So I've been hearing a lot of buzz about Wii Active by EA Sports. I was getting rather tired of Wii Fit--as much as I enjoyed the 'game' aspect of it, how many times can you do Free Step without going totally crazy? Stepping up and down off the platform for 30 minutes is maddening, but it really was the only way to get a decent work out.When I hit 75 pounds, I decided I should reward myself and Wii Active immediately sprang to mind. Unlike Wii Fit, Wii Active is relatively easy to find and at my first stop, I was able to get a copy. I bought it Saturday and didn't get a chance to crack it open till Monday. I really didn't know what it was all about, but a friend on Facebook kept posting that she was getting quite a work out using it.
Active comes with a leg band for the nunchuck and a resistance band for arm exercises. When you log on, you create a fitness profile where you put in your height and weight, customize your avatar to look like you, and choose a personal trainer. That's right, I said choose a personal trainer. You can have either a male or female trainer (I chose the female for now), although I'm not really sure why other than the dude looks like a drill instructor and I thought the female would be a little more easy going. Ha ha, I laugh!
Then you can start. There is a 30 day challenge you can do, which exposes you to a variety of different exercises and customizes a workout for you. In addition, you can take daily quizzes and determine if what you're doing away from Active will be affecting your results (for instance, in the lifestyle quiz, it asks you how many sodas you've had to drink versus how many vegetables you've eaten). You can also add in any additional exercise you get away from Active, such as housework, gardening, walking, etc. If you fill out the entire diary each day AND do the corresponding work out, you get a series of trophies in your trophy case. It's funny, but it really does motivate you to do it!
The work outs themselves are strenuous. I have selected a low level of strenuousness not really knowing what I was getting into and am I ever glad I did! These first two days have kicked my butt! The activities include walking, running, lunges, squats, tennis, presses, curls, and more. Yesterday, my arms and knees felt like jelly. Today, my thighs are KILLING me.
The program almost shames you into working hard. It congratulates you when you're doing well, but when you are having trouble keeping a steady pace, it says things like, "Oh well, everyone has hiccups along the way"... I wanted to smash the TV in, as I was running when she said that, and I am not a runner, have never been a runner, and can't remember the last time I ran for any reason.
It gives you a SERIOUS work out--sweat pouring, heart pounding, muscles pushing, serious. I am very, very excited to see where the 30 days puts me out at when I've completed them. Some people are reporting losses of as much as 20 pounds. I'd take half that amount. As you are working, it keeps a running tally in the top corner of the screen of how many calories you've burned during the workout. Today I broke 200. Yesterday I did more than 175. Fantastic!
I'll continue to update as I learn more about this program. I admit, it's fun and it's nice to have instructional videos to show you what to do for each exercise so you do it properly. The only trouble I've had is the squats--my knees just really won't allow it. But you are able to skip any exercises you can't do, so that's nice.
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