The gaming world has been shocked this year by the number of nongamers (that's us moms) who have jumped on the Wii Fit bangwagon. EA Sports is coming after us, and they have enlisted Oprah's trainer for help!
While the hugely popular Wii Fit game has a nice collection of stretching and balance exercises, it doesn't have too much to get your heart pumping except for a few mini games. I also don't like having to "unlock" workouts by playing for a loooooong time instead of just setting up a specific workout routine. Despite those criticisms, the game has tapped into the ocean of nongamers who have snapped up more than 2.3-million copies of the game and balance board.
The new EA Sports Active game for the Wii is coming after that market. Unlike the stretching and yoga of Wiii Fit, this is more like those old Jane Fonda workout tapes. Pop it in and start moving. There's even a 30-day challenge set up by Oprah's own fitness guru Bob Greene, below, which is like putting a sniper scope on 30-something mothers who buy the bulk of the in-home fitness materials.
The EA Sports game doesn't require the balance board but if you do have one, the games can be more interesting. What it does add is a cheap rubber resistance band for strength training and a neoprene harness you put around your thigh and tuck the Wii Nunchuk into.
Instead of the much-hated BMI as an indicator on Wii Fit, this one uses a calorie counter, virtual personal trainer, 30-day weight-loss program, and customizable workouts.
It was definitely a stronger workout, though I found that Nunchuk on my thigh incredibly annoying. It takes some practice to get it tight enough to stay in place and with the Nunchuk facing the right way to record your movements on the game.
The other assault on the Wii Fit is the price. EA Sports Active is $60, which gets you more sweat equity than the $90 Wii Fit game.
But neither of these games comes close to the real thing. These games leave me feeling eager to get to a real boxing class or a real ski slope where, you know, there are actual people and the fun isn't virtual.
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
Amy Hollyfield is a workaholic mother of two young
daughters, blessed to have a work-at-home husband who makes their life possible. She was born in Detroit and moved around a lot as a kid (read: Air Force brat). She has lived in Florida since the month after she
graduated from Northwestern University. She lives for the yelps, hugs and kisses that greet her on nights that she makes it home before bedtime.
Sherry Robinson was born in the Sunshine State but she feels more comfortable inside a mall than outside at the beach -- thank goodness her husband is the outdoorsy type. He takes their two sons on night hikes, beach runs and bug hunts while Sherry does her best to take care of the homestead -- and find out what is new on the store shelves. A graduate of the University of South Florida in 19noneofyourbusiness, Sherry has been at the Times for nearly 20 years. And with nearly 10 years of parenting experience, Sherry is eager to offer up some great dish on raising kids and keeping your sanity.
Guest blogger Tracey Henry, a.k.a. Suburban Diva, is a frantic, slightly frazzled mother of four. She is a freelance humor writer and author which is the only thing that parenting four children ages 12-1 trains you for, except perhaps court jester and professional bull rider. She and her husband have lived all over the country, but settled in Florida eight years ago because the beachcombing is so much better here than on the banks of the Mississippi. Their family time includes a lot of sport -- both watching and playing -- and fun in the sun and surf. Catch her in Whoa, Momma! and on her site, 
Sherri Day and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world in early 2008. So far, she describes parenthood as exciting, exhausting and exhilarating. A self-described Southern belle with small-town values and big-city idealism, Sherri was born in rural Georgia. She received her bachelor's degree in journalism from Clark Atlanta University and her master's of journalism from the University of California at Berkeley. She is the Brandon bureau chief for the Times. Sherri moved to Tampa from Brooklyn four years ago.
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