Trying Out the EASports Active on Wii

Well, it’s true.  I’ve jumped on the bandwagon.  Now into the second week of my “30 Day Challenge” in the EA Sports Active fitness game on Nintendo Wii, I’m still excited to do the workouts.  It’s the first video game fitness program I’ve done that includes days of rest and gives me credit for activities done in the real world (like playing tennis and doing housework).

After popping in the Wii disk, you design a fitness profile so the figure on your television screen looks more or less like you.  Then, with a picture-in-picture type of format, your trainer (you select either a male or female) appears to show you what to do.

My favorite part of EA Sports Active is the variety of activities included in the workouts (like basketball, inline skating and tennis) and the ability to modify the intensity level of each workout.  So, if I’m not up for a high intensity workout, I can dial down the degree and opt for a medium intensity.

Bottom line?

• Includes a good mix of traditional resistance training and Wii sports activities.  This is not a Kathy Smith or Denise Austin old-style aerobics workout.
• Three levels of intensity, so it’s good for beginners as well as more experienced users.
• It brings more of a sporty, active lifestyle into your home workout.
• It’s fun! I enjoy this program enough that I actually make time for the workouts.  I suppose the fact that the workouts average around 25 minutes per session helps quite a bit – it’s just the right amount of time to squeeze into my busy days.

Cons?

• I have yet to do any floor exercises (crunches, push ups, leg lifts, etc.) so my abs are neglected.
• The resistance band seems so weak, I often wonder whether it’s going to snap and break.
• The Wii remote and sensor are less than perfect.  The reps sometimes test my patience.  Timing must be (perhaps unreasonably) precise.

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