Review: Let's Yoga!
My husband recently signed up for a Gamefly account, and he opted for the plan where you can have two games out at a time. That means games for me! After browsing through the game selection, I added the Nintendo DS game Let’s Yoga to the queue. After playing it for a few days, I was hooked! We returned the rental and bought a copy off of eBay for $6.
The game is just what it sounds like, a yoga training game, adding to Nintendo’s growing list of games that aren’t just for entertainment. The game has a large database of yoga poses, and uses a 3D model of a young woman to demonstrate each pose, while a calm voice with subtitles walks you through each step. The format of the game is very accessible and full of options. One option is to work through the 8-10 minute “Master Class” courses, which teach you the fundamentals of yoga, working through all the poses. The other option, my favorite, is to do a short course. You can choose to do random yoga poses, yoga poses that can be done in a chair, or make a list of your favorite poses for later. This is where the pose list is located. The pose list is pretty cool, giving you a description of each pose, how it ranks for strength, flexibility, and energy, tips for executing the pose and how to do an easier version, and even which specific muscles should be “feeling the burn.”
There is also a list of short, 3-4 minute exercise sets specifically designed for different purposes, such as headache relief, increasing your motivation, and even vague goals like “becoming more feminine.” I’m not sure if any of these sets actually give such results, but they are my absolute favorite aspect of the game. The list is very extensive, so it’s bound to cover at least one problem area I have each day. If I’m feeling down, have a back ache, or need to clear my head, I have an instant reason to do some yoga! I love feeling like I’m being proactive towards getting rid of my bad mood, or starting the day with a positive outlook. And doing the two routines every night that are meant for better sleep ensure that I do at least a little bit of yoga every day.
Even though the instructions are translated over from Japanese, they are very clear and specific. One of my favorite things about the game is the calm atmosphere it exudes, with ambient music playing in the background, and the calm voice of the narrator. The game especially focuses on making sure you take your time with the poses and breathe properly, something that has taken me a long time to master (I’m the type of person who is already following the instructions before they’re finished being read). A lotus flower design in the background expands and contracts with sounds of gushing wind, reminding you when to breathe in and out during the poses. At any point, you can pause the instructions and change your view of the 3D model, rotating the camera around to see exactly how it should be done.
The only frustrating thing about Let’s Yoga is that it’s a little difficult to keep the DS and screen in sight as you’re sitting down, standing up, laying down, bending over, turning around, etc. This seems to be a problem with every instructional exercise method, however, and it’s just a matter of doing the poses enough times that you only need to hear the instructions, and not crane your head around to see the instructor (or in this case, pick up the DS and move it according to your new position).
Let’s Yoga seems like the kind of game that could have ended up kind of terrible and not very effective. Instead, it has just the right balance of informative, challenging yoga poses, and “game” aspects which make exercising even more rewarding. The game keeps track of my progress in a calendar, and in points for strength, flexibility, and energy. Sticking to a workout routine has always been hard for me, but having yoga in game format has made me look forward to and make time for a little exercise every day.
Haha the whole time I was reading this, I was wondering how looking at the DS and doing the poses would work out… I guess you just have to adjust as you go and keep practicing like you say. I take a yoga class at the YMCA every Sunday and I love it. It’s so cool when balance or arm strength poses get easier; I love being able to sense progress like that. It’s neat how this incorporates things like a reminder to breathe, as funny as that sounds; it actually gets difficult to remember to keep breathing properly while you’re trying different poses! Glad you found an easy way to get some exercise in!
Moving the DS around isn’t too much of a hassle, and it’s nice because once you do move it, you can usually see it well through the whole pose.
I’ve never done a real Yoga class! Sounds like a lot of fun, and it’s awesome you’re noticing your progress with the poses =) I tend to do the same ones over and over, just like before I go to bed to stretch my back and stuff.. I should try doing some more of the difficult ones in the morning!