By Katrina Rasbold

By far and away my favorite game on the Wii Fit (trust me, I am otherwise NOT a runner by nature), the Island Run is one of the best ways to burn calories and lose fat with the Wii Fit.

The Island Run is part of the Basic Run that is unlocked after you have completed the Long Run twice. 

If you click on the map above, you will see what the island looks like that you are running.  There are five routes to take with your run.  Each one is led by a different guide.  The guide must be in front of or beside you at all times to lead you around the island.  If you pass your guide, not only will your end score be incredibly low, but you will not know which way for your Mii to run.

The guides are a random (and for some reason, usually quite unattractive, as they go) Mii, a tan dog, a dark brown dog, a white dog and a black dog.    They determine which route you will take.

The main thing to remember as you are on the Island Run or any of the Basic Run games is that you are scored according to the stability of your pace.  Speed helps raise your score, provided your pace remains incredibly stable and you do not pass your guide.

You should not speed up or slow down your speed while you are doing the Island Run.  Remain at the same, stable speed to achieve the highest score.

You can set your speed before you even start running with your Mii.  If you begin running in place at the pace you would like to go for the duration of the run, your Guide Mii will start running at that pace as well.  You have to already be doing this when the Guide Mii begins to run, however, or you will pass your guide.  Depending on your speed, you may find that your Mii runs fast enough to keep pace ahead of you.

Other times, a dog may come up right away to act as the next guide.  Just keep running at the same pace and the dog will become your new guide once you pass the old guy.  Do not increase your speed to get to the dog or you will lose points.  Let the natural course of your speed take you to another guide if one is needed. 

Sometimes, a second dog will come up right away to take you from the first dog.  Just maintain a constant speed and pace and the guides will naturally appear as needed.

It helps to maintain a steady pace if you count in your head, “1 2 1 2 1 2″ as you run or “1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4.” 

It also helps to maintain a steady pace if you do not run as though you are sprinting.  Pick up your foot and put it down each time rather than only lifting up the back of your heel to run in place.

The prompt from the Wii Fit to move your arms in big motions to burn more calories is not punative.  It is merely a suggestion prompt.  The Wii does not register whether or not you are moving your arms in large motions.

Any time the Wii Fit tells you that you have passed your guide, that your have increased your speed, that your pace is uneven or that you are getting slower, points are deducted. 

When you and your guide jump off a cliff or wall, pause for just a nanosecond because very occasionally, even if you keep running, you will pass your guide when you land, even if your pace does not increase.

If you stay with the Mii as a guide, at one point you will come to a rocky crag above your head.  Six puppies will jump off of the crag and run toward and past you.  Tres sweet.

If you keep your pace very even, it is not too difficult to score over 100% on your calorie burn on the Island Run.  My high score (so far) is 207%. 

Taking 8 minutes to get around the island will get you just as tired and sweaty as a 5 minute faster run.  Alternating between the two from set to set to create an interval training pattern will maximize the fat burning/calorie potential of the Island Run.

If you begin to have foot or heel pain from running, consider investing in some wrap around arch supports to wear when running.  Typically, it corrects the problem almost immediate.  This is an example of the wrap around arch supports, although you can usually find them cheaper on ebay or through other online sources:  http://www.comforthouse.com/footcomfort.html

It is generally agreed that of all of the Wii Fit exercises, the Island Run has the greatest calorie burning and fat burning potential.