I never pictured myself as the "yoga type." Fair or not, I did have pre-conceived notions of people who take up yoga and are enthusiasts. In my mind, they are already fit and limber and see yoga as an extension of their earthy and earth-friendly lifestyle. Plus, yoga would be a natural complement to their philosophy/spirituality or a desired way of finding spirituality and balance. None of this describes me.
As I began to explore Wii Fit Plus, I glanced at the yoga section with an attitude of "oh no, I don't think so." That's probably to be expected, though, as I was coming off another surgery and period of rehab. I stayed with the balance games for a while -- my balance is really bad -- and ventured into some of the aerobics and strength exercises.
But I recalled the words of one of my orthopedic surgeons who said that 80 percent of my exercise should involve gentle stretching. Not weights, no fancy machines, just gentle stretching exercises. He said that stretching will tone your muscles slowly. You have to commit to doing the exercises every day. It's low impact and has a low risk of injury if you progress gradually. I took a look at some of the demonstrations in the Wii Fit Plus yoga section with this in mind.
And the first few weren't intimidating. There was no crawling around on the floor or twisting myself into unnatural shapes. I could do this! First on tap, after deep breathing, was the Half-Moon pose. I watched the demonstration again. I followed along. I felt my sides stretch. I concentrated on keeping my balance. (The balance board even detects muscle twitches, much to my dismay.) I did a credible job. The cartoon trainer was kind, encouraging, and non-judgmental.
But the best part was that no one could see me! Not the cartoon dude and certainly not a classful of lithe and flexible 20-somethings. My dogs looked at me quizzically but that's nothing new, haha. Yet, the balance board and Wii Fit Plus program recorded my movement and gave me the feedback that's a must for an absolute beginner.
Still, I wondered -- how valid is this yoga? Is it the real thing or contrived? I did what any other 21st Century connected person would do. I Googled. And I found reviews from real yogis who said it's quite good. They pointed out a few issues with a few of the poses but, overall, they thought that Wii Fit Plus yoga did a good job. I was encouraged.
The program is WONDERFUL in introducing one to yoga. It demystifies the practice. It teaches you slowly, offers encouragement, rates your performance kindly, and will politely tell you when you've attempted a pose that you're not ready to handle. In fact, you can't unlock more difficult poses until you've practiced the easier ones successfully.
I found myself turning more and more to yoga and doing the fun little games less and less. I put together my own workout that was heavy on yoga and included just a few strengthening exercises. There are poses that I simply can't do because of my physical deficits but I'm delighted by what I CAN do and focus on that. I try new poses but am realistic.
Wii Fit Plus yoga is a great introduction to the practice and the benefits are tangible. I've discovered that the breathing and stretching exercises are helping the abdominal pain I experience with Crohn's Disease. After several weeks, I noticed that my arms and abdomen are more toned. I've seen an improvement in my balance, as well.
Wii Fit Plus yoga can take you so far but if you want to make yoga your primary form of exercise then, once you learn the basics, there is another game that will better accommodate your needs. More on that later!
Have any of you tried yoga or do you have a favorite exercise regimen?
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