After a few months of anticipation and excitement, my House Party has come and gone. And, just like Christmas, there was so much to plan for and get ready and think about and then in a blink of an eye, it was over.
I haven't exercised in about 3 years. In those three years, I have really gotten out of shape, so when this opportunity came to host a party and try out a workout Wii game, I figured, this was my chance to jump start my healthy living. I am so glad I did it. In preparation for the party, I worked out with Your Shape about a month ahead of time. At first, it was to make sure I was familiar with the ins and outs of the program and then it was because I became one of those people I never thought I would become - a person who missed doing the workout. Whaaa?!?
Me, the chief couch potato, actually could not wait to get back in the schedule of working out. That was a surprise and a half to me. I was not expecting to get that excited about a workout video / game. All in all, the following is a review of what my friends and I think about Your Shape.
We found that this was far easier to use than EA Sports Active. You plug in the camera, you select your workout, you put down your Wii-mote and you do your workout. Everything is tracked by the camera and you don't have to worry about your thigh holster slipping down your leg. You're not constantly picking up and putting away the nunchuck. It's just you and the screen.
You do need to make sure you dress in clothing that contrasts with your surroundings and your area is well lit. Other than that, no other preparation is needed.
There are four pre-set workout themes available to you, but you also have an option of selecting what areas of your body you want to focus on for your workouts including a generic weight loss. With the options, you can really tailor a program for what you want. The beauty is that you can't get bored with your workouts, unlike a video where you do the same two or three exercises each time. Here, you tell the system what you want to work out and each time you return, there's a different combination of things to do.
When one new mom tried out the Active Mommy workout yesterday, she looked like she was breezing through it and wasn't getting challenged. However, later on in the workout, she mentioned that her arms were tiring. And that she could feel the stretches in her abs. I tried the Bikini-Ready workout and I my untoned abs can attest to the pain of the first workout as well.
Jenny McCarthy's avatar is bubbly, perky, and everything you would expect from an aerobics instructor. If you're grumpy and just not in the mood, the positive spirit can be a bit much, but when you're in pain and suffering through the workout, a little sunshine can go a long way. And just like an aerobics class, once you start your workout, you just keep moving. For those of you who are like me - hopelessly uncoordinated - the workouts can take a while to "master."
One mom said that the Your Shape workouts reminded her of a boot camp class she took at a local gym. I have several friends who have taken that class and they all say that the class got them in the best shape of their lives. Had I heard that prior to taking on these regular workouts, I would have shied away from Your Shape. However, for those easing into the workout world, this is a good system. If you take it seriously, it will work you hard, but nothing so hard you can't get back to it in a day or two.
The only negatives we could find were that you cannot notify the system to adjust around sensitive body areas (hurt knees, bad back, etc.) and that - like all workout videos we've used - you are not talked through the exercises when faced away from the screen. This leaves you either with neck strain as you habitually look to the screen for clues as to when you should switch sides or ignoring one side of your body.
All in all, it's a great system to use. A few friends, including my mom, are planning on getting Your Shape for the computer. My mother-in-law has already purchased it to replace her other Wii workout.
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