Wii Fit Yoga Routine

Break Out of Your Fitness Rut and Try a Yoga Workout on the Wii

© Alicia King

Dec 19, 2008
Peaceful Warrior Variation, Photo by Alicia King, Model Melody Mayo
One of the biggest complaints about Nintendo's Wii Fit system is that it does not provide suggestions for series or sets of poses or workouts in a routine.

This article is intended to provide a routine that is easy to follow that changes up the exercises provided by the Wii Fit.

The goal is to simulate a real studio yoga practice in theory and design of a step-by-step workout with complete warm-up, cool down and meditation time included. This routine should also provide new options for a well-rounded, full-body practice

Estimated Duration:

  • Because the Wii Fit game will determine how long you hold each pose, this workout will last approximately 50-60 minutes. (Though because of a pause between poses, and those poses not counted by the system, you will only earn 00:33 minutes on your fit bank)

Wii Fit Yoga Routine Assumptions/Prerequisites:

  • You have a Wii Fit game system and Balance Board
  • You have logged enough fit credits to unlock all 15 of the yoga poses, all of the Balance Games, and most of the Strength Exercises (excluding the three "Challenge" ones)

Italicized font below indicates the Wii Fit section and Nintendo's pose name to select. Follow instructions provided by the Wii unless otherwise specified.

Warm-up

  • Balance Game: Lotus Focus - try to focus your gaze on the floor in front of you, rather than the screen, and listen to the sound of your breath
  • Yoga: Deep Breathing - performed in Tadasana (Mountain Pose)
  • Retry Yoga: Deep Breathing - this time perform in Forward Fold (Legs are as straight as comfortable, releasing all tension from your spine, head and neck, folding over the legs as if you were going to touch your toes. Stretches backs of legs.) The red dot should be slowing moving toward the top of the balance board as you stretch forward and release.
  • Yoga: Half Moon
  • Yoga: Sun Salutation

Building Heat

  • Yoga: Downward Facing Dog - the first time you do this, try to make the trainer say "you are putting too much weight on your feet" several times, and really feel the stretch in your hamstrings
  • Retry Yoga: Downward Facing Dog, perform instead in Plank Pose (upright push-up position, the hips are low and the heels pressing toward the back of the room) Your trainer will tell you "you are putting too much weight on your hands", disregard this, the goal here is to have a steady horizontal line above the blue line in the final score.
  • Yoga: Cobra
  • Yoga: Downward Facing Dog - this time try to balance your weight evenly on hands and feet
  • Child's Pose - hold pose for three breath cycles

Building Heat and Balance "The Wii of the Warrior"

  • Yoga: Warrior - Perform instead Warrior 1 (Hips and torso face forward, arms reach overhead with palms facing one another. Be sure your hips are square to the front of the mat / balance board)
  • Retry Yoga: Warrior - this time follow instructions and perform Warrior 2 as it is described by the trainer
  • Retry Yoga: Warrior - this time perform Peaceful Warrior (after following the trainer's instructions into Warrior 2, flip the palm of the front hand to face the ceiling and then windmill the arms gently vertical, keeping your gaze on the front / top palm. This "raises" your spear, and is a nice side stretch along the thigh and torso.)
  • Select Yoga: Dance Pose - Perform instead Warrior 3 - do this by putting all of your weight on one leg, and kicking the rear leg out behind you. With "airplane arms" for balance, concentrate on pushing the heel toward the back of the room, and flexing the abdominals for support This is a challenging pose! Do the King Dancer Pose as described if it's too much for you.
  • Yoga: Downward Facing Dog - when you have completed this pose, leave your hands where they are on the board, and sink your hips back
  • Child's Pose - hold pose for seven breath cycles

Cool Down

Stay on the floor, move the Balance Board out of the way, and cool down:

  • Yoga: Bridge Pose
  • Yoga: Spinal Twist
  • Staying on your back, bring your knees to your chest and rock gently back and forth and massage your lower back. Release the legs down and relax.
  • Final Relaxation Pose - Savasana

The copyright of the article Wii Fit Yoga Routine in Yoga Products is owned by Alicia King. Permission to republish Wii Fit Yoga Routine in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


Peaceful Warrior Variation, Photo by Alicia King, Model Melody Mayo
Warrior 1 Variation, Photo by Alicia King, Model Melody Mayo
     


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