Wii Workout Games vs. a Personal Trainer

One beef that the human trainer kept bringing up was the games' reliance on a calorie-counting score. The problem is that the calorie counter may not be correct for a particular person: The estimated number of calories burned and the number you're actually burning probably aren't the same. If these games could somehow tie into a heart-rate monitor peripheral for additional data, you could get a much more accurate idea of your calorie burn rate. The software makers need to address that shortcoming in the next generation of these games. Besides, it's one more peripheral they can sell. Yay!

Me I'm leaning toward committing to EA Sports Active. I just want something that can help motivate me to whip back into shape...and yeah, if it's remotely fun, that wouldn't hurt either.

As a low-cost starting point for a fitness program, Hornsby believes, the right game (or game combination) could work. His ideal game would be a combination of Eastern (Wii Fit balance-centric exercises with correct form) and Western (active sports with a proper training program), with some nutritional tips thrown in for good measure. In the meantime, he sees these interactive programs as representing a step up from home workout DVDs. But in view of the bad form that crops up all too often in the animations ("I can spot the differences pretty easily," he says), Hornsby doesn't have to worry about losing his job just yet.

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