With 2009 here, New Years’ resolutions are in full swing. Weight loss is a popular promise for most people. But when you think about gym memberships, personal trainer charges, and all the other people at the gym judging you, who wants that? No wonder people quit by the time March rolls around. This year, stick to your New Year's resolution in the comfort of your own home with a personal trainer who’s not going to yell at you!

I recently played Wii Fit, a training game for people of all ages. The first step is to set up a Mii (your virtual self) and take a body test. The game only asks for your birthday and height - it does the rest. Included with your purchase is a balance board, which looks like a simple white step. By standing on the balance board, the game measures your center of balance, Body Mass Index (BMI), and body control. You then set goals on how much weight you would like to lose in a certain amount of time. And if you request, it will read you your Wii Fit Age, which can be quite depressing at first.

After your test is over, and you choose between a male or female personal trainer, you can begin your training. Wii Fit offers four different training modes – Yoga, Balance Games, Strength Training, and Aerobics. Initially, there are only a few options to choose from in each mode; but the more you practice and the better you perform, new activities and increased repetitions are unlocked.

I am amazed at how incredibly accurate the game is. How can a human personal trainer tell you that your body center is off 2% to the right? Of course through Wii Fit, you won’t be able to have a trainer like Bob or Jillian from “The Biggest Loser” to keep you motivated, because you can just turn the Wii off if you’re tired. But the trainer will tell you if you wobble or need to stretch further. He/She will also advise you on what you can do to improve your performance, or what your strengths were if you did the exercise correctly. Each exercise session is rated and recorded.

Wii Fit is a great way to exercise as privately as you want. You can even lock out your entire account with a password from other people in your home if you don’t want anyone to see it. Or you can play with friends and family and challenge each other. Just be careful as you exercise, because participants have reported injuries from using it. But you can also injure yourself carrying the box up the stairs, so I wouldn’t judge it on that.

I say “two thumbs up” for Wii Fit. My posture already feels like it’s getting better.