EA Active vs. Wii Fit Plus

EA Active for Wii has introduced yet another workout alternative to cycling, and judging by how sore I am after three days, I'm loving the alternative. When will I have time to get back on the bike, considering my very real time limitations for working out?

After working out on Wii Fit and then Wii Fit Plus for almost every day starting in February when I dislocated my shoulder in a skiing accident, I'm absolutely convinced of the value of Wii as part of a personal fitness regimen. EA Active takes daily Wii to a new level. In Wii Fit Plus, even the most intensive combination of workouts get me burning just over 100 calories in 30 minutes, whereas EA Active allows me to burn over 200 calories in 30 minutes. It's not just the calories, however; EA Active has a much greater variety and range of exercises because of the use of the resistance band and nunchuck, and I'm convinced that I'm getting a much better all-around workout. Then there's the 30 day challenge, in which new exercises are introduced at a reasonable pace, and different muscle groups are targeted on different days, allowing those other sore muscles some down time for a day or so. Lots of jumping, running, leaping, bicep curls, kicks, cardio boxing, dancing, and my personal favorite, tennis. I love tennis so much that I created my own high-intensity tennis workout that lasts around 10 minutes and burns about 100 calories. I've done that tennis workout four times in two days! Who cares about the calories—this is the most fun I've ever had with Wii. Tennis in EA Active is surprisingly realistic and challenging, particularly the overhead smash.

The only frustration so far is when Wii doesn't seem to understand what my movements. Both Gail and I have experienced this problem. The other annoying thing is trying to simultaneously hold the resistance band handles and the Wiimote and nunchuck. Oh, and then there's learning the exercises properly and having the patience to sit through the introductory videos. Finally, there's the lame motivational component. "You OWN this exercise!" "You are poetry in motion!" The male workout companion sounds like a Canadian surfer dude transplant to SoCal. Just shut up already, dude. This isn't inspiration, it's intrusive and annoying. One more thing: the music sucks.

These small complaints aside, EA Active makes Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus seem like child's play. Don't get me wrong, I'll always love Wii Fit, but I don't anticipate using it for much more than the bicycling and a few other fun activities like downhill skiing and skateboarding, after the results derived from Wii Fit.