A Nintendo for Mom

Looking over a recent baby shower registry list at Target I noticed a different type of gift this time around. When you think of baby showers and what to get the baby and expecting parents to help them cope and care for the new child would you think to look at a Nintendo Wii? Gaming systems now also have a place on the gift list and there is actually substance and not all selfish want behind it.

The Nintendo Wii is known for being an active gaming system. It's gets you up, involved and moving around. One of the biggest Christmas hits was not just the gaming system, but the Wii Fit starter kit to add on to it with the Balance Board accessory that acts as a scale and reads real life movement just like the hand held remote. It's a combination of fitness and fun designed for everyone including new moms wanting to drop the pounds after having baby.

With this fun and unique gaming system mom can set and work towards her personal health and fitness goals. She can also chart her progress along the way and add in any other workouts or exercises that she has done outside of the game to keep up with her goals. Goals can be set by a given time frame such as when she wants to have a certain amount of the extra weight off and where she would ultimately like to see herself when completely finished with her goal. All her goals are kept track of on the Wii Fit's calendar and graphs that each individual player has. Mom can also compete with the whole family and compare progress with up to 8 players.

Just like at the gym mom will have her own personal trainer to help her get through her daily goals of losing weight and staying healthy. There are a total of four training modes and more than 40 exercises and activities to improve balance and overall fitness. Here's the break down of what mom will have to work with to get back in shape:

YOGI BEAR: Provides yoga poses to tone her muscles and improve her posture

STRENGTH TRAINING: Workouts to help build and tone up her muscles

BALANCE GAMES: Games and activities to help develop an increased sense of balance

AEROBICS: This one helps mom burn off that extra body fat from those late night pregnancy cravings!

The only big offsetting aspect of this gift is the price tag that it carries. Granted, overall it is much cheaper than a long term gym membership but not everyone can afford it. The base Wii gaming system itself costs about $250 and the Wii Fit Starter Kit is running at just under $100 for everything. While it's a great idea and gift to help mom out and feel better about herself, the best way to go about getting it for her is to make it a group gift. Plus we all know that dad is going to get his fair share of enjoyment out of too so maybe he'll be willing to pitch in too!