Posted by Tula Karras on Wed, May 12, 2010
I don't get giddy with the release of a new iproduct. I don't fantasize about a camera with a bagillion more mega-somethings of functions. Frankly, if the Geeks invent one more piece of technology that I have to adopt, my brain will short-circuit. So initially, I wasn't thrilled about testing the Wii Active Personal Trainer. I'm content going to a three-dimensional gym and taking a class with a real-life instructor. But when the product arrived in the mail, I had to admit that it looked…cool. "What is this world of Wii?" I wondered as I studied the picture of the trim, powerful looking woman on the box. Will hooking myself up to a Wii world of movement motivate me to do things—cellulite-melting things—that I wouldn't stick with in real life? Perhaps….
"Jhoanna, hi. Can I come over and use your Wii?" I phoned a good friend whose 8-year-old, Ben is a wee Wii pro. "Sure, Ben can help you set it up." Whew, an on-site IT person. When I arrived, Ben hooked me up in a flash. I was outfitted with the Wii remote in my right hand and a comfortable strap around my right thigh, which housed a Wii nunchuk—it looks like a computer mouse—designed to "read" your movements (The nunchuk, which also functions as a controller, needs to be purchased separately; $14). I felt like I was about to perform a special opps mission. Luckily, I was easily able to customize my screen profile, or avatar (aka, a virtual version of you). Did I want to make my avatar a slim blond bombshell? Yes. But that felt like cheating, so I gave her my rounded hips and boring brown hair (which would have been highlighted blond if it weren't for a horrible colorist who gave me Cheeto-colored locks, which then forced me to dye it brown to get rid of the clown hair). I chose the easy 20-minute workout, which consisted of a series of exercises, including running, high kicks, lunges, and bicep curls with a resistance band. How was it? Check out my list of pros and cons!
THE PROS• You will get a workout. I'm in decent shape, and I was sweating at certain points. Let's just say that I would never do 40 lunges on my own, but I did them with this program. I also felt my heart rate go up during the run and high kicks portion.
• You can't really slack. It's one thing to follow an instructor on a video. But the advantage of Wii Active is that the nunchuk is "reading" your movement and will tell if you're not going fast enough, slow enough, or something-else-enough to get the maximum benefit. I discovered the magic of the all-knowing nunchuk during the lunges, when I wasn't dipping low enough to activate my muscles fully.
• The boxing ROCKS. The last part of the program had me punching targets, and I LOVED it! Who knew? It's a huge incentive for me to get a Wii Sports, which includes boxing, or try a boxing workout at my gym.
• The Post-Workout Results. Here's where Wii Active really shines. The program catalogs your performance, so you get to see your results. A graph pops up that compares your performance to "the ideal," which is calculated using a number of factors, including your age, gender, weight, height and goals. I did pretty good, but I could have done the workout with more gusto (I burned 86 calories, though the goal was 100).
• The 30-Day Challenge. The program offers a month-long challenge, which gradually increases in intensity and mixes up the workouts so you're targeting different muscle groups each day. The Best Life's very own Bob Greene makes an appearance to motivate you to get started, and you can incorporate the Wii Balance Board if you own one.
THE CONS• The voice track is a little corny. I appreciate positive feedback, but exclamations from the virtual trainer like "you are owning the track today" fell flat. At times, it felt like an elderly aunt was cheering me on from the sidelines.
• The resistance band moves could have been stronger. I've done resistance band workouts in the past that have got me sweating, but the moves in this program weren't challenging enough for me.
• The pacing. Some of the moves require that you remove the nunchuk and hold it in your hand, whereas other moves require you to slip it back into the strap. Removing and replacing the device interrupted the flow. This really isn't a con, though, because you can customize your workouts and determine the order of the exercises yourself so you only have to make the transition once.
• The soundtrack. Do you like 70's easy-listening disco/elevator music? Me neither. Again, not really a con because luckily, the program allows you to create your own playlist, which I strongly recommend.
Overall: 4 out of 5. For someone who doesn't have a lot of time or money/access to a gym, this is a great alternative to run-of-the-mill exercise videos. Plus, it allows you to keep track of your fitness, and reach new goals.
Posted by Bob Greene on Fri, May 22, 2009
I've always encouraged clients to be creative about fitness. When a business meeting runs late or your child is home sick from school, squeezing in your workout requires more flexibility and resourcefulness.
One option that's perfect for days like these: EA SPORTS Active, a personalized workout program for the Nintendo Wii game system. (Not familiar with Wii? It's an interactive video game; you stand in front of the screen, and using a handheld controller, you can watch your avatar, or game character, move along with your movements.) I recently teamed up with EA SPORTS to help develop this program, and I'm thrilled with the results. It features exercises that will improve strength, cardio, coordination, agility and balance. It includes 20 different strength exercises (from biceps curls to lunges to squats) as well as customizable cardio routines, which include a variety of activities like inline skating, walking/jogging, tennis, cardio boxing, basketball, volleyball and more.
All these options mean a better, more effective workout for you. Instead of sticking with one activity, say walking, and working only the muscles involved in this activity, you can target more muscles by choosing different activities. The result: You'll get a more complete workout, which will help you tone up all over, avoid injury and burn more calories.
There's even a 30-Day Challenge, which consists of circuits that change each day, automatically adjusting to your fitness level. The program will offer you feedback on your progress, and I'll also be giving you clear instruction on the various workouts as well as motivation and positive encouragement. For more information on the game, check out EA SPORTS Active.