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A new game for the Nintendo Wii game console. With fitness (and potentially weight loss) in mind, it tracks your overall fitness, including weight, while providing fun, increasingly challenging exercises performed with the help of a Balance Board. The more exercises you do, the more new ones you unlock, providing plenty of new activities to keep you interested.

I'd recommend using the Wii as a springboard to motivate you to do more exercise on your own, but it probably could be truly useful for weight loss and toning if used regularly.

It is clear that Nintendo knew what they were doing when they aimed their marketing for Wii Fit, the newest offering for the Wii game console, at moms. We're an untapped market for video games, for starters. But Wii also got a few things right in assuming moms would go for the Fit game and balance board: It's interactive. It's instant fitness you can do while your child is napping or when you have just a few minutes to yourself but can't really leave the house for a walk. It's easy to learn. And it's fun. Whether millions (or even dozens) of moms and others will lose weight and get in shape with Fit remains to be seen. But it could certainly be a step in the right direction for many. The Fit has the potential to become the signature game for the Wii: don't be surprised if, in a few months, when people say they were doing their Wii they really mean Wii Fit.

The idea behind Wii Fit is that it can track your fitness progress, and work on improving muscle and cardiovascular strength, balance, and posture with fun games and exercises that anyone can do. The Fit does succeed in getting you moving if you've been a couch potato or, like many moms, have been unable to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. If you're like me and find it difficult to justify the cost of a gym membership, and also have a hard time getting out for walks and other free forms of exercise, this could be a boon. You may not benefit if you are on either extreme of the fitness spectrum: The Fit may be boring and not challenging enough for regular exercisers, and may not have enough information about safety and health if you are very overweight, sedentary or have health conditions. For those in between, look to the Fit for mild to moderate exercise and perhaps the motivation to get out and do more on your own.

Aside from the Fit Test, designed to test posture, balance and agility and to assess your Wii Fit Age, the games and activities offered on Fit include yoga, strength training, aerobics, and balance games. One of the most amazing things about the Fit and the included Balance Board is the technology used to determine if you are using the correct form and holding your balance. The game is very good at showing you, for instance, if you are off-center in a yoga pose, which can help guide into proper form, or at least something close to it. (A caveat on the yoga poses: I've practiced yoga and I doubt if most instructors would approve of the poses on Wii. For one thing, while it does test balance, there's no way for the Board to know if you're putting your shoulders back or extending your leg properly, or if you're pushing too hard in a particular pose: all the things an instructor will correct. It can teach the basics if you've never done yoga before, but for the true benefits of yoga, nothing beats taking a class.) What the game might lack, and I haven't reached this point yet, is that there are a finite number of new exercises to try, and as you get more fit you may outgrow it. But hopefully by then you'll have signed up for that tennis class or found some friends to go dancing with, so it won't matter!

The balance games offer the most fun, arcade-style activities and are great for beginners. Head soccer balls while dodging flying shoes and panda heads (yes, panda heads); attempt a ski jump or downhill slalom; and move a ball-shaped Mii (your character for Wii) into holes on tilting tables. The balance games are not only sure to get a laugh -- from you and any observers you will allow in the vicinity -- but will teach you the subtleties of the Balance Board. Strength training activities include exercises for abs, arms, and legs. You can get a true workout from some of the aerobic activities, pumping heart and all, especially hula hooping and running, while others seem to emphasize timing and form. It is possible to work up a sweat with many of these activities, and you if you do them enough you should be able to burn calories (a star rating system gives you an idea of how many calories -- from Couch Potato to Calorie Incinerator). Aside from the issue listed above with the yoga, there are a limited number of poses available due to the limitations of using the Balance Board to gauge your progress. However, even if you're not a true yoga beginner, it's a good way to get in a few poses or learn some new ones. Personally, I've found doing the Wii yoga has motivated me to do some yoga DVDs on my own. Still a pretty good benefit!

A favorite activity of mine is Rhythm Boxing in the aerobic section, in which you step forward and punch, and step back (called blocking) in time with the music. I haven't gotten the timing down just yet, but it is definitely a stress reliever! The step exercises, also emphasizing timing, are a good way to warm up or cool down. I try to do at least 10 minutes of aerobics, plus 2 to 3 balance games, as well as either a couple poses or strength exercises, each time I log on, preferably once a day. I also do the Fit Test each time, as this allows you to add a stamp for the day showing that you did some type of exercise. The Fit Test is also how you are assigned your Wii Fit Age, a fun way to chart your progress. You can also log any other activities you do, from cleaning and laundry to running or walking.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the weight measurements, especially if your Balance Board is placed on a carpet. Mine has been wildly different each time, sometimes as much as 12 pounds difference from the previous day. So use your own scale, weigh once a week or once a day, whatever you prefer, and keep in mind that you might add muscle at first, which might make the number on the scale climb up a bit.

Whether this novel concept actually works for weight loss is anyone's call, but I don't mind being first in line as a guinea pig to test it out! There certainly can't be any harm in getting a few minutes of even moderate exercise each day, and at around $90, it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a gym membership (if you don't already have the Wii console, however, you'll be out another $300...still cheaper than a year at the gym). You even get fitness tips. However, don't forget to go outside and get some outdoor activities too (it’s not good for anyone to spend too much time in front of the TV, even if you are exercising), and keep in mind that the Wii may not be enough for long-term fitness goals all by itself.

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