Fit for fun, at least

It was a dark and snowy night. In January. In Montana. And we were racing cows.

No, this is not some romanticized tale of rural ranch life in the West.

It might, however, be an account of two generations coming together over a little technological levity.

It was a cold, snowy evening at the end of January of this year. And we were in Montana. But my aunt, her two grade-school-age daughters, and my wife and I were warmly sheltered inside, racing digital heifers on the Wii.

Previously, I’d played the Wii only once, about a year before, but had heard plenty about it in the interim.

And almost anything that I’d heard at least made a point of noting that the Wii wasn’t a “video game” in the traditional sense. Rather, it was an activity: planting your derriere in the sofa wasn’t going to cut it in the world of Wii.

Not only did the Wii require you to get up and move around while playing, it was potentially even a source of exercise! The release of the Wii Fit punctuated this assertion.

I’m no physician and I have no medical training whatsoever. Accordingly, I am making no comment concerning the “fitness value” of the Wii or Wii Fit.

I am, however, remembering the events of a cold January night.

Christmas time landed a Wii console into the possession of my aunt’s two daughters. Since the end of December, my wife and I had had a standing invitation to stop by for a visit . . . and to give the Wii a try.

In reality, none of the games we played even simulated sports or activities recognized for their cardiovascular benefit. (Games like tennis and swimming were available, however.) We fished, played shuffle board and darts, bowled, practiced our short game on the putting green, and were even contestants on The Price Is Right. And, yes, we raced cows.

As I said, little or no real-world exercise value to be found.

But there we were, on our feet, not just moving, but being dramatic. And we must have been burning a few calories what with all the laughing we were doing. Step back from almost any cow race, and one of us was sure to be seen squatting down a little, our rears stuck out behind us and our arms reaching toward the TV, tipping and tilting the Wii remote as we navigated our cow through an obstacle course.

It was a cold, dark night, and two kids and three adults were inside jumping, moving, laughing, and waving their arms.

And we were playing a video game.