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Turn your Wii into a gym with your own personal trainer in the latest self-improvement title.

It used to be that videogames were all about teens skulking in their bedrooms while fantasising about ridding the world of evil zombies/Nazis/gangsters/mushrooms (delete as applicable). But not any more. Nowadays videogames have stepped out of the shadows and are all about self-improvement. Today games are drawing mums to the d-pad with their promises of increased brainpower or language skills and now, with EA's Sports Active, fitness and slender tums.

The last year has seen self-improvement games revolutionise games consoles and handhelds with brain games, language tutors, cooking guides and all manner of personal betterment. Now, with the advent of EA SPORTS Active even more of a personal upgrade is being offered to the nation. We are being presented with the chance to turn our Wii into a home gym complete with a personal trainer.
EA SPORTS Active

At a Glance

• EA SPORTS Active comes with 25 exercises and sports-inspired drills
• A leg strap that holds the Wii nunchuk and helps show all your movements on screen
• A resistance band exercises such as bicep curls and shoulder presses
• A virtual trainer to help guide and motivate you with clear instructions and instant feedback
• Fitness goals set yourself a goal and track your progress towards it everyday
• Take the 30-Day Challenge. Try a new workout every day and go for your goal in just one month
• A great co-op mode: exercise with a friend to help burn calories, each working within your own ability
• Customise your work out the exercise circuits you take can be customised to the length, intensity and specific body areas you want
• Wii Balance Board Compatibility: unlock more exercises by using the balance board

So how does it work?

There are three sections to EA's Sports Active: Workout, Nutrition and Lifestyle. You are introduced to these by Bob Greene (AKA Oprah's personal trainer).

Enter personal data such as your age, weight and fitness goals to receive and overall fitness approach. This will include suggested changes to your lifestyle and nutritional intake, but these are just that: suggestions. What EA SPORTS Active concentrates on is working out.

You will be presented with lots of options for strength and cardio workouts that you can then build into a circuit-training regime. Once these have been chosen and you begin your routine your personal trainer will give you regular feedback on how well you're doing and how many calories you've burnt. You'll even have the option to adjust the intensity of your exercise regime as you go. The exercises will also be shuffled around so that every day's workout brings you a new challenge and you don't get stuck in a relentless schedule.

By exercising at home and with friends and family you'll feel more relaxed and be able to tailor your regime to suit yourself. There's also the chance that you'll be a bit more honest with yourself than you might be with a real life personal trainer. One thing that spotty teens have known for ages is that videogames are great because videogames don't judge you. Praise be.
EA SPORTS Active User Punching

The routines

The 25 routines offered in EA's Sports Active cover the gamut of upper and lower body exercises as well as concentrating on overall cardio fitness. They are:
Cardio Boxing, Basic Dance, Tennis, Inline Skating, Kick-Ups, Cardio Dance, Kickbox, Batting, Volleyball, Basketball, Pitching and Catching, Serve, Run, Walk, Jump, High Steps, Lateral Raises, Lunge Reps, Side Lunge, Squat/Calf, Lunge Jump, Squat Jump, Fast Dance, Punch Target and Punch Bag

It's easy to see how these games, with their fun and relaxed approach to exercise, are taking the world by storm and breaking down stereotypes of just who uses games consoles nowadays. It also seems that, used in the right way, this new wave of games are actually capable of improving people's lives. That's part of the importance of these gamesthey are being designed to have an impact. They are meant to be good for us rather than just entertain us.

So where is this going to end? Perhaps this is the end of schooling as we know it. Perhaps the citizens of the world in 2012 will all be fit and healthy individuals with great skin, lovely teeth and rock hard triceps. Welcome to a brave new world, people.