I got the EA Sports game, Active, for the Wii for Christmas this year.  I didn’t even crack the box until after New Years, of course.  I just finished day 3 of my first 30 Day Challenge.  And I must say, I really really like this game.

You answer some questions, enter your weight, and pick music style, and you’re up and running.  The game combines cardio with toning exercises to give you a good full-body work out.  It also adjusts the work outs for lower and upper body concentrations from day to day, to give muscles a rest.

I really like the variety of exercises in this game.  So far, the only thing I’ve done all 3 times I’ve worked out is walk/run in place.  The toning band included with the game is decent, though I’m sure I’ll need to buy a harder level in the near future.  Which is fine, as I can let my kids use the easier band when they work out with me.

So far, my only complaints are the leg strap and the sensor.  The leg strap either falls down, or if I wear it tight - it started to rip already.  I’ll be contacting the manufacturer about that one.  The sensor, though, is a bit annoying.  I have knee problems, so I can squat or lunge as low as most people.  But I can do a modified version, which is fine, right?  Wrong, according to the game.  It wants me deep, despite my status as a “beginner” and my weight.  You’d think it would work up to a full squat during the challenge.  I’ve fixed this by taking the one remote out of the holster on my leg and “faking” the full bend position in mid-air while doing my modified squats and lunges.

Otherwise, this is a really nice all around trainer.  It’s not just a static work out - you do different exercises each time you turn on the game.  And to me, that’s perfect - boredom is a big problem for most people starting out a work out regimen.