Since the creation of Wii fitness, there has been an explosion of fitness based products on the market. EA Sports active is one of them, and with a newly launched More Workouts addition, they are proving to be leaders in the development of fitness based Wii products.

Recently I have been trying out the new addition to EA Sports Active Franchise, More Workouts.  They have upgraded their fitness program to include the More Workouts addition with a 6-Week Challenge and this is what I have been trialling.

How it works

The six week challenge is entire workout program based around your level of fitness. It works both cardiovascular fitness, strength, and flexibility. It has a tracking system whereby you can monitor your progress and compare your results to previous weeks.  It is set up, exactly as it says, as a 6 week challenge, designed to push your  boundaries. The exercises are similar to the original EA sports active, but with the addition of new exercises and more of an emphasis on your abdominals, all wrapped up into the six week challenge.

The accessories you need is the leg strap and some elastic resistance bands (provided) and of course the Wii nunchucks. You can also use the balance board on certain exercises (not mandatory).

My Experience

Being a trainer I was really trialling this out from my clients perspective. I wanted to see if this program could be something I prescribed and could feel confident that my clients were getting a decent workout.

The verdict: Yes.

Unlike other Wii games, this program had you moving from one exercise to the next in quick succession and some of the exercises were quite challenging! The squats and lunges I had trouble initially getting the nunchuck to register, which I have decided is a clever ploy by EA to get you holding your position for longer (gotta love that burn!).

There is a large variety of exercises keeping the program interesting and always challenging. I particularly loved the boxing, with ducking and weaving getting my heart pumping. In one workout you can expect to be going from lunging, to waterskiing, to skipping, paddle surfing and negotiating an obstacle course. This is all performed at the Wii Sports resort, which leaves me torn between feeling like I’ve just been on a tropical island to desperately wanting to go to one.

The abdominal component is very thorough, there were some new exercises I hadn’t seen before as well as some variations on the classics. I was surprised that some of the curl ups used straight legs, as opposed to bent, but I feel very confident that a lot of research and testing has gone into the exercises chosen.

Having a virtual trainer there to motivate me was a novelty, being a trainer myself, it was nice not to be in the drivers seat. She (you can chose male or female) was a big help in demonstrating the exercises, and providing motivational comments.

I really enjoyed the cool down at the end of each workout. Some of my favourite stretches were incorporated here although I would have liked to see a bit more variety for next time.

The verdict

The More Workouts 6-Week challenge is a great program for people wanting to incorporate fitness into their life in a fun, convenient way. The program is easy to set up and use and is one where the whole family can get involved. The workout would be best suited to below average to average fitness levels. For above average users, you would need to supplement some other training in (such as a run prior) to get the full benefits.  Unlike other Wii games there is much less fiddling in between sets and this is definitely the ‘real deal’ when it comes to workout programs.

I am giving the 6-Week Challenge a big two thumbs up and recommend it to anyone wanting an effective workout at home, which will leave you smiling, sweaty and with some visible results.

You can order it here or for more information go to EA Sports Active

Have you done the 6-Week Challenge or used Wii Fit? I’d love to know your feedback.

Tagged As: EA Sports, More Workouts, Wii fit

Do you take a fish oil supplement? Me too. It’s my insurance policy for my joints and my brain function for that matter! Recently I had the opportunity to trial a new Krill Oil on the market called Omega Gen Neptune Krill Oil and here are my findings.

What is the Benefit of Taking a Krill Oil Supplement?

It is known that less than 10% of Australians have the daily recommended amount of Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) which is approx 1500-2000mg per day. Yet it has been scientifically proven that EFAs have the following benefits:

Read more…..

Tagged As: Fish oil, Omega Gen Neptune Krill Oil, supplements

Editors Note: This post is written by blogger Mary Ward who writes about various health care career topics.

Many people attribute the onset of childhood obesity with too much video game playing. There is definite truth to that as kids have gone from playing outside all day long to sitting constantly in front of the screen and playing video games without taking a breather. There is however a new evolution of video games that are actually good for you and/or your children that can help you to burn calories and ultimately lose weight. Who would have thought it? Here we look at the top video games that can help you stay active, burn some calories, and ultimately shed the unwanted weight.
Read more…..

Tagged As: exercise, fitness, product review, video games, Weight loss

Recently the British Telegraph featured a story on a woman who was saved by her fitness and washboard stomach…

A British woman’s “washboard” stomach muscles have saved her from dying in a freak paragliding accident, doctors say.

Peggy Williams was on a holiday in Andalusia, southern Spain when a gust of wind caught her paraglider and lifted her off the top of a cliff, theTelegraph newspaper reports.

Thrown about like a rag doll, she plunged 5m and was dragged across a rocky outcrop on her stomach.

Ms Williams suffered a torn liver and almost severed her pancreas but was ultimately saved by her stomach muscles which acted as a “girdle” to protect her other vital organs.

“I kept seeing rocks going past me and smacking me,” Ms Williams was quoted as saying.
Read more…..

Tagged As: abdominals, fitness, Health

Do you travel with work? Maybe you don’t have a gym membership right now, or maybe you just want some different exercise ideas. Nuru exercise cards might be just what you need. I was asked to review them and I agreed on the proviso my findings would be honest and unbiased.

What are NURU exercise anywhere cards?

They are a deck of cards on a metal ring containing strength and cardio exercises requiring little to no equipment. It is broken up into sections:
Basics: Programming, routine breakdowns, glossary
Strength exercises: Chest, back, lower body, shoulders, arms, abs
Cardio Lab: Skipping, total body movements that can all be done indoors

Read more…..

Tagged As: exercise program, fitness, NURU

Are you looking for the next book to help you shed a few (or maybe a lot) of weight? Well I’ve found it!  Australian Trainer for The Biggest Loser, Michelle Bridges has just published her first book, Crunch Time. You thought Gillian was inspiring, wait until to experience ‘ the Michelle factor…‘

What’s it about?

Crunch time is about how one can lose weight fast and keep it off. It heavily emphasises the psychology behind weight loss whilst arming the reader with a plethora of weight loss tools, exercises and recipes. It is broken down into three main sections; Read more…

Tagged As: books, diet, Michelle Bridges, the biggest loser, Weight loss

Pole Dancing

What is it: Yes you can now make your partner proud! Pole dancing for fitness lessons are available where you learn the moves, strengthen your upper and lower body and get covered in bruises! My favourite pose is called the ‘hello boys!’ One thing is for sure, those women are strong and flexible! Take a look at the winner of the Miss Australia Pole Dancing Championships 2006.

Watch Clip:

Click here to continue reading…..

Tagged As: Crazes, fitness, funny, pole dancing, Spinning, Zumba

I recently purchased the Wii fit and the Wii fit balance board to see if it really can work up a sweat and get people active.  Well it worked! While it won’t help you to lose heaps of weight or get super fit, it’s a lot of fun and will actually help you track and improve your core strength. Click here to continue reading…..

Tagged As: fitness products, wii

Garmin Forerunner 405 (Green)

Well I have been trialling the Garmin 405 for 8 weeks now, and I can tell you that this is the king of all heart rate monitors! If you want to know everything, and I mean everything about your run, ride, paddle, or ski then the Garmin Forerunner 405) is for you. This model includes heart rate monitor and GPS, and is priced at around AU$390 or US$350.  I have used many hear rate monitors in my time and this is my favorite by far!

TYPES OF HEART RATE MONITORS

Heart rate monitors generally fall into 3 categories:
- Basic heart rate monitors that just tell you your heart rate. (Try the Polar FS1)
- Heart rate monitors that tell you your heart rate as well as a bunch of other information such as calories burnt, laps and training zones. (Try the Polar RS200)
- Heart rate monitors that tell you all this information, as well as your distance and speed, by using either a foot pod (try the Polar RS800sd) or GPS. (like our Garmin Forerunner 405)

WHY GO FOR ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES?

Knowing your heart rate while training is great, as it is a true indicator of how hard you are pushing. But if you are serious or starting to get serious about your training, then it’s great to have stats to tell you how far you have traveled and what pace you are running at.

Click here to continue reading…..

Tagged As: fitness products, gadgets