Yourself!Fitness
Encyclopedia
Yourself!Fitness is an exercise
program
, or exergaming
title developed by Portland, Oregon
based Respondesign
. It was published first for the Xbox
, and later for the PlayStation 2
and PC
by Respondesign; and in 2008 a port for Wii as My Fitness Coach was released by Ubisoft and alongside a newly-update PC version as PC Fitness. Its intention is to create an atmosphere that will encourage regular game players to use their consoles to promote their own health and engage in regular exercise. It is being followed by a new game for modern consoles and PC tentatively titled Y!F Lifestyle.
(or the PS2's memory card
), setting up a schedule to be followed, and Maya making suggestions to the player using computation
s being made by the program. Maya leads the exercises in a variety of locations and accompanied by music from several music genre
s, all of which are selected before the workout by the player, and more of which can be unlocked
by keeping to the schedule.
The game includes over 500 types of exercises, although some exercises with multiple directions or emphases are counted as separate in this tally. Furthermore, if the player owns an exercise ball
, hand weights
, an exercise step
, or a heart rate monitor
, Maya can incorporate these into the program. Through the workout, Maya will stop to ask how the player is doing; their reply will affect whether the program strengthens, weakens, or leaves the current regimen as it is.
The game was ported to Wii in 2008 by Ubisoft under the title My Fitness Coach. Although the port was likely intended to capitalize on the popularity of Nintendo's Wii Fit
, My Fitness Coach did not make use of the Wii Balance Board accessory, and its functionality was essentially the same as the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions.
chain McDonald's
, purchasers of an "Active Meal" (consisting of a salad
and bottled water
) could receive one of four Yourself!Fitness DVDs, playable in a standard DVD player
, which contains a rigid workout regimen also led by Maya. Each disc is dedicated to a certain theme—Yoga, cardio, strength training, or "core" training—and contains workouts that are 15 minutes in length.
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
, or exergaming
Exergaming
Exergaming or exer-gaming is a term used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle...
title developed by Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
based Respondesign
Respondesign
responDesign, Inc is software development company that focused on "Games That Are Good For You." Originally founded in 2003 by Ted Spooner, Phineas Barnes and Daryn Chapman in Portland Oregon around Phineas's idea to create a virtual personal trainer for video game consoles. The result was...
. It was published first for the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and later for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
by Respondesign; and in 2008 a port for Wii as My Fitness Coach was released by Ubisoft and alongside a newly-update PC version as PC Fitness. Its intention is to create an atmosphere that will encourage regular game players to use their consoles to promote their own health and engage in regular exercise. It is being followed by a new game for modern consoles and PC tentatively titled Y!F Lifestyle.
Gameplay
In the program, a digital aerobics instructor named Maya (voiced by Yumi Lee) serves as the player's guide. Maya leads the player through a series of exercises that is specially tailored to the player's current health and specifics. This is achieved by dynamically tracking their progress on an ongoing profile using the hard driveHard disk
A hard disk drive is a non-volatile, random access digital magnetic data storage device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle within a protective enclosure. Data is magnetically read from and written to the platter by read/write heads that float on a film of air above the...
(or the PS2's memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
), setting up a schedule to be followed, and Maya making suggestions to the player using computation
Computation
Computation is defined as any type of calculation. Also defined as use of computer technology in Information processing.Computation is a process following a well-defined model understood and expressed in an algorithm, protocol, network topology, etc...
s being made by the program. Maya leads the exercises in a variety of locations and accompanied by music from several music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
s, all of which are selected before the workout by the player, and more of which can be unlocked
Bonus stage
A bonus stage is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Often a bonus stage will have no enemies or hazards, or may contain them but the player character is invulnerable to attack from them...
by keeping to the schedule.
The game includes over 500 types of exercises, although some exercises with multiple directions or emphases are counted as separate in this tally. Furthermore, if the player owns an exercise ball
Swiss ball
An exercise ball is a ball constructed of soft elastic with a diameter of approximately 35 to 85 centimeters and filled with air. The air pressure is changed by removing a valve stem and either filling with air or letting the ball deflate...
, hand weights
Weight training
Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles. It uses the weight force of gravity to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction...
, an exercise step
Step aerobics
Step aerobics is distinguished from other forms of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform . The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step...
, or a heart rate monitor
Heart rate monitor
A heart rate monitor is a personal monitoring device which allows a subject to measure his or her heart rate in real time or record his or her heart rate for later study...
, Maya can incorporate these into the program. Through the workout, Maya will stop to ask how the player is doing; their reply will affect whether the program strengthens, weakens, or leaves the current regimen as it is.
The game was ported to Wii in 2008 by Ubisoft under the title My Fitness Coach. Although the port was likely intended to capitalize on the popularity of Nintendo's Wii Fit
Wii Fit
is a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...
, My Fitness Coach did not make use of the Wii Balance Board accessory, and its functionality was essentially the same as the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions.
Development
In a 2006 fitness promotional campaign with the popular fast-foodFast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chain McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, purchasers of an "Active Meal" (consisting of a salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
and bottled water
Bottled water
Bottled water is drinking water packaged in plastic or glass water bottles. Bottled water may be carbonated or not...
) could receive one of four Yourself!Fitness DVDs, playable in a standard DVD player
DVD player
A DVD player is a device that plays discs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. These devices were invented in 1997 and continue to thrive...
, which contains a rigid workout regimen also led by Maya. Each disc is dedicated to a certain theme—Yoga, cardio, strength training, or "core" training—and contains workouts that are 15 minutes in length.
See also
- EyeToy: KineticEyeToy: KineticEyeToy: Kinetic is an exercise program, or exergaming title developed in collaboration with Nike Motionworks. It has been designed to help the player improve their fitness and health using a variety of exercise games. A few of these are demonstrated on GameSpot.The game includes a wide angle "Full...
- Wii FitWii Fitis a video game developed by Nintendo for the company's home video game console, Wii, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board peripheral...
- exergamingExergamingExergaming or exer-gaming is a term used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle...
- My CoachMy CoachMy Coach is a series of video games released by UbiSoft for the Nintendo DS and Wii gaming systems. Pauline Jacquey, the series producer, has described the series as a tool for "developing projects that make people feel that playing games is worth their while, allowing them to spend quality time...
- My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout