So much better than working out with Wii Fit. Just started the 30 day challenge and I am very impressed with the variety and intensity of the workout!

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EA Active has improved upon the Wii workout experience greatly. I own Wii Fit and several other cardio workout programs. All have an ability to make a simulated character and set specific goals. What Active does that no other program does is let you set your very own workout and then stack them up one after another so there is no waiting time between exercises like in the Wii Fit. You don't get scores for every segment but have a routine without stops and starts. In 20 minuntes, I could do 5 yoga moves on the Wii Fit. In 20 minutes, I can get a complete workout on Active.

I have had this for over a month now and find I really enjoy working out. I look forward to the combinations in the 30 day challenge and can add specific exercises in the custom workout section. This is a fantastic addition for someone like me who cannot do some types of exercise because of medical conditions (for me arthritis brought on by years of running and bad genetics). I am in shape, in my early 40's and lead a fairly active lifestyle. I simply cannot do every exercise. In the Wii Fit, I could avoid the running and hula hoop which left me only with the step section for cardio. I did step 176 times in one month trying to get at least 30 minutes of cardio. It became routine, monotonous, and didn't really get my heart pumping. With Active, there are so many options that don't involve running and jumping that I can have a varied workout experience and still get a great workout. It is a great feeling to need a shower when I finish.

Active suggests you take a rest day after 2 days of working out. I don't do this. I work out 5 days a week when I am in town, which is about every other week. This brings me to the only downside of the Active program. It is not meant for people who travel. Even though I exercise in hotels, the Active does not count this so I look sedentary on the graphs. I can add other exercise, it even encourages it, but it's meaningless in making your goals. I have learned to work around this by setting two week goals that include only time I am at home. For instance I set 8 workouts in 14 days. A future improvement would be better integration of multiple workout methods. If runners could add miles, weight lifters could add reps, and swimmers could log laps, it would be ideal.

If you have been working out with weights, even light ones, be prepared to buy your own resistance band. The one that comes with the game is not sufficiently challenging. A $10 band from Giam solved this easily. I am far from muscular but like having some real resistance without having to make layers of plastic banding on the floor like the video instructions. That's not the game's fault, making one band for every potential user is impossible. I like that they erred on the side of caution and make something that beginners will enjoy.

Give yourself a few days to learn the techniques behind the moves. I was frustrated the first few days when my movements didn't register. Learning where to point the Wii remote makes all the difference. I have read a few reviews where this was the main pain point. If you consider it a learning curve instead of a game weakness, you'll have a better experience. Just as we have to learn new strokes in swimming or gain proficiency in a new sport, this game takes a few days of doing it wrong before you get the hang of it. All said, it is much easier to learn than golf. :-)

If you have special needs, physical limitations, or strong preferences, this is a great game for you. Take time to get to know the system, check and uncheck exercises, make your own workout...don't be shy. The system is made for everyone. Make it yours and enjoy!

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I really enjoy this game. I've been trying to get back in shape and lose some weight so I decided to give this a try and loop it into my weekly work outs. I was very pleasantly surprised when I popped in the disc the first time! You can choose from a ton of preset workouts depending on how long you want to work out, what level of intensity you want, what part of your body you want to exercise (upper, lower, both, cardio, etc..) or you can customize your own workout. I was surprised mostly by how much i sweat while using this game. It really gets you moving by mixing cardio with strength exercises and some fun games like volleyball and baseball. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a true work out in the form of a Wii game.

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After reading the reviews I decided to buy EA and I was really excited to try it. Well, I did. And I am not excited anymore. The concept itself it is good, but it does not deliver. The use of the wii remote control and nunchuck it is a problem and it is a pain. And let me tell you, I use wii fitness pretty much five days a week, and I don't have problems holding the remote controls.

What happens is that with EA you are going to alternate between running and boxing and squats back and forth many times and depending on the what you doing you have to either hold the remote and have the nunchuck inserted in the leg strap or hold both the remote and nunchuck and the the resistance band and it makes things a little harder because you HAVE TO hold them in very specific positions and directions and if you slightly move it or if it slips a bit, you are going to have to stop your workout to adjust it. And that, my friends, can be really annoying!

Yes, it offers a nice selection of exercises and yes it can offer a nice workout and yes it can be fun, but it is not fun at all to stop in the middle of your workout many times to adjust the remote control in you hand.

I was also not impressed with the leg strap and with the resistance band either. I mean, they are nice props and it helps, but for the price I was expecting more, specially more functionality and less problems.

I hope they fix it. I'll wait.

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Love the real videos of the trainers, instead of a MI.

More customized exercises than WI Fit. Routines can fit into any schedule.

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I have been a gym rat for the last 20 years and consider myself to be in pretty good shape. However, after using the Wii Active for the last 2 1/2 weeks, I am feeling a difference in my body. I am using muscles I was not previously using at the gym. I currently still workout at the gym but I also regularly use and enjoy the different workouts with the Wii Active. I especially like the fact that I am able to customize my own workouts. The track and sports exercises are my favorite, along with the squat exercises. I do wish that abdominal exercises were included in the workouts. I highly recommend the Wii Active regardless of your current activity level. It will get you moving!

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Pros:

- Transitions from one exercise to the next (unlike Wii Fit, where you have to go back to the menu between each).

- Follows your movement (unlike My Fitness Coach, which is more like a DVD that changes up the exercises - while that is good, it gives no feedback on how you're doing).

- Exercises don't take up a lot of space, good for those with little kids who tend to walk right in the middle of grapevies and other such exercises.

- Balance board (while under-incorporated in the game) is incorporated in interesting and unique ways. Also, if you don't have one, it's okay, your workout will not suffer.

- Leg strap makes running in place easier to track than the Wii Fit (can anyone say, "You're not keeping a steady pace" ? Just because you pump your hands too much when you don't have pockets).

Cons :

- Could incorporate more stretching and yoga.

- Balance board is under-utilized (still useful and good where it is used, just that there could have been more uses for it, i.e. a hula hoop game).

In my opinion, pros far outweigh the cons, and it's worth EVERY penny. Best exercise/fitness "game" out there.

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I really like this program and I use it almost everyday. I'd say that I'm an intermediate level fitness-wise. I don't run marathon or anything, but I do exercise consistently usually at least an hour a day 4-5 times a week. Most of the fitness programs are about 30 minutes long, so I'll add them on before or after doing 30 minutes of cardio. I find I get a really good lower and upper body workout with this program. I like that you may do several sets of an exercise during the workout, but not all at the same time, its mixed up where you only end up doing 20 at a time so you don't get too bored with it. There are enough different programs that you can't predict what you'll be doing next, but not so many that you can't master the exercises. I am not a person who would be motivated to do several sets of lunges or squats on my own, so I find that having the program to lead me through it really helps to get me motivated and to get me to do it. There are also many of the routines you can use when working out with a friend which is also fun. I'll definately be buying the "More Workouts" program and would recommend this program to anyone regardless of age or fitness level.

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So far I'm enjoying working out with this . It takes some time to learn the movements but I like that they mix-up the execises.

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I've paid for a personal trainer for months and honestly this is just as good for a small fraction of the price and no gym membership or time wasted to get to the gym.

I'm over a week into the 30 day challenge and I'm loving it. Its a total body workout in little or no time and is just what I need (dropping over an inch the first week) which took a month at the gym to get same results.

I love the fact that the pre-defined and customized workouts spell out time, calories to burn, and what parts of the body are being worked out. It makes working out idiot proof and eliminates the reason I got a trainer (ie. variety, total body workout,and motivation).

I haven't had any issues with the controls other than not pausing which becomes quickly evident and I just bought a variety pack of resistance bands as my triceps aren't in as good as shape as my biceps so I need different bands anyway.

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I gave this to a friend as a gift. At Christmas I had given her the Fit program and she loves it. Now she is using 'Active' daily and can't say enough good about it. She likes the more powerful exercise that Active gives. My friend is somewhat overweight but is committed to being a healthier weight. Her eating habits are good but it was hard to find exercise that she enjoyed. The 'Gym' scene turns her off and it is difficult to take advantage of the exercises they offer as she has arthritis that can be quite painful. She can tailor make her routine with this game. I use the 'fit' program, as I am older than she and the Active games as more strenuous than I can do. Like my friend I also have arthritis, though mine is more advanced than hers. (Age can do that!). The designers at Nintendo should be considered for the Nobel Prize in medicine!

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I'm not the norm here. I'm over weight and have been working hard to loose the tonage. I borrowed a friend's copy of this game to try out in the privacy of my own home. Other than the leg band giving me fits... this game worked my butt off. I use the Wii Fit at least 3x weekly. But this game worked me until I was a sweaty mess. I loved it!!! I was sore for two days. I'm purching my own copy today. Do it, use it and get healthy!!! No pain, NO gain (or loss).

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This is surley a wonderful and workable game, it reallys does do what it says and its also alot of fun. If anyone once a good workout and a good sweat then this is the one to have EA Sports Active.

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I received this game, and the Wii fit package for Chritstmas, so I have a balance board. This is an awesome workout! I really sweat every time I do it. I love that you can create your own workouts and save them. There are soooooo many options that you can get a great workout every day, and never do the same things. I agree that you have to get used to having the remote and nunchuck in the proper position. I have never had a problem in with sensors. The band they give is too light, so I use a stronger band I already had. The only problem with that is it already had plastic hand holds on it, and they can get in the way. If you're going to buy a stronger/heavier band, get one without the plastic, tubular hand holds.

I really liked this game much, much better than the game that came with the Wii Fit package. That one was not as user-friendly, and didn't seem to have as many options.

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Pros

- Learns and gets harder and is not monotonous.

- Music is cool and diverse.

- The avatar on the screen actually moves around as the player (you) moves around.

- You really do get a very tough workout, and I am sore.

Cons

- The guy trainer is annoying as hell, and I had to switch to the woman. The woman is not "yo dude" annoying but she is kinda a b#tch when you do a routine wrong. But I guess that's what you need a personal trainer to be!

- The resistance band is wimpy and I may need to add weights or buy an add-on band to get it to where I think I should be.

- The balance board utilities are not that great and the game does not have the body monitoring / measuring tools that Wii Fit Plus does. I am thus still using Wii Fit Plus to do my daily weigh-in and BMI test.

- There are no "games" or "fun" things in the package. For those things - such as Island Cycling or Segway Mole Hunt - I switch back to the Wii Fitness Plus.

Oh, my other complaint about the EA Sports Active wii game is as follows. The woman in the instructional videos quite obviously has a much longer nunchuck cord than exists in reality. When she is holding the controller and the nunchuck in her hands, the cord seems to dangle down to about her crotch area. When I do the same stance with the IRL equipment, the cord rest right below my chest - much higher. My cord is shorter. The shortness of the cord does make doing some of the routines a bit tougher than the ease you see in the instructional video with her super-long cord. Some of this may be due to the fact that I'm a guy. But I am petit, so that cannot be that big of a factor.

Again though I complain, I am liking the workout and recommend it.

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