EA Sports Active for Nintendo Wii
About.com Rating
Updated May 01, 2014.
- Type: Exergame
- Platform: Nintendo Wii
- Equipment Included: Resistance band and leg strap to track lower body movements. Wii Remote and Nunchuk not included. Use your Wii Balance Board as well (also not included).
- Price: $59.99
- Fitness Level: Beg, Int, Adv
Your movements are recorded and shown on the screen for a truly interactive exercise experience.
How it Works
What makes EA Sports Active unique, aside from the fact that you can watch your virtual self workout right on the screen, are the accessories that record each exercise from start to finish. The leg strap (which holds the Nunchuk) senses lower body moves while the hand controllers sense upper body exercises. You (and your virtual self) follow the trainer on screen and, each time you finish a motion (such as curling the arms up), a chime sounds letting you know it's time for the next move (such as lowering the arms). Move too fast or hold the controllers incorrectly and your trainer gently scolds you. Move with a good rhythm and she praises you.
Getting Started
After creating a fitness profile and entering vital statistics, you can choose the 30-day program, do a preset workout or create your own workout. If you follow the 30-day program, you get a weekly schedule to follow (such as 5 workouts per week) and workouts that change each day.
You can choose the intensity (low, medium or high), whether you have a Wii Balance Board and the kind of music you like.
Before each workout, you can view the exercises with the option to delete any you don't want to do (although you can't add exercises to the pre-programmed workouts).
For motivation, you win trophies for reaching goals throughout the program and are scored based the workouts completed and other accomplishments -- eating your veggies, drinking water and being more active. Your score goes up when you do well (like getting 8 hours of sleep) and you get tips for things you need help with (such as your energy is low).
Stand Out Features
The Exercises
There are a variety of strength and cardio exercises included and they change each time you do a workout (if you're following the 30-day program). The upper body exercises include basics such as alternating biceps curls, shoulder presses, rows and kickbacks, all using the band. As you progress, the exercises get more challenging, such as biceps curls with overhead presses or rows with triceps extensions.
The lower body moves include squats, front lunges and side lunges and there's no added resistance for these exercises, so experienced exercisers may not be as challenged.
The cardio exercises include running on a track, punching targets or a heavy bag, inline skating with jumps and tennis, just to name a few. Some moves are done on the Wii Balance Board (like you step out to hit a tennis ball). The more challenging moves include squat jumps and lunge jumps, while the dance exercises, which involve a few arm movements, are more moderate.
Intensity
The intensity of your workout depends on the fitness level chosen, how hard you work and how conditioned you are. At the highest level, new exercisers may be challenged while advanced exercisers may find the workouts more moderate, although some moves can be intense. The strength training exercises are a good start for beginners but, eventually, most will need more resistance to keep progressing.
What I liked, besides the variety, were the calorie calculations shown after the workout. After comparing the number to my heart rate monitor, I found them to be surprisingly accurate.
The Experience
EA sports offers a fun, quality Wii-kout that will appeal to a wide range of exercisers and video gamers. The sensors work well for most exercises, although they're so responsive, it's easy to botch some of the exercises, even if you know what you're doing. You should take the time to watch all of the tutorial videos (which are available during the workout) so you know exactly how to hold the controllers. This does add time to your workouts, but you also have the option to watch the tutorials from the main menu instead of interrupting your workouts.
There are some exercises that get a bit tedious -- the system is slow to log the biceps curls as well as the side lunges and front lunges, but responds more quickly to most of the other exercises.
The music is nice background noise and the scenery makes the workout feel more realistic. You do squats in the park, run on a track with other exercisers and skate on a course while jumping in the air and doing tricks. The trainer coaches you throughout the workout, showing you how to do the exercises and offering encouragement while your virtual self mimics all of your movements on the screen.
Pros and Cons
- Variety – There are an abundance of exercises to choose from and you move from one exercise to another, which makes the workout more interesting. You can also try sports exercises such as basketball, baseball, volleyball, inline skating and tennis, although Wii Sports offers a more realistic simulation of these games.
- Responsiveness – The controllers are responsive to every move you make and it's fun to see your movements reflected by your virtual self.
- Motivation – If you follow the challenge, you can view your progress each day and see how far you’ve come. Winning trophies and scoring points each day keep you coming back to see if you can beat your previous scores.
- Challenge – Each day, your workouts change, offering new challenges and exercises.
- Great for unenthusiastic exercisers - The program is easy to follow and the exercises are fun, which may motivate non-exercisers to be more active on a regular basis.
Cons
I don't have many complaints about EA Sports, although the biggest drawback is the learning curve. For some exercises, it can be maddening figuring out how to hold the controllers correctly. If you don't hold them just right, your virtual self gets stuck and your trainer will yell at you. As you practice the more sensitive exercises, your movements become more natural over time.
