so this would be great for me. I don’t have a wii, so I will just have to turn up the music and dance by myself.
- http://www.stellarpath.net/ Jeremy Logsdon
  
  Hey, dancing of any sort will do it. I have no actual dance skills, though, so I need a model to follow.

Using the Wii to Rebuild Cardio Endurance

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