In praise of Wii Fit Plus

There are some wonderful technologies available that help me cope with my everyday degradation with MS. I like Dragon Naturally Speaking if I can't type, for example.

But the Wii fit stuff - both this program and the other fitness videos - well, they are a good help for me generally.

I like to exercise within my capabilities, but it's so hard to estimate these with MS. I can set out on a walk, feeling fine, only to realize I have planned badly and ended up far from home, unable to walk without pain. I haul my sorry hide back, step by painful step, afraid of the time when that won't be possible.

My legs are completely numb. My feet feel nothing today, and I am numb all the way to my hips. Exercise can be dangerous in this state - it's easy to get myself into a position where I can do myself damage. I'm not sure where my legs are in space, or how I am balanced. But I need to move, or lose my senses completely, to say nothing of my muscle strength.

The Wii fit gives me feedback for every exercise. While I can't FEEL where I am in space, the little mark on the yellow circles tells me how to hold my body to get the best stretch, to balance effectively. The more I can focus on keeping myself in the yellow area, the better my core strength gets, the better I hold myself, the safer I am with regard to my life.

I am always amazed at how much better I feel even with a very little bit of exercise and stretching. The Wi Fit isn't a difficult workout, really, though after an hour of it, you'll feel it. I mix it up with the Fitness Coach one, and Just Dance. I still try walking although that is not working out very well of late. I SHOULD go biking or exercise biking - there's a gym across the street that remains untouched by me, lazy as I am.

But there's always that fear of doing myself an injury. It takes me such a long time to get back from injuries now....

The Wii Fit, though, fills me with confidence, allows me to focus my workout to match my energy, and tells me all the time how well I am doing. The feedback is invaluable, the coaching helpful. I highly recommend it.