Lately I have been starting to run a bit more. However, this running is slightly unlike the running I did back in October; right now, I am running and walking instead of just pushing myself to run the entire time. I have been attributing this to the fact that my body is out of shape, but I do not know when my body will go in shape.
However, two good things have sprung up towards the improvement of my fitness. The first is that my school's Phys. Ed classes now have an exercise called the "K", in which we run one kilometer (actually 800 meters) across a track filled with various terrains, so we can build up our endurance. The second is that I have joined a fitness club that will help build my overall fitness level with exercises of many types.
These two things will definitely help with my fitness level, and I hope to see an increase soon.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Back For Good
After a short hiatus, I'm back to running again! It started again two weeks ago. Me and my dad decided to go on our first walk/run of the year, on a 5k route. So our bodies could properly adjust to running again, we ran when we had enough stamina, but walked when we needed to recharge. Then, on Friday, we took a different route, and walked and ran there as well. Either way, I'm back to running, and I hope to do so enough to post more on this blog.
Monday, January 18, 2010
What I've Been Doing Lately
With the change of seasons comes a change of weather, and winter is one of those seasons where sometimes, especially in Canada where I live, it's virtually impossible to run. The roads and sidewalks become covered with snow, ice, and my least favorite, slush. So, naturally, I have not been running that much in more recent days. Instead, what I can do is use the Wii Fit Plus in my house as a substitute, as it is just about the only thing I can use for exercise (other than my school gym classes, of course). I usually spend 30 mins.-1 hour on it, so at least there's that. I'm hoping to run soon.
Posting when I can.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wii Fit... Plus
One of my recent posts was about Wii Fit, and how good it is as a trainer. This time, as the title probably tells you, I'm going to go over the sequel, or rather the improved version, of the best-selling exercising game.
Along with all of the activities from the original (plus your cute trainer, the Wii Balance Board), Wii Fit Plus adds 21-that's right, 21- more activities: three new Yoga exercises, three new Strength Training exercises, and 15 completely original balance and aerobics games put into one section, Training Plus. As well as this, Wii Fit Plus has a new section called My Wii Fit Plus. Here, there are many things to do: view the games you play the most and the least, check the food equivalent closest to the number of calories you have burned and set a food goal for every day, check the time and more.
However, probably the best things you will come across here are two options: Do a set activity routine based on what you're aiming for, or make your own routines, however long you want (that is doable). This is where the first con comes in, though. The only activities you can do for making your own routines are Yoga and Strength Training exercises, severely limiting your choices. Oh, almost forgot: You may notice things called METs located in the description of the activities. As the Balance Board will explain, this stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task, and represents the intensity level of what you're doing: 1.0 is equivalent to, say, watching T.V, and 4.0 would be akin to a light walk.
But we've heard enough about what the new features are. How useful are they in general? Well, one of the problems I stated in my other post was the inability to create your own routines in Wii Fit. As you can clearly see, this problem has been addressed very well. You can work out the parts of your body that you want to without having to go back to the menu after an activity, looking for another activity, and repeating the process. It's just much easier. The Calorie Check option is by far one of the best upgrades to the game. As said before, it lets you check the food equivalent to the calories that you have burned (you can check the amount of calories burned in one activity at the end, when the Fit Bank is counting the amount of minutes).
And then the new activities: The 6 Strength Training and Yoga activities are for advanced users, so even I do not know how they are. On the other hand, I have tried all the new Training Plus activities. Out of them, some of the most notable are Island Cycling, a game where you step on the Balance Board to pedal, tilt the Wii Remote to steer and try to get all the checkpoints, Segway Circuit, where you drive your Segway to pop all of the beach balls, Big Top Juggling, where you juggle multiple balls on a beach ball and try to keep off the edge of your stage, and Kung Fu Rhythm, where you follow the Kung Fu moves shown by your fellow Miis. Along with this, three activities from the original (Balance Bubble, Table Tilt and Basic Run) have been revamped for this version, with a "Plus" at the end of their name indicating the upgrade. Many of these activities can really help you and be a lot of fun at the same time, so you'd better check these out.
We can't forget about our dear Body Tests, though. Coming from the original, these have you step on the Balance Board and stand still so it can measure your weight and center of balance using BMI. It is essentially the same, except that 5 new Body Test activities have been added that not only test your balance, but also your mindpower. Also, a new feature has been added called "Simple Test", which allows you to take a body test in less time; the screen where your center of balance is shown is added onto the screen where your BMI is calculated, and you don't have to do the activities. Also related are tests for pets and babies, where you have to hold either one, and the Balance Board deducts their weight. Obviously, babies and pets aren't able to take Training activities.
So, what's the consensus? Wii Fit Plus has definitely improved on its predecessor. You get a calorie check, your own routines, fun new activities. If you've bought the original Wii Fit, you can buy Plus for $20. If not, try the bundle, complete with the Balance Board, for $99. Trust me- you'll love it.
Along with all of the activities from the original (plus your cute trainer, the Wii Balance Board), Wii Fit Plus adds 21-that's right, 21- more activities: three new Yoga exercises, three new Strength Training exercises, and 15 completely original balance and aerobics games put into one section, Training Plus. As well as this, Wii Fit Plus has a new section called My Wii Fit Plus. Here, there are many things to do: view the games you play the most and the least, check the food equivalent closest to the number of calories you have burned and set a food goal for every day, check the time and more.
However, probably the best things you will come across here are two options: Do a set activity routine based on what you're aiming for, or make your own routines, however long you want (that is doable). This is where the first con comes in, though. The only activities you can do for making your own routines are Yoga and Strength Training exercises, severely limiting your choices. Oh, almost forgot: You may notice things called METs located in the description of the activities. As the Balance Board will explain, this stands for Metabolic Equivalent of Task, and represents the intensity level of what you're doing: 1.0 is equivalent to, say, watching T.V, and 4.0 would be akin to a light walk.
But we've heard enough about what the new features are. How useful are they in general? Well, one of the problems I stated in my other post was the inability to create your own routines in Wii Fit. As you can clearly see, this problem has been addressed very well. You can work out the parts of your body that you want to without having to go back to the menu after an activity, looking for another activity, and repeating the process. It's just much easier. The Calorie Check option is by far one of the best upgrades to the game. As said before, it lets you check the food equivalent to the calories that you have burned (you can check the amount of calories burned in one activity at the end, when the Fit Bank is counting the amount of minutes).
And then the new activities: The 6 Strength Training and Yoga activities are for advanced users, so even I do not know how they are. On the other hand, I have tried all the new Training Plus activities. Out of them, some of the most notable are Island Cycling, a game where you step on the Balance Board to pedal, tilt the Wii Remote to steer and try to get all the checkpoints, Segway Circuit, where you drive your Segway to pop all of the beach balls, Big Top Juggling, where you juggle multiple balls on a beach ball and try to keep off the edge of your stage, and Kung Fu Rhythm, where you follow the Kung Fu moves shown by your fellow Miis. Along with this, three activities from the original (Balance Bubble, Table Tilt and Basic Run) have been revamped for this version, with a "Plus" at the end of their name indicating the upgrade. Many of these activities can really help you and be a lot of fun at the same time, so you'd better check these out.
We can't forget about our dear Body Tests, though. Coming from the original, these have you step on the Balance Board and stand still so it can measure your weight and center of balance using BMI. It is essentially the same, except that 5 new Body Test activities have been added that not only test your balance, but also your mindpower. Also, a new feature has been added called "Simple Test", which allows you to take a body test in less time; the screen where your center of balance is shown is added onto the screen where your BMI is calculated, and you don't have to do the activities. Also related are tests for pets and babies, where you have to hold either one, and the Balance Board deducts their weight. Obviously, babies and pets aren't able to take Training activities.
So, what's the consensus? Wii Fit Plus has definitely improved on its predecessor. You get a calorie check, your own routines, fun new activities. If you've bought the original Wii Fit, you can buy Plus for $20. If not, try the bundle, complete with the Balance Board, for $99. Trust me- you'll love it.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Good Places to Run
If you can't find the right spot for you to run, never to fear: Good spots are in places around you. Here are some notable areas:
The Gym: Although it sometimes can be costly and tight in space, some gyms are very good spots to have a run, and with the advantage of just the right temperature. Plus, some gyms even have indoor tracks.
The Track: Found generally around high schools, tracks have a wide enough path and are good for when you want to measure your distance. However, running in circles may soon become a bore.
Trails: Like noted in earlier blog posts, trails have the advantage of beautiful scenery, a pleasure easily noticed while running. Basically the only disadvantage here is the weather, which also happens on a track.
The Block: Sometimes you may want to run right in your own neighborhood. An advantage over trails here is that you most likely know this area by heart, and so there's no way to get lost. Also, you can check how much you've run by cruising around the block with your car.
Hopefully one of these areas suits you and your running style. Good luck!
The Gym: Although it sometimes can be costly and tight in space, some gyms are very good spots to have a run, and with the advantage of just the right temperature. Plus, some gyms even have indoor tracks.
The Track: Found generally around high schools, tracks have a wide enough path and are good for when you want to measure your distance. However, running in circles may soon become a bore.
Trails: Like noted in earlier blog posts, trails have the advantage of beautiful scenery, a pleasure easily noticed while running. Basically the only disadvantage here is the weather, which also happens on a track.
The Block: Sometimes you may want to run right in your own neighborhood. An advantage over trails here is that you most likely know this area by heart, and so there's no way to get lost. Also, you can check how much you've run by cruising around the block with your car.
Hopefully one of these areas suits you and your running style. Good luck!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
How good is Wii Fit as a trainer?
Last year in December, I bought Wii Fit as something fun to do while keeping, well, fit. As you probably know, the activities in Wii Fit are divided into four categories: Balance Games, Aerobics, Yoga, and Strength Training. Balance games are designed to help you with your overall balance, Aerobics are to make you fitter, Yoga is to help you with your posture, and Strength Training builds your muscles. Also, with the help of a special Wii accessory, you can find out your BMI (Body Mass Index) based on how much you weigh on the accessory, the Balance Board. So, how do I rate this fitness game?
Wii Fit makes daunting exercises a little less daunting. For example, when I was doing the jog/run activity in the Aerobics category (there is one), even doing the 20-minute one, I did not feel like stopping at all. However, this is where the cons come in. Even when you may feel like going to the max, you may end up cheating to make things easier for you, as Wii Fit is only a virtual simulation, and not a real running spot. The other negative is that you cannot enter your own list of exercise procedures (something that is included in Wii Fit Plus, the follow-up).
Other than this, though, all in all Wii Fit is a fun experience that you must try out. It'll help you with your balance (which has a big effect on your weight), your muscle strength, if you're going to try that out vigorously, and sometimes even your weight.
Wii Fit makes daunting exercises a little less daunting. For example, when I was doing the jog/run activity in the Aerobics category (there is one), even doing the 20-minute one, I did not feel like stopping at all. However, this is where the cons come in. Even when you may feel like going to the max, you may end up cheating to make things easier for you, as Wii Fit is only a virtual simulation, and not a real running spot. The other negative is that you cannot enter your own list of exercise procedures (something that is included in Wii Fit Plus, the follow-up).
Other than this, though, all in all Wii Fit is a fun experience that you must try out. It'll help you with your balance (which has a big effect on your weight), your muscle strength, if you're going to try that out vigorously, and sometimes even your weight.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Running Trails, Part Two
Yesterday, my dad and I went to the trails again (read part one below). This time, the experience was a bit different. Instead of being the majestic nature hotspot it was last week, the weather had changed considerably (it was actually nicer, though), and as so, many of the leaves had fallen.
In the meantime, I had much less stamina than last week; Then, I was able to run ten minutes effortlessly. Now, I could only run maybe five. I had to stop a bit more often. I don't know why: there could be many reasons. I had a relatively good breakfast, with not too many calories. Maybe it was a possible lack of sleep? Or the weather? It could even be that the trail wasn't as appealing.
Either way, I am definitely coming back next week to see what will happen. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, I had much less stamina than last week; Then, I was able to run ten minutes effortlessly. Now, I could only run maybe five. I had to stop a bit more often. I don't know why: there could be many reasons. I had a relatively good breakfast, with not too many calories. Maybe it was a possible lack of sleep? Or the weather? It could even be that the trail wasn't as appealing.
Either way, I am definitely coming back next week to see what will happen. Stay tuned.
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