But for the average couch potato, it is a huge improvement. And for the extraordinary couch potato, the one that has a back end molded into the shape of the couch, it is enough to get you huffing and puffing.

My own foray into the world of Wii exercise was simply with the basic fit board. And I admit, after a while, the step routine got old, and there just wasn't enough to engage me long term. Worse, there are a number of exercises (the yoga and strength exercises in particular) that I simply cannot do. There is no intermediate way to do some of them, which is what is needed in order to gain the strength or flexibility to do the exercise. If you can't do a single girls style push-up, how will you ever be able to do a side plank, an exercise that was even tough for my teenage son?

However, there were numerous things I could, and did, do. The weighing, while demoralizing on occasion, helps me keep honest. And the "Wii Fit age" is fun - the tasks used to determine it are randomized, so you never know which two will come up. You may say "Yeah!" - or groan, but there is always hope that next time you will get one you like better.

I had been distracted, and got off track for a while, though, and stopped using the Wii. Then came the Wii Fit plus, the replacement for the original Wii Fit. I bought that for my parents, and my mom started talking about games I had never heard of - so of course, I had to buy my own copy of the upgrade, to see what she was talking about.

And I admit, it was great having some of those new games. I do think Nintendo would be wise to take some of the more popular games, expand them, and release them as a stand-alone, though. I know many people who would be willing to pay to have many step routines, tilt table levels, rhythm karate levels, and so on.

It was autumn when I bought that - and I recognized that the novelty of new games kept me going more. Since Christmas was just around the corner, I researched good exercise games, and made my wishlist. Some of those items made it into the house.

I received two exercise programs, My Fitness Coach and Your Shape. They really are just like taking an aerobics class, but at home. They are similar, but Your Shape uses a camera to track your motions, keeping you honest, as it were. It is annoying on occasion, though. There are certain motions it doesn't seem to track well, so when I do the turn-steps, it oscillates between telling me to adjust my arms, and then telling me that I'm doing it just right. I don't see any difference between the movements - so I think it is a software issue.

My only complaint is that you can't edit out exercises that are currently out of your ability. The only recourse is to either rest or do some other activity to keep your heart rate up. Well, that and, for Your Shape, her voice can get annoying after a while. "Way to motivate!" No, I'm not motivating, I'm keeping motivated.

Then, in January, the back-ordered Walk It Out arrived. It was nice to get something new. The basic concept sounds a bit dippy, but in reality, it seems to work well. You can use it with the nunchuk, fit board, or DDR pads. I prefer the nunchuk, as that lets me roam around. Walking in place is too hard on my calves.

The basic idea is that you walk in time to the songs that are playing, earning points called chips, and can unlock "events" (house-like icons that can be anything from trees to windmills, houses, or even a Burger Champ), songs (it takes several to unlock a new song) "magical clock" hours (since different things are available at different times), routes, and zodiac signs. There are also "rainbow spheres" - those are free, but you have to find them - and when you get all seven, you get to see a rainbow. The rainbow is visible all day - and night. A pretty special rainbow to be visible at night.

The songs have different beats, so you get a bit of an interval workout, if you play all the songs. You can also edit the play list, or use other specialized play lists. It definitely gets your heart beating, and I've noticed it gets a lot warmer in my house when I play Walk It Out.

There is a multi-player option, as well, so you can play with a friend. Several times now, I have had a friend come over and we have played together. We pay less attention to the special features, as we spend the time gabbing. But it keeps track of our steps, and it is easy to get that 10,000 steps that are so often recommended.

Of course, like anything, it only works if you use it. So, if you want to get in shape, this can be a useful tool, but only if you make yourself use it.