REVIEW: Your Shape Wii Game

Disclosure: I'm a BzzAgent and as such I sometimes participate in BzzCampaigns where I receive a product to try out and sometimes I might get coupons to share or samples to hand out (depending on what the item is). In exchange for the item, I'm to tell people about the product, what my honest thoughts are about it. Then I report back what I said and any reaction of those I told. I generate Bzz. (Buzz.) I can also review the item on a blog if I want.

You may have heard about Your Shape with Jenny McCarthy for Wii. It's a new exercise program for your Wii that doesn't require a Wii balance board.

 Features

• After doing a detailed fitness test, goal assessment and body scan, Your Shape builds a fitness program for you.
• There are more than 400 exercises in different area (cardio, strength training, toning, flexibility etc.) so your workout isn't always exactly the same.
• You don't need the controller or a balance board. It comes with a small camera that watches you work out and compares you to the proper way to do the move and offers feedback.
• The game tracks your progress as you get closer to your goals.
• Jenny McCarthy is your guide, showing you what to do and encouraging you to keep going. 
• You can do specialized workouts such as Get Bikini Ready, New Year's Resolutions, Free Your Mind and Active Mom Routine
• If you have a balance ball, weights a step bench, or a heart rate monitor, you can use it with the game, but these items are in no way required.

So what do I think? I think it's a great start but that the program could use some work. Here are my problems:

• I understand how the camera works but the problem is, I'm overweight and I don't necessarily want to see my body bouncing all over the place. Not to mention how skinny Jenny McCarthy is (even skinner in Wii format) which just makes me feel worse. 
• By the same token, you see your house as it is behind you. My house does NOT look like it does in the sample screen shot above. So I see the clutter and dirty walls behind me.
• There is no option for light workout. It's quite hard sometimes, especially for me who is out of shape. I have troubles holding my hands up for any length of time and my balance is poor. I had to cheat on quite a few of them and I ended most of my workouts early (even though they are only 15 minutes long.)
• The music. It comes with over 70 tracks but I don't like most of them. I don't even recognize most of them. When you are in the menu it plays a fast version of Umbrella by Rihanna which is great so I was expecting popular music during the workouts but they are all instrumental and I don't recognize them. They don't motivate me.

There are good things of course. Everything I mentioned in the features section is good. I think Your Shape would be better for someone who is not completely out of shape and could keep up better. Hopefully by doing the workout regularily I will get better and the exercises will become easier but it's hard not to quit for good when I can't even do 8 minutes of workout at one time. So if you aren't too overweight and can walk up stairs without getting tired and hold your hands up for a long time, this might be for you.

Your Shape Game on Ubisoft (blog, tips, forum, tools, info)
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