My Fitness Trainer is Kicking My...

Before I forget! I'm guest blogger at Tracy Madison's blog today, about why I write paranormal romance. Go over, skim the post, and comment for a chance to win cool stuff! :)

A few weeks ago, while shopping for Number Two's birthday, I picked up My Fitness Trainer 2 for the Wii. The kids were maxed out on Wii Fit Plus, and something only works as long as you'll use it. Number One wanted kickboxing, Number Two step, and this seemed to have both. (I'm taking suggestions if anyone has tried another kickboxing or step aerobics Wii "game.")

So about 2 weeks ago we finally had time to break it out. It's a pretty cool setup. You input your data and select goals (mine are weight loss and looking good, the latter of which translates into overall improvement). It structures a daily workout for you, and adjusts it depending on how you do.

Both kids are more active than I am, with soccer and PE at school, even though I try to work out fairly regularly. So their workouts are longer and more intense. By "longer" I mean maybe 20 minutes instead of my 11-15. The sensitivity of the system is frustrating. It always tells me I didn't march in place or do the plank the full number of seconds, and occasionally doesn't register a squat. Number Two got VERY frustrated with the jogging for three minutes because she can't jog as slowly as it wants her to, and it therefore keeps thinking it's losing her, when she's losing it.

So we've all decided to ignore the stats it gives us for each exercise, because the important thing is that we're actually doing it, not that we're not doing it perfectly a machine's standards.

Anyway, I've been surprised by its effectiveness. Eleven minutes is too short, and the Wii Fit scale is more accurate (you get to subtract your clothes, and it does fractions, not just whole pounds), so I often end up doing some Wii Fit in addition to my MFT2 workout. But the other stuff isn't as intense, so I give full credit for my entire week of pain to MFT2.

I work out at the club occasionally, and I always felt like weight training was more effective than basic exercise, but OMG was I wrong! Leg pressing 190+ pounds SOUNDS like it would do more than a 20-second floor bridge, but my glutes were screaming by Friday. I ached from my shoulders to my ankles (partly because I have some weird Achilles/calf problem, but mostly from the workout).

I took a break over the weekend, trying to stop cramping with every step I took. Then I went back to it on Monday, and I'm not sore anymore. Plus, today, I actually noticed a difference! I didn't have the full-body shakes during the plank until I'd hit 23 seconds. My legs feel stronger. So now I'm motivated to keep going.

Of course, that motivation comes as I get ready to leave for four days! But I think I'll do some of it on my own. Locked in my room, of course. :) We also walk a lot on retreat, and eat healthy meals. So hopefully I won't regress and be in pain again next week! LOL