'Wii Fit' will definitely get you moving

Here's the thing: I'm supposed to be training for a triathlon — a race that just so happens to be a mere three months away. But have I done a lick of exercise in preparation? As a matter of fact, no.

A friend of mine is fighting breast cancer and I'd like to get in shape for the Danskin Women's Triathalon, which raises money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. But here's the hitch: I'm lazy. Also, I did a lot of exercising when I was a whippersnapper (I was a distance runner in a past life) and now I'm bored of it. All that huffing and puffing and sweating — why bother when I could be sitting on my ever-expanding buttocks playing video games?

Enter "Wii Fit," Nintendo's newest product for those of us who spend too much time perched on our dimpled derrieres doing things like playing games or watching TV or, you know, pretty much anything other than what we know we should be doing with our spare time, which is exercising.

Balance Board: Gateway to better fitness?
Acting like a cross between a personal trainer and a video game, "Wii Fit" offers up more than 40 different exercises and activities that are supposed to help those who play it not only get into shape but actually have fun while getting into shape. Fat chance, you say? Well, to spice things up a bit, Nintendo has packaged "Wii Fit" with the Wii Balance Board, which is essentially what you'd get if a bathroom scale and a video game controller shacked up and had a baby together.

The Balance Board is a slick-looking and sturdy thing that connects to the Wii wirelessly and senses weight and movement, thereby opening up some interesting possibilities.  Once it's connected, "Wii Fit" then basically gives you two ways to pry your backside from the couch and get moving.

Quick facts Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Price: $89.99 Platform: Nintendo Wii ESRB rating: "E" for everyone

On the one hand, you can have a somewhat realistic-looking personal trainer walk you through a multitude of yoga poses and strength exercises within the serene confines of the world's most desolate gym. As your trainer guides you through downward-facing dog and sun salutation, you perform the yoga poses from atop the Balance Board as it keeps track of where your center of balance is, showing you if you're shifting too far in one direction or the other. In the strength-building department, you can do torso twists, push-ups and rowing squats, earning points based on how well you execute the moves.

On the other hand, there are a multitude of video-gamey activities that allegedly help you work on your aerobic stamina and your balance. In these mini-games, you import your Mii avatar into various colorfully animated settings not unlike what you might have seen in "Wii Sports."

You want cardio? How 'bout hula-hooping?
To get your cardio pumping, there's a hula hooping mini-game that requires you to swivel your hips atop the Balance Board at high speeds (I suggest you draw your curtains before you perform this activity because you will look like a convulsive nut job no matter how hard you try not to.) There's also a step class that has you stepping on and off the board to the beat of a song (imagine "Dance Dance Revolution" with way less cool music).

To work on your balance, you can take your Mii avatar skiing down a mountain or send him walking a tight rope between buildings. There's also a soccer game in which you have to lean to and fro on the Balance Board, trying to head butt soccer balls while avoiding shoes and other objects being kicked square at your noggin.

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