Wii Fit Plus Aerobics Playthrough Part 1:

Hula Hoop

This is our first exercise in the Aerobics arena; it is straight forward and fun.  You can swing to the left or right, the board will register it the same either way.  I do want to again stress I am not a Hula Hooper and I know I don't use proper form...if I stand upright and don't bend my knees excessively or rock my feet the hoops litearlly slow to a stand still and fall...so I do what works for the game.  The result?  How about a 4 Star Ranking right off the bat despite not playing in a LONG time!  Awesome!

Super Hula Hoop: 3 Minutes

With the success we had in Hula Hoop I figured why not try out Super Hula Hoop.  I have played this one more, but again, not in quite some time.  For the 3 Minute round you do 90 seconds to the Right and then 90 seconds to the Left.  This does get tiring, especially when you Hula Hoop my way, lol, but it is effective...definitely not a bad exercise for getting the heart rate pumping.  We once more got lucky right off the bat and achieved a 4 Star Ranking!  There are also 6 and 10 minute versions of Super Hula Hoop, but I'd had my fill of Hula Hooping for the night.  I''ll tackle those very soon...wish me luck.

Basic Step

This one doesn't take long and I do actually enjoy it...not as much as Advanced Step, but it is fun none-the-less.  True story...first round was horrible.  I had to move the board towards the desk and computer to have any slack to step right...that put the board out-of-center with the tv, which actually does impact my performance, I could adjust over time, but I like to be square and centered for most WFP exercises.  I went ahead and played it thru, we did not do well.  I wanted to havea  "good" score for the playthrough so I went at it again, this time sans the headset...much better.  However, I still wasn't content...we can score better and the fact the whole first session was basically "ok" I knew there were points on the table.

So we went back for a third attempt and it paid off big time.  We not only got a personal best, we also 4 Starred the exercise...very nice!  This just goes to show you that practice and set-up are key variables in determining success on Wii Fit Plus!

Wii Fit Plus Aerobics Playthrough Part 3: Advanced Step

Advanced Step

I have to say, this is one of my favorites in the Aerobics regimen (behind the Basic Run and Boxing).  I really prefer this over Basic Step.  Advanced Step has a quicker pattern that suits me very well; Basic Step is a little slow for my liking.  The added challenges of the "side step" and "kick" are very fun as well...they really spice things up.

My advice here, and for Basic Step, is to follow the Red Box and scrolling steps rather than the Miis around you.  It works well for me, try both and see what works for you.  I also go in sets of 4.  Meaning "Up, Back, Up, Back" or "Up, Kick, Down, Back" etc.  This allows me to stay focused...if I miss the kick, I simply don't fret about step 3 and 4 and focus on "five" or the start of th next 1-4.  This lets me achieve a higher overall score by getting back on track quicker.

These strategies coupled with the faster pace and knowing to pull the headset and keep the board centered helped me 4 Star Advanced Step the first time in our playthrough...at least you know I'm not joking when I say I like it better than Basic Step!

You really look silly to onlookers, but it is a lot of fun and a good challenge.  My improvement from when I first played to now is remarkable...shame it doesn't archive the low scores for comparison, lol.  Remember, if you struggle, just play it again...and then repeat 1-2 times a night.  You too will be amazed with how quickly you can improve.

Conclusion

These first few exercises are fun and very laid back.  Hula Hoop and Basic Step really provide the skill set necessary to move on to the more advanced versions of the exercises.  They are great  for quickly getting the heart rate up, relieving some stress, or just having a little fun.