EA Sports Press Release from Electronic Arts

Do you find there are too few hours in the day to run a household, hold down a job and fit in a workout? Or, are you just getting bored of the same old fitness routine? EA SPORTS, a label of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced the development of EA SPORTS Active, an innovative new customizable and personalized fitness product that will get you motivated to move in the comfort of your home. EA SPORTS Active will launch exclusively for the Wii worldwide May 19th, 2009.

EA Sports Active Video Preview

Developed in collaboration with fitness experts, including Bob Greene - renowned exercise physiologist, author and Oprah's personal trainer - EA SPORTS Active is perfect for the whole family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS fitness and sports performance products in development to improve the well-being of people of all ages.

"EA SPORTS Active and our entrance into the fitness space is an exciting and groundbreaking milestone for EA SPORTS," said Peter Moore, president, EA SPORTS. "As we continue to expand our brand, we have a real opportunity to redefine the home fitness experience with a more Western cardiovascular approach and exercises that will appeal to a diverse audience, getting people off the couch and into shape while interacting with our products in a way never before possible. EA SPORTS Active costs less than a gym membership, it provides a variety of exercises unlike a one dimensional in-home fitness contraption, and it delivers an interactive experience that you don't get from a DVD - this is a true fitness revolution and a space in which we intend to be leaders."

EA SPORTS Active features a wide variety of interactive activities combined into a circuit that target both the upper and lower body as well as cardio, and supports two players to allow family or friends to get fit together. EA SPORTS Active provides a new level of motivation with on-screen, real-time feedback on your workout such as calories burned, while also allowing you to adjust intensity levels. EA SPORTS Active ships with two specially-designed leg straps that hold the Wii's Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training exercises.

FINALLY a
real workout for the Wii Fit.

"One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how to get fit at home - especially from busy moms. EA SPORTS Active provides a fun and effective workout that targets your upper body, lower body, and gets your heart pumping in just 20 minutes a day," said Greene. "It's a great way to get moving when you can't get outside or you only have a short amount of time at home. In addition, I like the variety of exercises that it provides - one of the many reasons it has earned the Best Life seal of approval."

EA SPORTS Active features a "30 Day Challenge," a fitness road map for players to reach their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals. Users can also create their own custom workouts that vary in activity, duration and intensity, and the Wii Balance Board will add functionality to many exercises.

EA Sports Active Videos,

Screenshots & User Reviews

EA Sports Active Wii Brand New Sealed    US $54.50

BRAND NEW EA SPORTS ACTIVE ACCESSORY PACK WII    US $10.50

EA Sports Active Personal Trainer Bundle for Wii    US $31.00

Brand New EA sport active Personal Trainer    US $49.99

Brand New EA Sports Active Accessory Pack for Wii NR    US $20.51

BRAND NEW EA SPORTS ACTIVE GAME WII    US $16.20

Yoga

15 different poses. By measuring your center of gravity using the balance board Wii Fit is able to judge how well you are holding the a yoga pose as shown by the instructor on screen.

Muscle Training

Muscle training is divided up 15 simple games that each focus on a particular muscle group. Including a Hula Hoop game that works the abdomen and a push ups activity.

Aerobic Exercise

The on screen character performs a manoever which you need to mimic while standing on your balance board. As with the yoga the aim of the game is to keep the pink dot within the yellow area on screen.

Balance Games

Finally the balance games consist of simple games such as heading footballs to tightrope walking. These activities aim to strengthen the vestibular, the part of the inner ear that controls balance, as well the muscles that keep you upright.

Although no new video game systems are hitting the market this year, the Nintendo Wii still seems to be riding high on Christmas lists. The system demands physical movement to play its games, which for some can be more fun than just pushing a few buttons.

On the Wii Fit, there are a huge variety of fun and sometimes physically challenging games for all ages! Instead of just sitting, giving your thumbs a workout, you can really get into the game! But, not only is it an exciting game to play, but the Wii Fit really gives you some helpful tips in staying healthy! For an example, when I got on today, it told me that eating a banana before exercising is very recommended. This is because bananas are very high in vitamins and energy; but a light snack thats easy to digest!

Or maybe your back is hurting... Do you have the habit of crossing your legs? Crossing your legs is harsh on your back, and also makes you distribute your weight unevenly, making everything worse! If thats the case, it can pinpoint exactly where your center weight is! Today, I was putting 51.7% of my weight on my right foot, and 48.3% on my left. I'm almost there! But when I first started... I definitely had work to do... But see? I'm gettin' a little closer every time!

It looks like the Beijing Olympics have given Wii Fit another jolt in popularity. The title has returned to the top of the videogames sales chart in the United Kingdom, 14 weeks after it was first released. Wii Fit has occupied the number one position in the UK games chart on four occasions since its launch. In fact, it is still difficult to get a copy of the game in some areas.

Other titles that have recieved a boost from the Olympics include Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games and Big Beach Sports.

So the question remains, have any of you guys been driven to do more on Wii Fit since Olympic fever kicked in? Your comments are welcome.

Dailynewstranscript.com is reporting on Wii Fit being used for nursing home residents.

Physical therapist Heather Flynn started bringing her Wii Fit game system to work six weeks ago and its proved to be very popular among the elderly residents.

The home uses the system to give the residents a yoga workout along with flexibility and balance exercises. Some can perform the exercises while standing, but others sit depending on their level of function.

Workouts help the residents with their flexibility, balance and endurance “so that they’re safe when they’re walking or when they’re transferring into or out of a bed or getting into a chair.”

Wii Fit has been such a success that they have added two more systems to their budget for next year.

www.shoutlist.com is a new site that lets you create and share top lists. I've created a list of my top 5 Wii Fit games which you can check out here. If any of you create your own list of top Wii Fit games be sure to send me a friend request. I can link to them here so that you can share them with other Wii Fit Guide readers.

There is a fantastic Wii Fit resource over at nursingdegree.net listing over 40 useful Wii Fit resources.

To say that Wii has been a popular pastime is an understatement, but the release of Wii Fit this year has sent Wii’s popularity skyrocketing. Maybe it’s because Wii Fit has gamers and non-gamers alike intrigued and challenged with the fun fitness activities. Regardless of why so many are picking up their Wiimote, this game offers a unique opportunity to have fun with your console and get a start on better fitness. If you’ve decided to use Wii Fit to help you get in shape, take advantage of these suggestions to enhance your workout.

The links include Tips, Video Tutorials, Blogs and Reviews. It's definetly worth checking the site out. Click here to go there now and have a look for yourself.

Below is a youtube video demonstrating how you can submit your records to the site.

Using the balance board you can move your virtual character around by leaning in the direction you wish to travel. If these guys can bring this technology forward another step and have it based on a running motion then gamers of the future may end up looking more like toned athletes than couch potato's.

Be sure to check out the vid below.

Chad Sapieha over at globeandmail.com has been recording his wii fit experiences over the past three weeks.

However, as promised last week, I did focus on Wii Fit's yoga exercises. In fact, I've unlocked them all, including the scary looking Shoulder Stand pose, which had me balancing my entire body on my shoulders and elbows (but not on the balance board—Nintendo had the good sense to keep players on the floor for this one). My Wii coach said the Shoulder Stand was supposed to help my “inner harmony.” Unfortunately, I found the pose made my neck feel as though it was about to snap, making it difficult for me to achieve any sort of accord between mind and body.

Here are his numbers for the week

Weight: 179.9 pounds (Down by 0.2 pounds this week, 2.1 pounds overall. It's not Slim-Fast, but at least I'm heading in the right direction.)

Body Mass Index (BMI): 27.27 (A drop of 0.08 this week, down 0.33 in total.)

Wii Fit Age: 29 (An increase of 7 years. Again, I've found this figure can fluctuate by decades from day to day depending on the random balance tests I am instructed to take, so it seems a somewhat useless indicator of one's fitness.).

You can read the whole article here

This first Wii Fit Video was taken by a guy watching his girlfriend play the hula hoop game. Since it was uploaded to youtube its achieved over 1 million views and one very angry girlfriend!

This next video is from gadget magazine T3.

And finally a very popular Wii Fit parody, ok you might now fully appreciate this one if you love your Wii Fit but there is no denying it's at least a little bit funny!