As I may have mentioned in the past, one of the main reasons I agreed to purchase a Wii console for our household was the possibility of helping my family become more active. EA Sports Active does just that. There are quite a few Wii games that get you moving, but the EA Sports Active: More Workouts does so in a more organized manner, which allows you to have a full-body workout or one that just targets certain areas of your body.In order to get the most benefit out of this game, you must use the EA Sports Active accessory kit. The game sells separately for $39.99 and the accessory kit sells separately for $19.99 . If you would like to work out with a friend, then you will need to purchase a second accessory kit. Without the accessory kit, you will not be able to do the exercises that involve the resistance band.
1) I like that your workout is fully customizable. You can opt for the 6-week challenge, which creates a workout routine for you based on your body type and what kind of workout you are looking for. You can also try the many preset workouts or create a custom workout for yourself. This is perfect for anyone who wants to target problem areas. You can also customize the preset workouts by unchecking any of the activities on itinerary. If you create a custom workout from scratch, then you can name it and save it for future use.
2) For beginners, there are easy-to-follow videos to go with every aspect of the routine, including how to hold your remote and nunchuck. These videos can be skipped after you become more experienced, especially if you are repeating the same workouts.
3) Before you start your workout, you need to provide information about yourself, including height, weight, age, and body type. This ensures that the workout is appropriate for your size and age. You can also create a character in your own likeness right down to the type of fitness clothing, shoes, and accessories you prefer.
4) My husband opted to try the 6-week challenge. For this program, you are allowed to select 3 rest days per week. The game does the rest by creating a workout for you, tracking approximately how many calories you have burned, how much time you have been actually working out (time spent watching the videos is not included), and how many exercises you have left in your routine.
5) The majority of the preset workout routines include warm-ups, island challenge fitness activities, and cool-downs in addition to the regular exercises.
6) The setting for the workouts is a warm sunny serene island. You can almost imagine that you are on a spa vacation.
7) You can see your character performing the exercises along with you and the instructor is right there by your side on the bottom right of the screen. She demonstrates what you should be doing both visually and verbally.
8) If you think working out is boring, then you should try the Obstacle Course. It really keeps you on your toes by asking you to perform fitness activities in order to get through the course. Some of these activities include stump jumping, side-to-sides, and running. There are also exercises you need to do in order to lower the hurdles so you can jump over them, such as squatting and lunging.
9) One of the best parts of this game is the Cardio Boxing, which includes sparring, jabbing, and dodging. It is a great way to release any aggression you may have. You can spar with a virtual partner or with a friend. This portion of the game does not require use of another EA Sports Active Accessory Kit. You only need two Wii remotes and nunchucks to spar with a friend.
10) By the time you get to the cool-down activities, your energy may already be spent. These activities are not just stretches, but include exercises like Curl-Ups.
11) When your routine is complete you will get feedback from your virtual trainer along with a summary of how many calories your burned and how far you've gone towards your goals. You also receive virtual trophies for certain accomplishments, such as reaching the mark of burning 100 calories.
12) This game can also be used by children. The holster comes with extra Velcro to help secure the leg band onto a smaller thigh.
13) Our 6yr old son wholeheartedly agrees that Cardio Boxing is the most fun activity on this particular game, even more than water skiing.
14) The only suggestion for an improvement I have lies with the holster. We had problems with it not staying up during high impact activities. Perhaps the problem could be fixed if EA Sports added rubber grippers to the inside, similar to ones used inside strapless bras to help keep the undergarment from slipping.
15) This game also comes with a special edition book by Bob Greene titled The Best Life Diet, which includes selections from the other healthy lifestyle books he has written, including The Best Life Diet Cookbook. This book includes pages for a journal in the back to help you keep track of your fitness activities and food intake.
To learn more about EA Sports Active: More Workouts or other Wii fitness games, visit EASportsActive.com . You can find this game at most major retailers of Wii games, such as Amazon.com, Walmart, Best Buy, and GameStop.
Thank you to EA Sports for sending us a sample of this game and accessories kit free of charge to base this review upon. This review was written for a campaign for the Game Review Network.
