Being an avid fan of the awesome Nintendo Wii gaming system, I was recently quite awestruck by a very sweet DIYer plunking down a smidge over $20 to craft a Nintendo-inspired balance board without forking over a chunk of dough for the official Nintendo version.

If you've never seen or experienced playing (err, exercising) with the Nintendo Wii, I heavily suggest you stop by a local Best Buy or chain-of-choice to try it out. I'm no heavy gamer (far from it), but the engagement level inspired by the Wii and the propensity to get me physically moving and sweating directly in front of the TV (no ageless Jane Fonda jokes, please) has made the Wii one of my favorite geek platforms. that is, while I'm getting buff from all the exercise.

Try these balance board ingredients on for size: tennis balls, inexpensive adhesive, cheap plastic desk trays and that foam insulation you generally find on air conditioner lines outside your home. Want a decent thrill on that Wii while spending just a few bills on supplies? Click over and read all the details. I'm building this one in the next week I think.