I got a jumpstart today on the “official” 30-Day Challenge at EA Sports Active online. I was eager to get started, so I decided to leap in with Workout #1 today. I did the workout on “Easy” mode, which typically just means fewer reps, since the Wii can’t really control the the resistance you’re working with. It was significantly harder than the quick workout I put together when I first tried it out, but I was still able to do the whole thing (with a minor exception… keep reading!).
The workout started right off the bat with a walk/run sequence. Yuck. I can’t begin to say how much I hate running. Fortunately, the next few exercises were more low-key and fun. In fact, that’s one of my favorite things about EA Sports Active – there is plenty of variety. If something comes up that you don’t like, you can be sure it won’t stick around for all that long. After the running, the hardest exercise for me so far is the inline skating. You spend most of it in a squat, until you have to jump in the air. Yikes! I don’t mind this one, though, because what’s going on on the screen is kind of fun. What killed me, though, was the final run sequence. First of all, it’s sneaky. It said it’s a walk/run sequence, but it’s like two minutes of running and 10 seconds of walking. Shady. This is the one exercise that I cheated on!
My favorite things so far about EA Sports Active:
- Variety! The combination of more traditional exercises with sports activities is fun and interesting
- Feedback. I love that my EA Sports Active avatar mirrors my movements on the screen.
- Motivation. Having used the snarky Wii Fit, it’s nice to have a “trainer” who tells you you’re doing a good job as you’re gasping for air!
- Customization. You can create your own workouts with different levels for each exercise. EA Sports Active tells you how many calories you’ll burn, how long it will take and which parts of the body are getting a workout.
- Multiplayer. Ok, I haven’t used this yet, but I love that you can work out with a friend, child or partner.
Some of the things I don’t like about it:
- The leg strap. It’s fine for squats, etc., but I can’t get it to stay up when I run. I end up having to move the Wii-mote to my left hand and hold the strap with my right. As if I didn’t hate running already! The strap should have small rubber grips on the back to help keep it in place.
- Mii. This is small, but I wish Miis were incorporated somehow. They probably wouldn’t work as a full-screen avatar, but I do miss my Mii when I’m using Sports Active.
- The resistance band. I know it’s a cost thing, but I wish it came with a few bands with different levels of resistance. It’s too weak (even for me) for most of the exercises and I’m having trouble getting the resistance up even by folding part of it over. Plus, some exercises require you to bend over or raise your arms higher. That changes the level of resistance significantly between exercises.
- Weight and the WiiFit Balance Board. Since EA Sports Active can interact with the Balance Board, I wish it would take your weight from there when enabled. It only asks for your weight when you first create a profile, but I still think it would be a useful feature.
And a few tips:
- Give yourself some time to understand how the game responds to your movements. Don’t expect it to be smooth sailing straight from the beginning.
- If you have trouble with your EA Sports Active recognizing your movements, watch the videos closely. The nunchuck has to be seated correctly in the leg strap. It’s been said over and over, but people still seem to struggle. You also have to note when to point the Wii-mote up or down vs. parallel to the floor.
- You can cheat on the running (at least on the easy level). I teased someone about this on Twitter the other day because cheating on your workout does seem a bit counterintuitive. But I should apologize because I did exactly the same thing! At the end of my workout today, I was ready to die. I wanted to walk, but I didn’t want my trainer yelling at me. I also didn’t want to just skip the end. A brisk walk worked for me in lieu of running (actually, it worked better with those leg strap issues) and was a better cool down for me anyway.
- Consider prepping for your workouts by watching the instructional videos in advance. This keeps your workout time down and prevents you from breaking your rhythm as you try to figure out a new exercise.
I am doing this as well, started it but kids had other plans so I will officially start the 30 day challenge a day late!! My sister is going to do it with me and I will be doing updates Friday on my blog!! How exciting so many are doing this!!