When I made my Mii, an avatar used in many Wii games, I took the liberty of creating the skinny, tan surfer version of myself.

Now, when I step on to the Wii Balance Board for my daily Wii Fit body test, I have the pleasure of watching my Mii balloon up until it looks like, well, a tan me.

"That's obese!" the TV chirps at me. Thanks, Wii Fit - I hadn't figured that one out on my own.

That's what I get for letting a video game become my new workout plan. But when one could stand to lose a few (dozen) pounds, any little bit helps, right?

Wii Fit combines the sensor-laden balance board with yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games to set fitness goals and help users achieve them.

During the activities, a player's center of balance, captured by the balance board, is displayed on the screen. Points are scored by keeping the center of balance in an acceptable range, which makes users concentrate on tightening and toning core muscles.

"That's something that is important for everybody," said Ali Nordgren, YMCA wellness director.

I'd never done yoga, and I definitely felt the stretch. It's hard enough to stay standing on some poses, much less keep my center of balance in the desired range.

The strength training can be challenging - I've discovered I have no upper body strength, so alternating push-ups with side planks took a lot out of me. I definitely perspired more doing that than I do when I lift weights at the gym, and I was always sore a day or two after.

The balance games are both fun and challenging. It's easy to shift from side to side when doing the ski slalom game, but to finish in a good time one has to hunch forward like an actual skier would. This, of course, makes staying upright that much harder.

Over the course of my two week evaluation period, I posted consistently better scores at the majority of the activities, so my core muscles must have improved.

But it's not all about strength training.

"I'd say being more active and moving, more cardiovascular work would also need to be a part of any exercise regimen," said Nordgren.

And that's where Wii Fit stumbles. It's funny - I've never been able to use an actual hula hoop, but I sort of rock at faking it on the game. Unfortunately, the rest of the aerobics aren't terribly heart-pumping. The step game is a pale imitation of DanceDance Revolution, and if I'm going to run, I don't feel the need to hold a Wii Remote while I do so. But for people just starting a cardiovascular program, these could be good first steps.

There aren't preset workouts available, and there aren't programmable ones, either, which is a drag. A virtual personal trainer would have been a good feature, highlighting certain moves to target various parts of the body.

"You're not going to gain as good of benefits as going to a class where there's an instructor," Nordgren said. "You might be doing something incorrectly, and it could pose the possibility of injury."

After two weeks full of ups and downs, I did manage to hit my weight goal. I may have done some additional cardio on the tennis court, but the system encourages that with a way to log time spent exercising.

"Things like Wii Fit, where you're using technology to reach especially the kid population that's growing up with it, are key to engaging them in doing something active," Nordgren said.

I may not be a kid anymore, but Wii Fit managed to get me off the couch for two weeks. Here's hoping for a few more.

Contact Alan Simmer at (319) 291-1439

or alan.simmer@wcfcourier.com.