After 22 months of being your host here, I’m moving on to focus on other projects and leaving stellar blogger Peggy Rowland to take my place. You may recognize Peggy from b5 blogs Tree-Hugging Family and Junk Creation, or perhaps from her personal blog Light Green Stairs. She’ll be taking over on November 1, tomorrow.

Before I go, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading and commenting for nearly 2 years. I have enjoyed hearing about your experiences and sharing mine with you as well.

For those who’d like to keep in touch, I hope you’ll come visit me at my freelance writing blog, Inkthinker, and my pet blog, meow/bark/blog. I also have a general women’s interest blog slated to launch next month at www.sass-pants.com, and I would love to see you there.

Thanks again for everything, and stay lively.

All the best,

Kristen

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: womens health blog, kristen king, lively women, inkthinker, meow bark blog, freelance writing blog, health blog, peggy rowland

Post from: Blisstree

Ch-ch-changes

Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant

Dr. Greene’s daughter just turned 1.

Kristen, Lively Women: Dr. Greene, your new book Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant just came out. What prompted you to write this book?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: With each of my books, I’ve always used real patient anecdotes throughout. In this book, once my editor found out [about my personal experience with infertility treatment], my editor asked if we would be willing to talk about our own experience. Some of the things you’ll find throughout the book is there will be different parts called Robert’s Story and Morgan’s Story: his and her side of the story. [My wife, Morgan] is a nurse and IVF [in vitro fertilization] coordinator. That was part of the irony of the whole thing. She and I hated the way we were treated as patients. We just really hated it. That was a big part of our motivation for this book. we want to give other people the info so they can take control of their treatment and not just be led around by their shirt collar.

We jumped into treatment right away because my wife was approaching 40 when we decided we wanted to have children. We didn’t originally want to have children. We were successful the first month we tried, but very shortly after that the first success turned into a miscarriage. The very sad thing about that is that we couldn’t even talk about the miscarriage with anyone because we didn’t tell anyone we were trying to get pregnant. We weren’t able to process that with anybody but each other, which made it a lot more difficult. About a year and a half of minor treatments without success, then IVF and that wasn’t successful, and we were pushing almost 2 years into the process and we weren’t successful again.

What was the aha moment for you that prompted you to pursue the hormone balance technique?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: It was really after the failed IVF attempt because the way I tell patients all the time is that I view fertility treatment as a diagnostic process as well as therapeutic. Our goal is to create a pregnancy. but anytime we fail to create a pregnancy, my backup goal is to ask what can we do to change the approach and have a successful attempt.

I told them, “Here’s what I think should be done differently.” I’m telling you the truth, Kristen, they laughed at me. They said, “That’s never going to work,” and I said, “Fine, we’re out of here.”

And we went and did things that made sense to us and we lay it out in the book exactly what we did. Yoga, stress level, vegetarian diet… Instead of ramping up to the more involved, more high-tech treatment, we decided to go a little more back to the basics. And it worked and now we have our daughter.

You promote what you call a “symptoms matter” approach to conception. What exactly does this mean?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: One thing that’s very different about my practice. Besides being a fertility specialist, I also have 15 years of neuroendocrine research (hormone-brain connection) using modern imaging tools to measure what’s going on in the brain and correlating that with what’s going on in the body and what people are experiencing. The point I’m trying to get at is that the symptoms people experience are very often the best clues at to what may be going on, and very often people aren’t aware of [them].

Can you give an example?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: Most people aren’t aware that 90% ovulation is triggered by the brain between midnight and 5 in the morning. Nurses and flight attendants who are working night shifts are very likely to have irregular menstrual cycles and have issues with fertility.

It’s a highly individualized approach. By getting the patient involved, you can really get individualized care and target your treatment to what’s unique to that patient and that couple.

Because we’ve used PET [positron emission tomography] scanning and functional MRI [magnetic resonance imaging], it’s very, very scientific for anyone who wants to look at the science. I typically give 80-100 lectures a year, and most of the lectures I give are to doctors, most commonly neurologists or psychiatrists because there’s a tremendous amount of science that’s backing up everything I’m saying.

What kinds of things are symptoms that women may overlook?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: Unexplained weight gain or inability to lose weight, pain associated with intercourse, irregularity in menstrual cycle, changes in libido… It’s amazing how many of these symptoms a lot of people just completely don’t see as related.

What are the keys to overcoming the natural obstacles to fertility?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: That’s the real challenge there. When it comes to fertility, there are so may things that have to go right. In any one individual, there might be one major problem and two minor ones or no major ones and seven minor ones. Throw in another person’s physiology, and it’s complicated. [I try to] give people the knowledge that they can make as many changes as they want.

What should be first step for anyone who wants to conceive?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: I have absolutely no financial relationship to any of the products I recommend in my book and my office. I don’t invest, don’t get free samples, etc. One of the best first steps and this just became available last year it’s a home fertility test called Fertell. It measures things people can’t measure on their own — ovarian reserve, rough estimate of a man’s sperm — this is something people can get and check this out at home.

I even talk about this in my book. It’s something that if people find this information and find that their results are reassuring, then they might want to go through the book and clean up their habits and their lifestyle and do something things to optimize their changes. If they results aren’t reassuring, then they know that they might want to go see a fertility specialist and skip all the steps in between. It’s empowering; it gives people the opportunity to take a very active role.

In the privacy of their own home, there are a lot of things people can do. I’m not against fertility treatment, but often it’s not covered by insurance, and people get emotionally and financially tapped out before they even get to the office. [I like to] let them know what treatments they should just say no to. A great example is reversal of a tubal ligation. It’s one of my favorites, but I don’t do it anymore because there are other treatments that are much more successful and less expensive at the same time.

Like a lot of women in their 20s and 30s, I’ve been on birth control for years. What do I need to keep in mind when I’m ready to start a family? Will I have a harder time conceiving than an identical woman who has never used hormonal birth control?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: Just the opposite. There’s some good evidence — it’s not definite yet — but there are studies suggesting that the woman using birth control for many years may actually have a longer fertility window than woman who don’t [use birth control].

Another popular myth is that you need to be off birth control for six months to get pregnant. That concept is one that developed about 30 years ago and was disproved 13 years ago. It’s old advice that keeps getting repeated and it’s just terrible because it’s not true. The best change of getting pregnant is the first few months after they stop [birth control]. As a fertility specialist, we put patients ON birth control.

Are there other benefits of birth control?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: Birth control has been shown to reduce ovarian cancer 80%, uterine cancer 60%, colon cancer 40% to 60%… It doesn’t increase or decrease the risk of breast cancer, but the bottom line is that there’s a lot of benefit to birth control pills. I actually have put nuns on birth control because they’re at high risk of getting ovarian cancer because they never get pregnant. I call it “hormonal regulation” instead of oral contraception.

Is there anything you’d like to add about reproductive health?

Robert Greene, MD, FACOG: [My goal is] empowering [patients] with knowledge so they can decide on the treatment that makes the most sense to them, helping them understand what their options are. I don’t think people should settle for anything less, and the beauty of the field of fertility is that there is so much competition that you don’t have to. If I’m not meeting your need, you should not continue to see me. I’d appreciate it if you at least told me, though.

Dr. Greene’s book Perfect Hormone Balance for Fertility: The Ultimate Guide to Getting Pregnant is available via Amazon.com.

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Interview With Fertility Specialist & Author Robert Greene, MD, FACOG

#2 – RLAY, who commented,

I love to work out at Curves. The circut is fun fast and safe and it doesn’t hurt that I own several franchises.

#12 – DAISY MELO, who commented,

I love kickboxing. Nothing like kicking the crap out of the air that really makes you feel GOOD!

#11 – ASITHI, who commented,

During this time of the year, I only want to hibernate. In order to get myself to start working out, it must have a fun factor associate with the activity. Hence, I love playing on my Wii for the winter months – Wii Fit, Wii DDR, Wii Outdoor Challenge, and Wii Sports.

#4 – MARCI BOWES, who commented,

I enjoy going to Curves as well as walking my dogs 2x day and I also cut the lawn.

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I won a Subway Trek bike at my local radio station. I ride it everyday and I jog at the local middle school track.

My birthday is coimg up in a few weeks, I am going to really step my workout game up!!!

Congrats, and thanks for reading!

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: lively women, kristen king, womens health blog, giveaway, contest, winners, swiggies, wrist water bottle

Post from: Blisstree

WINNERS! Swiggies Wrist Water Bottles Giveaway

#11 – ASITHI, who commented,

I love Olay Regenerist line. I really like how much brighter my skin looks after a week of use.

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Hello, I really like the effects of Avon’s Face Perfecter!” It is a lotion that turns powder and keeps my face oil free for around 10 hours.

#5 – HUGUETTE, who commented,

My favorite so far is the L’Oreal Skin Genesis.

Congrats, and thanks for reading!

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Tags: lively women, kristen king, womens health blog, aminogenesis, cocoon total body rejuvenating emollient, giveaway, contest, winners

Post from: Blisstree

WINNERS! Cocoon Total Body Rejuvenating Emollient

Kristen, LivelyWomen.com: Where were these data announced, and what are the differences between research reported at a medical meeting and a published study?

Peggy Peck, MedPage Today: The data were reported at the European Respiratory Society meeting, a scientific meeting that was attended by pulmonologists and other clinicians who treat patients with respiratory illnesses, as well as epidemiologists and basic science researchers in the field of respiratory medicine.

When a study is reported at a meeting such as this, the data are first submitted in abstract format–that abstract usually just describes the methodology of the study and the research question that is being asked, but it may contain a very sketchy account of the findings. Abstracts are usually submitted to program committees months and months before the meeting and while thousands of abstracts are submitted only a small percentage are actually selected for presentation at the meeting–usually less than half of the abstract submissions are accepted and sometimes the acceptance rage is as low as 20%-33%.

Accepted abstracts are presented either as posters or oral presentations. Oral presentations allow a lead investigator about 10 to 15 minutes to present the study, including background, methodology, description of the study population, and the findings. Those data are most often presented as slides. This story was based on an oral presentation.

While it is good for a researcher to have his or her findings accepted for presentation at a scientific meeting (this counts as publication in a CV), data reported this way are not given the same weight as data published in a peer-reviewed journal. The reason for this two-tier approach is that studies published in journals need to not only pass muster with the journal editors but must also pass review by at least two and sometimes three or four outside reviewers, each of whom is considered an expert in the same field as the study investigators. Studies that don’t pass review are rejected outright or sometimes sent back to authors for extensive rewriting, usually to answer questions that reviewers say are essential for full understanding of the findings.

Kristen: Who were the lead researchers and what institution are they associated with?

Peggy Peck: The lead research was Raquel Granell, M.Sc., a doctoral candidate at the University of Bristol in the U.K. She worked on the research with a team of University of Bristol scientists.

Kristen: What are the main findings?

Peggy Peck: The main finding was that anxiety during pregnancy appeared to increase the risk of asthma developing in offspring. Moreover, the relationship between a mother’s anxiety or stress level and asthma in her child was strongest for women who reported high levels of anxiety around their due dates.

Kristen: What are the implications of these findings?

Peggy Peck: This is one of those cases when it appears that there may be some science to back up what many people might consider common sense–it’s better to stay calm and stress free when pregnant than it is to become overly anxious or nervous because anxiety has some physiologic effects that can impact the fetus. For example, the adrenal gland responds to stress by turning up cortisol, which is a good thing when we need to make quick getaway or perform some super human feat of strength, but maybe not so good when we’re carrying around an almost full term fetus. In this study the children of women who reported maternal stress had disrupted cortisol secretion as late as age 10.

One important implication of the study is that it appears to lay to rest the theory that anxious women were more likely to have children with asthma because “they were looking for it”, i.e. it’s all in mom’s mind. These findings may put that canard to rest.

Kristen: Were there any limitations to the study?

Peggy Peck: There are many limitations to this study because even though the researchers collected data prospectively and there were a large number of women who participated–5,810–this was an observational study, not a randomized controlled trial. Logically, of course, one can’t really do a placebo controlled trial of maternal stress–one could not ethically submit some pregnant women to unusual stress, while soothing others–the fact is that the best evidence comes from randomized controlled trials. When this study was presented an outside expert said the findings proved an association, but there is a difference between association and causality. We can not say for certain that stress in the mom caused asthma in the child.

Kristen: What are some ways women can reduce stress and anxiety during pregnancy?

Peggy Peck: Exercise is a great stress reducer, yet unfortunately many women cut down on exercise during pregnancy. While pregnancy is probably not the time to take up competitive weight-lifting or marathon running, aerobic exercise–spinning for instance or vigorous walking–can, in most cases, be continued throughout the pregnancy. Yoga has also been shown to be useful in reducing stress and many centers offer classes specifically designed for pregnant women.

Simple things like taking time every day to relax and “put your feet up” can also be helpful.

It is, however, probably impossible to avoid stress during pregnancy and normal worries–will be the baby be all right? Will I ever wear jeans again? Does everyone have this much heartburn? Will this baby ever be born?–won’t turn the baby into an asthmatic. Women who think they are having unusual levels of anxiety should discuss their concerns with their physician or midwife.

Kristen: Are women in any one demographic group more susceptible to giving birth to asthmatic babies?

Peggy Peck: It’s estimated that about 155 million people worldwide have asthma and most of them probably have a relative with asthma because there are dozens of genes that have been linked to asthma. The problem is that the real risk has not yet been quantified so experts estimate the heritability rate for asthma in a very wide range: 36%-79%.

So for that reason it is not a matter of identifying a particular ethnic group or geographic region in which women would be more or less at risk. We just don’t have enough reliable information to answer that question.

Kristen: Does pregnancy-related stress influence asthma during infancy, asthma that develops later in life, or both? Please explain

Peggy Peck: This study only investigated asthma developing during childhood–they investigated a time point, age 7.

Kristen: Please describe the study participants and study design.

Peggy Peck: The women were all enrolled in an ongoing cohort study–the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. They all gave birth from April 1, 1991 though December 31, 1992. The women live in England, so most — but not all — of the women are white.

Contents Copyright © 2008 Kristen King

(image: SXC.hu)

Tags: lively women, womens health blog, kristen king, peggy peck, medpage today, asthma, anxiety, stress, pregnancy, babies, children

Post from: Blisstree

Anxiety During Pregnancy Linked to Childhood Asthma: An Interview With MedPage Today Executive Editor Peggy Peck

The Product

Ultreo, the ultrasound toothbrush, from the developers of Sonicare

The Claim to Fame

From the Ultreo website…

Independently tested for both safety and effectiveness, Ultreo has been proven to remove hard-to-reach plaque, improve gum health and reduce stains for naturally whiter teeth. In a recent study, 8 out of 10 people who used Ultreo for 30 days said they would switch to Ultreo from their current power toothbrush. And of those who expressed a preference, 8 out of 10 thought the overall cleaning provided by Ultreo was better compared to the power toothbrush they normally use.

Where to Find It

Amazon.com, Ultreo.com, or local retailers.

Kristen’s Opinion

I’ve been a Sonicare girl for a couple of years, so I was skeptical about trying the Ultreo just because I like my Sonicare so much. And moving from the Sonicare’s sleek head to the Ultreo’s more substantial one was a big adjustment. But I liked the narrower Ultreo handle and the firmer on/off button, the streamlined base/charger, and the little doo-doo-doo-doo-doo tone it plays every 30 seconds to tell me to change to a different part of my mouth. I struggled a little with getting used to the Ultrasound Waveguide in the middle of the head, but after a few brushings, it was like it wasn’t there. If I had to choose between my Sonicare and the Ultreo, sorry, Sonicare, you’re out. (In fact, I gave the Sonicare to my husband!)

Who Will Love It

If you want a powered toothbrush that feels more like a traditional toothbrush, I think the Ultreo will be a good fit. And if you’re like me and you forget to replace your brush or brush head regularly, you’ll fall hard for the brush head subscription option on the Ultreo website, which allows you to create a standing mail order for new snap-on brush heads every 3 or 6 months for singlse and two packs.

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

(image: Amazon.com)

Tags: womens health blog, lively women, kristen king, ultreo, sonicare, ultrasound toothbrush, power toothbrush, electric toothbrush

Post from: Blisstree

Product Review: Ultreo Ultrasound Toothbrush

Kristen, LivelyWomen.com: What exactly does CherryPharm do?

John Davey, CherryPharm, Inc.: CherryPharm is based on the natural anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties found in tart cherries. We worked with Cornell University to develop a process that would retain those potent but fragile cherry compounds. So far, we have done five independent clinical trials on our juice looking at post-exercise muscle damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, and insomnia, and all five of the studies have had extremely positive results. We are also in the middle of another trial on osteoarthritis. All of our studies have been done at independent (and world renowned) hospitals and universities using double-blind, placebo controlled design.

Kristen: What’s the difference between tart or sour cherries and regular cherries?

John Davey: The two are different species but the primary difference is that sour cherries (prunus cerasus) have more acids and less sugars than sweet cherries (prunus avium). Sour cherries have traditionally been used as pie filling while sweet cherries typically get sold as a “fresh crop” at the grocery store / green market. sweet cherries are typically more heavily treated with pesticides in order to look better to the consumer – tart cherries get significantly less treatment.

Kristen: Can you tell us a bit about the recovery powers of sour cherries?

John Davey: Research has shown that cherries contain a unique combination of phytonutrients that can have an anti-inflammatory effect when taken regularly and in quantity. So by eating a lot of cherries, the body can actually reduce inflammatory markers — this can include the inflammatory response to exercise. Unlike any other cherry products, CherryPharm’s innovative juice extraction and pouring technique has been designed to replicate nature and provide a “medicinal” dose in every bottle – 50 cherries per 8-oz serving.

Kristen: How does CherryPharm improve sleep?

John Davey: Cherries are a source of naturally occurring melatonin, which may explain the sleep effect. However, researchers also believe that elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interluken-6 (IL-6) are correlated to sleep. So by lowering circulating inflammation markers, that may have a positive effect on sleep. In a recent study at the London Marathon, CherryPharm was shown to lower several post-exercise markers of inflammation including IL-6.

Kristen: Is CherryPharm only for professional athletes?

John Davey: CherryPharm is good for everybody. Even though we have so many top sports teams and athletes drinking our juice, we have a much longer list of regular consumers who drink it every day for a variety of health reasons – so everyone from the elite athlete to the Average Joe/Jane (young, old, male, female).

Kristen: What are the five most interesting things you’ve learned about cherries?

John Davey: (1) There are hundreds of different types of cherries around the world and each type is different. (2) Cherry taste and texture will vary from crop to crop based on sun / rain / heat / cold. (3) Each cherry tree produces approximately 7,000 cherries per year. (4) It takes about 7 years for a cherry tree to start producing fruit. (5) The price and supply of U.S. cherries is federally regulated.

Kristen: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

John Davey: Two general things – I’ll try to be brief:

[First,] CherryPharm is all-natural and made from whole fruit, and we have done clinical trials on our product. Most companies never do clinical trials because they are expensive, time consuming, and risky. Instead, most companies give the illusion of “healthy lifestyle” or “good for you” without having any real support.

[Second,] Consumers should read labels:

• Food processing matters. Exposure to heat, light and oxygen break down natural compounds, and a lot of juice products start with concentrate, which is no where close to whole fruit.
• Shelf life matters. Natural products break down quickly so anything with an extended shelf life probably contains preservatives or has been super-heated to extend shelf life. And longer shelf lives are important to distributors and grocery stores so they have more time to transport and sell the product.
• Cost of goods matters. Grocery store products are marked-up first by the distributor and then again by the retailer. So a lot of food manufacturers start with cheap ingredients in order to end up with a “reasonably priced” product at retail that supports multiple mark-ups.
• Be mindful of supplements. The dietary supplement industry is loosely regulated and self-policing. They are able to make lots of claims as long as they foot note the label – “these statements have not been reviewed by the FDA. this product is not intended to treat, cure, or prevent any disease.” (Which, of course, begs the question – why would anyone take an unregulated product that is not intended to do anything?)

For more information about CherryPharm, visit the company website.

Contents Copyright © 2008 Kristen King

Tags: womens health blog, lively women, kristen king, john davey, cherrypharm, sweet cherries, sour cherries, tart cherries

Post from: Blisstree

An Interview With John Davey, Founder of CherryPharm

(www.livelywomen.com) — Did you know that maintaining your happiness might be even more beneficial to your health than avoiding cigaratte smoke? In his BBC article The Health Benefits of Happiness, Dr. Derek Cox writes, “If you are happy, you are likely in the future to have less in the way of physical illness than those who are unhappy.”

I bet I know what you’re thinking: “I already knew this! Who doesn’t like being happy?” You know now that better health is a side effect of happiness. There are other side effects, too. Your productivity will increase. Your family life will improve. Making new friends and keeping them will be easier. Your happiness will spread to others around you, and theirs will spread to you. You may know all this, but you might wonder how — in the face of life’s daily trials, frustrations, and sorrows — can you make yourself happier in the first place?

To become happier, all you have to do is think about it. You think it sounds too simple? Try this exercise to see for yourself:

• Think of something, anything, big or small, that made you happy today or in the past.
• Relive that moment in your mind. Remember the way that moment felt, smelled, appeared, or even tasted.
• Now, actively appreciate that moment in your life.

How do you feel after doing that? You probably feel just a bit happier, and this happiness will run over into other areas of your life.

You have a million and one things happening in your life each day, and not all these things are designed to make you happy. That’s why we have to actually stop and think of what or who makes us happy now or made us happy in the past. Sometimes we let these moments drift by without any glance of appreciation.

I say, stop the drift. Each day I take a few moments to think, “What made me happy today?” This is part of my daily regime, and it should be part of yours, too. Challenge yourself to jot down 5 happy thoughts a day. Studies by psychologists Tal Ben-Shahar, Robert Emmons, and Michael McCullough have shown that you should feel happier after doing so.

The best way to make sure you do this is to keep a happiness or gratitude journal. A physical or virtual journal of what made you happy each day. This not only makes you think about what made you happy each day and act on writing it down but it also gives you a good record to look back on during a particularly hard day.

Keeping a private journal of your happy thoughts is a good practice but also taking time to share what made you happy can be a good exercise. Set a time a side daily or weekly with a friend or group of friends to share what made you happy.

About a year ago I started a site called ButterBeeHappy.com, where people log on and record 5 happy thoughts a day. Some people have been doing it since my launch. It is easy to miss days even with reminder emails being sent daily. When you start your journal be commited to it. It won’t be easy and some days it will be hard to come up with one thing let alone 5. Those are the days you need it the most! Stay focused. Be commited. Be Happier.

***

John Brooks Pounders is the founder of ButterBeeHappy.com and a student at the University of Alabama. He’s a serial Internet entrepreneur who believes that gratitude breeds happiness. Visit him at http://www.butterbeehappy.com/jbpounders.

Tags: lively women, womens health blog, kristen king, john brooks pounders, butterbeehappy, happiness, journal, gratitude, mental health

Post from: Blisstree

Happiness Is Just a Thought Away

• Swiggies Wrist Water Bottles (5 winners)
• Cocoon Total Body Rejuvenating Emollient (3 winners)

Just click on the prizes above to go to the giveaway posts and find out how to win!

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Don’t Forget to Enter to Win Swiggies and AminoGenesis’ Cocoon!

I believe Isabel was working on one of the yoga activities. Either that, or she didn’t want me to send it back after my review period ended. One can never know the mind of a cat.

Secondly, and there will be no photos of this, I got so hot so fast playing it that all but the first 5 minutes were me in a ratty college tee shirt and my underwear in the living room with my dogs, who were obsessed with the Wii Fit balance board, and my husband, who made fun of me basically nonstop for my lack of balance and coordination — until he tried it and sucked even worse than I did. Take that, Mr. Mocking Mocker Man! (In all fairness, we were probably equally sucky.)

The first time you use Wii Fit, it gives you a little fitness evaluation to determine your Wii Fit age. I’m 26 chronologically. My Wii fit age was 31. My little Wii Mii was very embarrassed, and so was I. Sigh. But, the little balance board cartoon guy encouraged me, that’s why I was using Wii Fit! To reach my fitness goals and improve my Wii age! He was so sweet. What a pal.

So then you can choose from a variety of areas, including breathing, balance, aerobic, and strength-training exercises. As it turns out, my balance is much better on my right leg than on my left, and I get less coordinated and flexible instead of more so the more I exercise. But that’s not the point. I tried a variety of exercises in each area, and my favorites were the Hula Hoop, the Soccer Head Butt, and the Ski Jump (which I was AWESOME at, I might add! it was the only one where I showed any natural skill).

It got a lot of flack when it first came out, but I thought the Wii Fit was effective and extremely motivational, and I really enjoy working out with Wii in general. This game totally kicked my butt and I loved it. My husband and I agreed that we’re going to save up to get one for our very own. Especially since by the time my review period ended, my Wii age had actually gone UP instead of down. I went from 31 to 42, I think because I was just so tired from exercising regularly for the first time in forever. Sure, yeah, that’s it…

Contents © Copyright 2008 Kristen King

Post from: Blisstree

Product Review: Wii Fit