[11] It has since been adopted by various health clubs around the world, and has previously been used for physiotherapy rehabilitation in children[12][13] and in nursing homes to improve posture in the elderly.

It also garnered positive reception and was a commercial success; as of March 2022[update], it is the seventh best-selling game on the Wii, with a total of 21.13 million copies sold.

Wii Fit contains more than 40 activities designed to engage the player in physical exercise, which consist of yoga poses, strength training, aerobics, and balance games.

The Yoga and Strength Training activities in Wii Fit provide the player with an on-screen personal trainer who offers direction and evaluation.

While standing or otherwise leaning on the Wii Balance Board, the player is instructed to perform the activity by precisely imitating the trainer's actions.

The trainer advises the player to maintain the COB throughout the activity, requesting that it not move outside a particular threshold usually indicated as a yellow circle.

The other two major categories in Wii Fit, Aerobics and Balance Games, consist of 18 minigame activities that feature Miis as playable characters.

Activities based on slalom skiing, snowboarding, and tightrope walking are also available, and a Zazen-based game (called "Lotus Focus") in which the player sits on the Wii Balance Board and remains motionless for a period of time.

[23] Miyamoto revealed that Wii Fit had been developed with a "full-scale" team for a year at the time,[22] and added that there were no plans to integrate WiiConnect24 functionality into the game.

A new menu interface, My Wii Fit Plus, was implemented to address this issue and make accessing activities quicker and easier.

[46] While the playful balance and aerobics minigames have generally been praised as simple fun,[14] criticism for the game is aimed at its limitations in offering a serious workout regime.

[38] In 1UP.com's review, one such limitation was attributed to the lack of structure the game imposes on the player, stating that while having "complete freedom to choose what you want to do, you might find yourself cheating, despite your best intentions.

"[14] X-Play also noted that the brief activities are separated by menus, making it difficult for one to keep up a constant heart rate,[38] with Game Revolution criticizing a serious limitation: "as a stand-alone fitness trainer it suffers greatly by the inability to assemble a full, unbroken workout without the horrible 'fitness interruptus' necessitated by bothersome menu navigation and obtrusive Wii remote usage."

Some have also pointed out a lack of Nintendo's usual charm in game design,[31] specifically in the yoga and strength training exercises which take place in a muted setting that one critic referred to as "the world's most lifeless, depressing gym.

"[14] Despite these limitations, the game's friendly front-end and amount of activities are cited as appealing features to those who are perhaps seeking an introduction to daily exercise.

[47] A study published by Tokyo's National Institute of Health and Nutrition concluded that only 33% of the exercises (22 of a total of 68) qualified as medium-intensity, with the rest as low-intensity.

[52] Cycling Weekly reported that Mark Cavendish, a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist bike racer, had to stop his training regime when he injured his left calf's gastrocnemius after falling off the balance board while playing Wii Fit.

[53] There was minor controversy regarding Wii Fit in the UK, where two parents complained after the known limitations of BMI led to their daughter being labeled as overweight.

[63] Prior to release, consumer reaction was also positive in the United Kingdom, with some retailers having to stop taking pre-orders due to its increasing popularity.

[71] Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities, estimated that Nintendo shipped only 500,000 copies of the game in North America as opposed to as many as two million units to Europe.

According to Pachter, the Wii Fit units were allocated by Nintendo to maximize profit, by prioritizing Europe over North America, taking advantage of the strong value of the euro compared to the US dollar.

[72] According to the NPD Group, Wii Fit sold 690,000 units in the US in May 2008, making it the country's third highest selling title for the month, behind the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV and Mario Kart Wii, but ahead of the PlayStation 3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV.

[73] Wii Fit debuted in the United States at a suggested retail price of US$89.99 for the base system unbundled with other accessories.

The perceived shortage created a secondary market for people to purchase Wii Fit at retail outlets and sell it on for a profit.

In a study, an 86-year-old woman was unable to walk without close supervision, even with a walker, due to poor balance and a tendency to fall, after a stroke.

While maintaining most of the overall features of its predecessors, the game uses the Wii U GamePad and can also sync data with the optional Fit Meter, a pedometer accessory which measures activities such as steps taken and altitude.

This is intended to perform more complex maneuvers for stretching, poses, and jogging in place: compared to the Wii Fit Board.

"[88] It was later revealed by Sakurai, in commemoration of the release of the trial version of Wii Fit U,[89] that the male trainer would also appear, albeit as an alternate character that shares the female's slot and characteristics.