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EA Sports Active – Can You Do It? Yes You Can!

Christy — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:13:26 +0000

I’m going to put it out there and say that I have to be one of the least fit people that I know. I hate to exercise, I’m not really into sports and I’m incredibly uncoordinated. If you don’t believe me, my physical therapist (muscle spasm in my back/shoulder, apparently) told me yesterday that I have the strength of a kitten. He added, “Oh, I’m sure people think you’re stronger than you are, don’t they?” Which may be a new euphemism for being overweight and out of shape. That’s ok, I’m not having any delusions here.

The challenge is (and always has been, I suppose) that it’s much harder to get in shape if you’re really out of shape. The basic things you need to do become harder. When I try to start a fitness routine, I feel like I’m going to die after 5 minutes. I need a lower intensity starting point than is generally available so I can build up to where I need to be. When the perky aerobics lady says, “work through the burn,” I want to throw something at the TV. [And no, Super-Fit Readers, I will NOT go to a gym and have to work out next to you!] Lady, I’m giving it all I’ve got!

We got a Wii Fit for Christmas as a way to encourage me to work on my fitness level. And I love my Wii Fit, but I’m having two problems. First of all, the activities that I CAN do are generally not challenging enough for me (i.e. step aerobics). The hula hoop activity, which does provide a nice aerobic activity, is rough on my knees. I love the boxing, but you can only box the same moves so many times, you know? I need more of the strength building exercises as well, but most of them are just too far beyond my scope right now.

So, I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my EA Sports Active. I’m sure the lovely ladies at EA Sports would agree that I’m nothing if not eager! They kindly sent me a unit to review and it arrived today. With all of my excitement was a certain amount of trepidation that the activities would be too difficult for me, right off the bat. Nonetheless, I set up my gear and turned on the Wii. I didn’t have a lot of time to do a full routine (starting out, the intro videos for each exercise add to your time), so I set up a short customized routine with some activities that looked like fun but that would be easy on my back/shoulder (a la the aforementioned physical therapist). I set each and every activity to the “easy” level and assumed I would still struggle on each one.

And guess what? I did every single activity for the full duration. In fact, I was surprised when they were finished because I made it through without having to stop! My heart rate was up, I was starting to sweat and I could feel that I was getting a good work out, but I didn’t feel like I was going to die and I didn’t want to lay down on the floor in a ball (take that, Jillian!). I feel pretty confident, that when I start my full work-outs, I can put some of the activities up to the next level (some will definitely stay on easy… ahem… inline skating). There are harder levels and activities for those of you who are ready for something fierce, but it was nice to find a balanced workout that I could do!

So… to all of my fellow exercise haters, you can do it, too! If your knees or ankles bother you, there are still plenty of things you can do. If you can’t put a lot of stress on your shoulder, there are still things you can do. You can just skip those built-in routines and build your own. Heck, you can spend 30 minutes doing basketball drills if you want. [Obviously, you should talk to your Dr. before starting any new fitness routines and yada yada yada. I am CERTAINLY no fitness coach.]

I’ve got some more thoughts on my EA Sports Active, but I’ll post those separately. I’m also going to track my progress in a separate EA Sports Active category. It will help give me some accountability.

Join the EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge

Christy — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:26:06 +0000

In February I blogged about EA Sports Active, a fitness “game” for the Wii. Since then, EA Sports has invited 12 people to take part in the Sports Active 30 Day Challenge. The Challengers, who range from celebrities to the mom-next-door, took part in a weekend retreat where they received health and fitness tips from Oprah’s trainer, Bob Greene. With their newfound knowledge and a copy of EA Sports Active, they’ll spend 30 days getting stronger and healthier and they’ll blog about it along the way.

Now, I was a tad bit jealous about the whole thing… who wouldn’t want to spa weekend away and some help creating personal fitness goals? And then I saw that their measurements are posted for all to see on the site and decided that I should be happy to just create my own spa-like action here at home!

The good news for the rest of us is that EA Sports is going to issue us a challenge as well (and it allows us to keep our stats private). The Sports Active 30 Day Community Challenge will start on June 1. You can pre-order your EA Sports Active today, or buy it in stores on May 19. Better still, you can win one right here on Quirky Fusion!

Will Exergaming Win Out? EA Sports Thinks So

Christy — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:27:31 +0000

Last week I had the chance to see a demo of the new EA Sports Active. The “video game,” which will be available (for the Wii) on May 19th, is designed to add to the exergaming genre. Exergames are video games that require physical activity, such as the Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution. EA Sports active

Boxing with EA Sports Active Image Courtesy of EA Sports

takes exergaming to the next level by allowing the user to create customized workout routines that work the upper and lower body and employing resistance bands and a special thigh nunchuck holder to aid in the task. There are even plenty of cardio activities. You can do a ready-made workout, create your own, or take part in the “30 Day Challenge,” a series of 20 minute workouts that increase in intensity. EA Sports Active is expected to include a multiplayer option and some Wii Fit Balance Board compatibility. I can’t really do it justice, but the demo made me eager to try it out. That says something, since I hate working out!

While the Wii Fit pushed the envelope in the exergaming world, I believe that EA Sports Active might bring a new level of credibility in the field. I will, of course, reserve my final judgement until I have a copy on hand to try out, but here are some of the reasons why I believe exergaming is a great step towards slowing our obesity crisis in the US:

It’s fun
The exercise is guided, providing immediate feedback.
It’s less expensive than joining a gym or hiring a personal trainer.
It can be done in the convenience of your own home.
It can be done on your own time, even in the middle of the night (yes, oh wise balance board, I just may exercise in the middle of the night).
Getting a “score” or a certain measured result allows users to either work together towards a goal or challenge each other in a competition.
People can share the same workout experience without being in the same room or working out at the same time.
It’s easy to track your results over time.

There are, of course, some drawbacks. The biggest is the danger of injury that might occur if a person misunderstands the game instructions. Another that many people have experienced with the Wii Fit is the limitations on the experience due to the fixed nature of the software. In other words, once you’ve unlocked everything, and mastered it, there is little motivation to keep playing. EA Sports Active attempts to nip both of those in the bud. A virtual personal trainer gives detailed instructions for each exercise, as well as feedback on your form. Sure, you can still mess it up, but at least you’re starting with solid information. As for the limitations, they are still there, but with more than 20 different exercises, each available in dizzying degrees of difficulty and length, you can create nearly unlimited workouts. And, you can have them increase in intensity as you progress.

There are plenty of naysayers out there who seem to think that exergaming a gimmick. I say that it’s no more a gimmick than a gym membership, bike or exercise video. Not everyone has the time or money to head to the gym every day (ever try taking a couple of toddlers to the gym? yeah, didn’t think so) and not everyone enjoys the same types of activities. Exergaming isn’t going to be the best option for people who are already extremely fit, but it is another way of motivating those who need more exercise in their lives. Bring it on, EA Sports Active! Let’s see what you’ve got!