My Final Thoughts on the EA Sports Active

22 June 2009 No Comment

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and EA Sports Active for the Wii

One month ago, I started the EA Sports Active 30 day Challenge.

I wish I’d taken measurements like some of my fellow BlogHer reviewers, because I think there would be an appreciable difference between then and now.

Alas, hindsight is 20/20. I can tell you that I’ve lost 13 pounds, despite the fact that I’m working out every other day and I had to take a few extra days off. And that I haven’t changed my eating habits at all, and I’ve been imbibing in birthday cake and other less than healthy treats.

There are things I love about the EA Sports Active, and there are things I found annoying.

What I Love About EA Sports Active

I can do it. Is there a bigger pro than that? I can do it, and I like to do it.

It doesn’t take too long to do. Most of my workouts have come in under 30 minutes from start to finish.

The exercises are easy for me to figure out. Each one is prefaced with a trainer modeling that movements, so I was able to figure out what I was supposed to do with a minimum of confusion.

I can work out in the comfort of my own home. When a person is as overweight as I am, they might feel self conscious to be at the gym or exercising out in public. I get very sweaty when I work out, and I get all embarrassed if people I know see me all red-faced and soaked with sweat. I don’t want them to pat me on the back. I just want to work out in the privacy of my living room.

Every day is a different workout. Some days are easier and some days are crazy hard very challenging. I’ve not ever found the workouts to be tedious or boring, even when I see the same activity a few days in a row.

The Wii Fit board makes the EA Sports Active more interesting and more challenging, but the board is not at all necessary to using and loving the program.

What I Don’t Love About EA Sports Active

On some of the exercises, I have to hold the Wiimote, the Nunchuk, and the two handles of the resistance band in my hands. I’m not the most coordinated person, and this feels a little cumbersome.

On some of those same exercises, I have to hold the Wiimote and the Nunchuk over my head and lift and lower them. The cord between them is a pain in the chin at that point. It’s always getting caught on something. Like my nose.

I have a latex allergy, so it would be nice if the resistance band was available in a latex-free version. In fairness, I never requested one. When I was afraid that the leg band was too small, I was able to request a new larger one. EA Sports has been very accommodating to me in this regard.

The Last Word on EA Sports Active

In the end, I’d still recommend it to my friends, and I’d still buy it if I hadn’t gotten one for free. (They aren’t paying me to say that; I really would have purchased it on my own if I hadn’t been asked to do this review.)