EA Sports Active

My husband bought me every Wii workout game made and this is the best. I am in the middle of the 30 day challenge. The variety is great. My only complaint is that the exercise band does not challenge me much--so I use some resistance bands that I already had to make it harder on some moves. Sometimes I wish the nunchuck was wireless, because holding 2 things in each hand is challenging enough without worrying about the wire in the middle. Other than that--I really like this game! I will be buying the "more workouts" addition soon!

This is a great product! I know people who have both the Wii Active and the Wii Fit, and they say the Wii Active is better. I've been using this "game" for about 2 weeks and I am still on low intensity. It really works you out! Sometimes it can be frustrating when the remotes aren't correcly sensed, but for the most part, this isn't an issue. The only thing I would change about this product, is to add more dyna bands (the big rubber band). They come in different resistance levels, so it would be nice to be able to increase the intensity of the arm excercises. Also, make sure you tie it really tight to the handles, because it will snap apart if you don't. I signed up for Amazon's credit card, so I got this product for $16.99. All around, a great deal!

I read many reviews before purchasing this one and taking into account the main complaints was the the leg strap falling. I decided to go for it because I wanted something more than what the wii fit offered. I wore sweats for my first two workouts and I could sympathize with others having the leg strap fall. Very annoying! So I went shopping and bought a pair of Fila nylon leg hugging capris that didn't have any bulk like my sweats had. Boy did that make a big difference and I was able to take advantage of the exercise program. I have hurt shoulder so I couldn't do many of the band exercises for the arms so I created my own workouts that don't involve the band or I do them without the band. I love this and I also bought the More EA Sports Active. I love the step aerobics on the second one. I love the different levels. Two Thumbs UP! One more thing. I haven't exercised for a year and this was really easy to fit into my schedule and I look forward to my workouts/.

Just finishing up my 30 day workout. I've lost 15 pounds and 2 waist sizes. Great workout for a beginner. You basicly get what you put into it. Can't understand how people are having problems with it(they must not be that motivated!)Overall a great product, but you need to replace the flimsy resistence band with a much stronger one.

Pros:

Easy to use. I recommend doing the 30 day challenge to familiarize yourself with the various exercises available with the game.

Easy to create you own customized workout. I did this after completing the 30 day challenge, once I figured out what I liked/didn't like.

Wide variety of pre-canned workout routines. What is really nice is the variety, both in terms of length, intensity and focus (i.e. you can do low impact, upper body, lower body, etc etc).

Cons:

Doesn't pick up your movements, with certain exercises in particular. Like bicep curls - I curl, I wait and after holding your hand in the curl position, it is still not picking up the fact you are doing it right. Additionally, once it thinks you are doing the exercise wrong it can take a LONG time for it to determine that you have actually corrected your position.

Workaround: just finish the exercise without paying attention to the screen and select SKIP. You can skip an exercise by pushing the + and selecting skip.

Annoying trainer 'encouragement' and criticism. The criticism is particularly annoying when you are actually doing the exercise correctly.

Workaround: put the TV on mute and put on your own music. After you've completed the 30 day challenge you really don't need the trainer tips anymore and your own music will be far preferable to the rather boring music that comes with the game. Best of all - no annoying trainer dialog!!

Leg strap is somewhat uncomfortable. Unless you really cinch it tight, it falls off when running.

Workaround: put the nunchuck down your pants! I know this sounds stupid, but if you are wearing legging type workout bottoms, just put the nunchuk on your leg under the pant. It is far more comfortable.

Resistance band - offers almost no resistance.

Workaround: buy better resistance bands. Then buy a couple of carabiners and connect the handles that come with the game to your purchased resistance bands. Reason being, it is extremely awkward to hold the wii remote and nunchuk with the plastic tubing that comes on most resistance bands but if you attach the handles that came with the game, it is much more comfortable. Still not great - I still find it a bit uncomfortable to deal with the remotes plus resistance bands.

I really bought this for the cardio boxing based upon reviews. I'm the kind of person who tends to buy the workout videos and just never use them cause they are such a chore. But I really like the boxing on this and the dance turned out nice as well which was a surprise to me (I'm normally not much of a dance fan).
If you are seriously into boxing or dance then probably best not to bother but if you want something that will get you up and moving and is fun I do recommend this. Only thing I find irritating is that you can't seem to turn off the instructions in between each set.

So far, I have really enjoyed EA Active. I don't enjoy working out, so it's hard for me to find something to stick with. I was also nervous that this workout was goign to be boring, but that has not been the case. I have stuck with this workout longer than most. I realy enjoy the 30 day preset workouts. It's something a bit different each day, yet it still doesn't feel overwhelming. I'm pretty out of shape, but I leave each work out feeling like I've done something which is usually followed by a day being pretty sore. My past work outs were strictly aerobic, but this one works everything.

I do have a few complaints though...

1. I'm a pretty tall and lanky person, so the leg strap does not stay very well. I've found that I've needed to wear leggings or somtehing tighter to my skin instead of my preferred sweat pants.

2. During arm exercises involving both remotes and the resistance band, I often feel like the game reads the wii remote too sensitively and it often gets "stuck." It doesn't want to register my crunches so I find myself redoing them more times than needed. I think the game is too picky about how the wii remote is held for each exercise.

I own 4 or 5 wii workout games and this one is definitey my favorite. I think it has given me the most results and is easiest to stick to.

GREAT workouts. The instructions are easy to follow. Make sure your batteries are in good shape in your controller or they say you are moving too much

I don't have much time to leave the house to go to the gym being a stay at home mom of 2 boys 3yrs and younger so my husband got this game for me in order to work out while at home. I completed the 30 day challenge on Easy intensity and have started over on Medium. I definitely get a workout from it. I have been sore for over a month of using it and I love it because I know it's doing me good.
The only probs I have with this game is the cardio is lacking. There's only running (which can be intense so it's not so much a complaint) and dancing. The dancing I find to be absolutely pointless. I'd much rather do the running. Even with the balance board I can't stand the dancing. There's no workout to it at all for me.
That and I'm mostly getting a lower body workout from it. I bought different resistance bands because the little rubber band that comes with it was doing nothing for me, even on easy. But even still, the workouts are more for the lower body than upper body unless you customize the workouts yourself strictly for upper body. I set up a custom workout that has nothing but upper body and the boxing that I do right after finishing my workout for the 30 day challenge. I'm going to be investing in the new EA Sports Active game. Hopefully it'll add to my workout.
Overall I gave it 4 stars. It would get 5 if it did just as much for upper body as it does for lower.

If you are looking to sweat, work hard but have fun - this is the work out for you! 1 caveat: make sure the nunchuk is in the holder correctly or it won't register your movements accurately.

This is the best work out video. I was nervous about spending the $50 for this game but since it didn't require anything except the numchuck and remote I went on ahead and bought it. It was amazing and well worth the price.
It has a detailed journal that keeps track of your calories burned, work outs and also gives you advice on how to eat and what to drink. I can't go through everything as there is to much but when they say you have a personal trainer with this game they aren't lying.
I am about a hundred pounds overweight and don't do much working out obviously. I am on a mission to lose weight and this whupped my butt in a good way. You wont regret it!!

This program is fun, however, it is geared more for younger people. It doesn't allow for older adults who may not want to kick box or do jumping alternating crunches.

I am a mom of 2 and have been trying to get some workout in at home. I thought this would be very challenging. The upper body workout is not challenging at all and there is no ab workout. With in a week of using this the resistant band broke. I thought I would just return it since I barely even used it. I was told that I could only exchange for another one. I was not happy about that. I would not get this item again if I had the choice.

EA Sports Active is a great workout game. It can be set to 3 different levels, Easy, Medium and Hard. The 30 Day Challenge is a gradual, comfortable way to get in shape. You can turn the volume off and workout to your own music. All instructions are demonstrated visually on screen. There are over 50 different routines which keeps things interesting. The actual games like tennis, baseball, basketball and boxing are especially fun. You don't have to get weighed everyday like with Wii Fit. It allows for rest days. I was able to quit my gym membership and stay home to work out. The only weaknesses are that it doesn't work the abs and sometimes the controls don't work perfectly. It really is like having your own personal trainer at home!

I have purchased the Wii Fit, Jillian Michael's Fitness Ultimatum, and some others, and the EA Sports Active is by far the best workout. unlike the other games, you can either select a preprogrammed workout or create your own, and there is little to no downtime between exercises. it is a better workout overall, and is a great way to view and maintain goals, including lifestyle and eating habits. I am addicted!

I think this game is great in theory, but it wasn't well implemented, particularly with regard to the controls. The leg strap falls off too easily. It's difficult to get the game to recognize your movements unless you hold the controller just so or have it just perfectly positioned in the pocket of the leg strap. The resistance band is chintzy and weak. I found myself struggling more with controls, the strap, and the band then with the actual workout.

While Wii Fit is fun...this is a WORKOUT! I've tried most of the workout games and come back to EA Sports Active for a real workout. I've got EA sports active more workouts too - both of are fabulous! Definitely worth the money.

PROS:
A great work out!
Easy to follow directions

CONS:
Almost no ab workout (need to get more workouts for that)
resistance band is pretty weak

I love the idea, and for the most part, This is a great tool to use. The variety of workouts, and especially in the 30 day challenge routines are fun, keep you interested and time just flies by...for the most part. However, the game/balance bar seems to struggle to register movements. For example, even with everything set up perfectly, using video guidance to be sure, lunges are not registered, and even between each one, it tells you to stand still, or pauses for an unnecessarily long time. That shows that the system/accelerometer in the remotes are not working properly. On the other hand, when doing arm exercises, there are false swings and punches even with just the smallest movements of your hands.

In short, the accelerometers in the numchuk and remote do not interact well with the EA Active game. If they did, this would definitely be a 5-star product.

Also, the resistance band that comes with the game might as well be non-existent. It is so elastic and weak that I actually just bought a resistance tube to replace it, since I felt no results using the band that comes stock.

I got this for my birthday and all I can say is wow...I decided to get it because I honestly cannot afford a gym membership but needed to do something about my level of fitness. I really really enjoyed having a personal trainer that will tell me what to do and whether or not I was doing it correctly. I also enjoyed the variation in the exercises...I am doing the 30 day challenge for three days now on medium and yesterday I had problems walking because my legs were sore...Lol that's a wake up call for me and a sign that I'm going in the right direction.
The only thing I didn't like was that I did not tie the resistance band right and almost punched myself in the face on the first day LOL so I went to Target and got a resistance band and fixed that issue...Also, when I am running it does not clock me as running and will sometimes say that I am running perfect and then say that I am running too slow when I am running the same pace...
Other than that it's wonderful! And if you are looking to start a workout plan or continue one this is the way to go!

I am a Wii Fit fan, but being kind of a fitness buff, Wii Fit seems so game-ish. I still use it and enjoy it, but I wanted something that would build a routine and mix it up a bit more, not to mention make me work up a decent sweat.

The EA Active 30-day challenge is outstanding. Yes, it is a little clunky going from one exercise to the next with the leg strap and resistance band, but once you are in the exercise, the game keeps your form accurate and forces you to slow down and feel the burn a bit more. No more rushing thru the last 2-3 reps. If you want to "graduate" from Wii Fit, this is the place.

I started this on the 30 day challenge. I wanted to try the challenge before I went in an customized my workouts. Being not as active as I should be I should have started with customizing the workouts due to being as sore as I was after completing the first day then waited a week before trying again. I love this game but as a suggestion to people like me who are not as active should test out the excersises and workup to doing a 30 day challenge. Great game and it does not feel like I am doing as much work as I actually am.

This was fun, but ended up having to buy the motion sense a few weeks later, I would be in the middle o my workout and it would act as though it wasn't recognizing my movements. There were times I was trying to get it to recognize I've done the exercise exactly as show with hands in the same position, and it was telling me I wasn't doing it right!

Other than that, it is fun.

I think this is a great product for those days when your not able to get to the gym. I do not use it as my primary form of exercise but I do enjoy having it for when I don't want to go to the gym. It is a very god leg workout (the lunges and squats) but the arm band is a little weak but I heard you can purchase I new one. Overall, this is a good game.

I bought this game and played it a couple times, then let it sit on the shelf for almost a year. I finally got it back out after my holiday bulge was getting out of hand. I completed my 30 day challenge, and am down 6 pounds. I started on easy, but moved up to medium after a couple days. I also bought a new resistance tube because the one that comes with the game is a joke. Never once did I "uncheck" an exercise when I looked at my scheduled routine for the day.
I really like that there is a number of reps they make you do. If I were doing these exercises on my own, I probably would do about half the reps. I worked, I sweated, my muscles ached. And I feel better now than I have in a long time. I plan on starting another 30 day challenge on hard very soon.

This game is better than the wii fit and more exciting. You feel a burn and a good sweat after each and every workout session!

I am currently doing the 30 day workout challenge with this "game". I would give it a higher rating except for a couple of issues. Some of the exercises "stick". Even though I am doing them correctly, they just won't register. When I do the kick-ups and am supposed to speed up, it doesn't register that I am going faster. I thought he icon for me would reflect what I'm doing, but that isn't the case. This morning, I forgot to remove the numchuk from the holder and the game registered me as doing a rep. My other gripe is that there are no exercises for strengthening the legs beyond squats and lunges. My weakness is my lower body and this is disappointing for that. I also wish it had more of the sports activities in the 30 day workout.

I just got the wii active yesterday! I was also a little skeptical. I did the cardio "EASY" It almost kicked my butt. I was sore all over and felt it was a great workout. I did have some trouble getting out of bed this morning from my sore legs but I did a custom 30 workout today and Again feel great! I think this one I will stick with for quite a while. I love the sports and especially the boxing...the running is pretty cool too! I will recommend this to any of my friends who ask.I am very pleased.

Short and sweet, this game is actually a workout. We love playing with our Wii Fit, but truly that is more game fun. This is a workout. I wasn't paying attention apparently that the leg strap should go on your right leg, and so the game was not reading what I was doing! I finally got it, aha, and it worked then! Silly me. As long as you have the leg strap on the correct leg, and the nunchuk facing the correct way, you are good to go! My legs were definitely sore the next day. I highly recommend going with the 30 day challenge. It keeps you on track, and if you don't have a lot of time to play around with the settings, it will create a program for you. Worth every penny.

Unless I just haven't gotten into it far enough, this game is pure exercise. I haven't found anything "fun". If you are not in good shape, which I am not, it is a very challenging work out.

I have previously tried the Wii Fit and Jillian's Fitness Ultimatum. Wii Fit was fun but not much of a workout. And Jillian's? Well, without reviewing it separately here, let's just say is the worst Wii creation ever.

I've finished the 30 day challenge and do feel a difference in my tone. Not my weight, yet, but I'm firmer. It can be a good workout. I had previously been in very good shape (okay about 7 years ago), but my age (39) caught up with me. With this background I found even the "difficult" level of most exercises only somewhat challenging. The band is a joke of a resistance tool, but I bought other bands that worked fine.

Some workouts I find tedious, but necessary (i.e. track work, jumps squats, and lunges). Others I wish there were about three levels higher (dance, most sports, the rate of the upper body exercises). I'm not bored, but I'm looking forward to trying the new exercise pack; mostly because I need to be pushed harder.

A final thought, and I feel this is very important.....THERE IS NO LEFT-HANDED SETTING! I can only do things right-handed with two downfalls --(1) I am weaker on that side and (2) I am not developing my sports prowess on my strong side. Aren't there any other lefties out there than feel a bit discriminated against!?!

This is a very personal trainer type of game -- you are told to do this and do that, for a dozen exercise... i know, if I can do them, I will be fit, but since it is not so fun, if I have the discipline to stick to this training, I can also go biking and do weights every other day, and that gave me fantastic results too.

Maybe because I am a guy, I don't like to be told to do this and do that repeatedly. I would rather play the games on Wii Fit Plus, because it is fun, I need no other incentive to play it. And any exercise for 30 minutes a day can make me fit. Maybe the "specialized" training can have better results, but if it is not fun, then I won't do it, and there won't even be any result.

Having a video game that helps you work out is a great motivating concept. But I don't enjoy doing the workouts on this video. If you start the 30 day fitness program, then the 15 or so exercises that you do everyday alternate constantly between those you do with the numchuck in the leg pouch (which by the way has such a small pocket that I think it will soon break the numchuck putting it in and taking it out), those you do with the numchuck in your left hand, and those that you do with and without the elastic band. Constantly having to move the numchuck around and pick up and put down the elastic strap is enough of a pain. But then in addition your hands must be EXACTLY positioned during each moment of the exercise for the Wii to be able to see if you are doing it right. If, for example, you don't twist your wrist in just the right way during a certain moment in the exercise, then your exercise "leader" will assume you don't know what you are doing and will just wait for you while some messages appear on your screen telling you various hints on how to get in position. All that starting and stopping and false messaging about whether you are doing it right is distracting and demotivating.

So while you COULD get fit doing these exercises, it is infinitely easier just to turn the Wii off and exercise on your own.

I've worked out five times so far for the 30-day challenge and this game has whooped me. I'm happy this is providing a challenge. :-) However, one thing bothering me is the limitation of the stock nunchuck to wii-mote cable length during some exercises. I'm 6'5" and during a few of the exercises, I can't get a full extension with my arms for good form which partially defeats the purpose of this. I'll be shopping for a few 1-meter cable extensions on the bay. Otherwise, a great product. :-)

This is a great workout "Game". My wife and I are two weeks into the 30 day challenge and we love it. I always follow up with a bike ride after my workout.

While it is a great workout "game" there are a few things I need to mention:
(I want to say that I am NOT a professional trainer and am reviewing this as the average consumer.)

1. Resistance bands are horrible. 4 days into our 30 day challenge, the band tore. I need to send an email to EA to see if they will replace it since it is still within warranty. We use our own resistance bands but had to change the handles to the ones that came with the game because holding the remotes in your hand with the traditional handles on a resistance band is very difficult. Our resistance band also offers more resistance than the one that came with EA Active.

2. The Wii mote calibration is way off. It will say to "stand still" and I am holding perfectly still! When lunging to the left, I have to shake the nunchuk on my right leg in order for it to register my move. Very annoying.

3. No true abdominal workout, but we also got the EA Active More Workouts and it has more of a focus on the abs.

Other than these minor issues, we love it. If you do it right, you will be sweating after your workout! I do like how you can choose how extreme you want to go on your workout before you start each day.

If you combine this with Wii Fit Plus, this is a really fun way to work out and have fun doing it!

I don't have too much to say that hasn't already been said, I bought this today when I was at best buy just looking for a new game for the Wii my boyfriend and I bought ourselves for xmas. It seemed interesting enough and well it is. Luckily I can play with a friend or he'd be without the Wii totally. Anyway the only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the crappy resistance band that came with it. Luckily I have my own but if the game senses even the slightest amount of trembling or shaking it will make you redo the rep which i think is kind of ridiculous. Also, I'm left handed and there is no option for lefties...i know we're the "minority" but there should at least be an option like in the Wii sports and stuff. Playing the baseball and trying to "throw" with my right was just all kinds of off. But other than that this is a great addition to the games we have for our Wii.

So far I have enjoyed this game. However, it needs to have an option for the lefties. I have to do some of the exercises backwards. When it says left hand, I have to use the right and do it in reverse. Need to put this option in. Otherwise, this is a good workout.

Fun game, but system does not pick up each body movement - which makes it very frustrating to continue.

The game is fun you do get a little sweaty depending on which drills you do overall it a fun game. I wouldn't substitute it for my gym membership but great for those days where you didn't make it in for your workout.

I was pleasantly surprised by this game -- I was actually sore after the first few workouts! I definitely recommend it to anyone who has little time to fit in a fitness routine. There is plenty of variety in the workouts. I haven't finished the 30-day challenge yet, so I'll need to wait and see if there's some structure to the workout sequences after that. A great game!

I have never been much of a fitness guru, so I really needed something to motivate me. I am halfway through the 30-day challenge and I haven't missed a day yet. Might not seem impressive, but if you knew how much I hated to exercise, you'd be impressed. Is it "perfect" -- probably not for everyone, but it's working for me!

My sister gave me her copy of this game that she won. Overall, I think that it is middle of the road for what it is. It didn't come with the balance board so I used a BOSU trainer to do the walking and running which made it a little more challenging and added a balance aspect to it. I set it to the most difficult level on the 30 day challenge and found that the workouts were a little too easy for me. Of course I have somewhat of a background in strength training and an extensive background in cardio training (running specifically). I consider myself to be in decent shape. I can run for at least 45 minutes at a slow pace (5.0-5.5 mph) with no problem.

However, I still had fun doing the workouts and found that I did get somewhat of a decent workout. The parts that made it too easy for me are the sports parts and the resistance band. The cardio training in the sports (volleyball, tennis, boxing, etc) were not enough movement to get my heart rate up to a decent level. On the other hand, the running, squatting, lunging parts gave me a better cardio workout.

I found the red resistance band that comes with it to be easy for me. It was definitely way too easy for my husband. I went and got heavier bands to do the workouts with. During the strength training workouts with the band, it was annoying when the Wii remote didn't pick up the movement correctly so I would need to sit around until it registered correctly. I don't know if anyone else had that issue.

The music that goes along with the workouts is mediocre. I am a huge fan of good workout music so I wasn't impressed by the selection of music that came with this.

For the capabilities of the Wii, I think that a better game could be made. If either my sister or I had paid money for the game, I think that I would have been more disappointed. Overall, the game is mediocre. It does the job adequately and no more.

I finally found a reason to quit my gym membership. I've been going for 9 years now and I'm tired of the atmosphere. I bought EA Sports Active over the summer and have been using it for 4 1/2 months now without fail. I really enjoy being able to get a good workout at home. This combined with good diet is a nice way to create a routine you can stick to in order to lose some weight and strengthen lower and upper body. It's also a nice way to track diet and eating/sleeping habits. My only complaint is that the music gets a little annoying after awhile as does the trainer's encouragement, but the volume can just be turned down. If you have bad knees, this is not for you. The jumping squats and lunges can be very high impact. Great way to see results quickly though. I'm excited to snowboard this winter now that I feel like I have much better lower body strength.

If you find the resistance band is too weak for you, you can order stronger bands in 6 yard rolls online for very little money and make your workouts harder.

I think this is a good workout and there are enough options to keep you interested. I like the fact that you can earn various levels of awards each day, which incorporate questions about how healthy you ate in the last 24 hours. However, my major gripe with this game is that it is hard to hold the resistance band and the Wii controller/nunchuck at the same time. It's rather uncomfortable. And every time I do bicep curls, the game has trouble registering that I did them unless the controller is facing a certain way exactly, which can be very frustrating. There is a new Wii motion detection device I guess--not sure if that might help with the problem--but then you're spending an extra $20.

It seems that no matter what exercise regime I chose, what day it was on my 30-day plan all I did was lunge after lunge after lunge. The game should really be called EA Sports Lunge. After using the program for two weeks I woke up one morning and my knees now make a very loud "click" when I walk up stairs and are very stiff. Now, far be it from me to argue the quality of lunges but for pete's sake, why so many? I'm most unhappy with this product since if I took the lunges OUT of the regimes I'd be doing 3 exercises and be done in 5 minutes.

All of the positive reviews really hyped me up for this but no one really mentioned the lunges. Besides, squatting would be slightly more productive anyway.

I get so sore! I have a difficult time motivating myself to exercise because I get bored. I decided it would be fun to try either the Biggest Loser or EA Sports wii game and I'm so glad I decided to get this one. I like it much more than I had imagined. I have had this game for 2 weeks now and I still enjoy using it everyday! I'm definately getting a workout and I'm only on the easy settings. My favorite is the target boxing! I would really like to get the EA Sports Active: More Workouts as this game does not have the cool down and the ab work that I think is important. I would definately recommend this game to anyone who wants to have a fun workout at home. My 10 year old son and 13 year old daughter love it too!

Plastic band is very cheaply made. Leg cuff to hold numchuk falls down easily.

Going from band to sticking numchuk into cuff is crazy. Oh wait. Let me put my band down while I put the numchuk into the cuff. Perform exercise. Then it switches back to a band exercise. Oh wait again while I take out the numchuk and get the band and put it on the floor and step on it to perform next exercise.

Constantly have to stop, wait and stand still for the instructor because the program does not sense motion properly when a rep has been performed correctly.

I was somewhat hesitant to buy this product. I have the Wii Fit which I was severly disappointed with. However, the price was lower (while still somewhat expensive), and I was curious to see how everything worked. So I made the purchase. The game was easy to set up and get used to and the workouts challenging. I am an active college student, and I thought I was in shape. This game is kicking my butt! You really do get what the box promises- a real workout for those of us who would rather not work out in a gym. I am proceeding with the 30 day challenge and am finding it fun, challenging, and motivating. I look forward every day to working out and enjoy doing more active things so I can put them in my journal. Unlike the Wii Fit, you can workout with others, which makes it even more fun and competitive. I like how each day the workouts are changed up for you. There is a ton to do and you will see real results! Your body will thank you- I definitely reccomend this game!

I wanted to get back into exercising regularly, and this has been a great help. The program seems like a much better workout in general than the Wii Fit program (though there are still exercises in Wii Fit that I really enjoy). The 30 day challenge is great - it gives you a schedule, but is also flexible enough (putting in rest days) so that it can be made to fit even a busy schedule. There are three levels for this, so you can start out easy (if I can do it, anyone can), and it is possible to skip certain exercises if needed.

Besides the 30 day challenge, it's also possible to select a workout, or create your own from the variety of exercises offered.
Unlike Wii Fit, these feel like "real" exercises. There is running, dancing, squats, lunges, and many arm exercises as well. The sports exercises (basketball, baseball, volleyball, etc) add nice variety.
The balance board can be used, but this is not required. I don't think that not having the board is a great detriment with this program.

The few cons - the resistance band is pretty weak, and I'm not in good shape by any means. I would think almost everyone would want to invest in one that offers a bit more resistance, but I think these are fairly cheap.
And occasionally, the program didn't register a movement, and it was frustrating to repeatedly be told to hold still when I *was* holding still, but generally when this happened, changing the grip on the controller would solve the problem.

Overall, I highly recommend this, and I see this as something that we'll be using for a long time. We've finished the 30 day program, and my husband will repeat this, while I'll be making up my own workouts.

This game is so good but the strap could be bigger...also it slips off the thigh

EA Sports active is like going to a gym. I was sore for a couple of days after my first workout.
Just like the last time I joined a gym. It can be an intense workout(if you chose).So far this is a great product!