Are you lost when it comes to technology, are you a lost cause outside of your reliable old PC and mobile phone, or do you tend not to dip your toes too deeply into the well of 21st century wizardry that populates the lucrative high-tech market.
However, when it came to light there was a piece of software which could help people in their endless quest to stay slim without the need to visit the gym every day then you should overcame your technophobia and take a closer look.
The recently released Active Personal Trainer from EA SPORTS promises to bring the gym home to those who simply don't have the time to take themselves to the gym.
With a degree of scepticism hook it up to your Wii and pop the disc in the tray. After a few seconds you will be prompted with the game screen and asked to customise your character. This process can be as simple or as detailed as you wish but the more information you enter when it comes to essential statistics such as height and weight, the more you will be able to benefit from the programme once it begins.
With all your personal information entered, you are then given the choice of two personal trainers to select ?a man and a woman ?and then you choose your work out routine. The 30 day training option could be a possible starting point.
You are then set a series of tasks which you are required to follow over the course of a 20 minute period (this is the maximum recommended time anyone should spend using the programme) and they target both the upper and lower body as well as cardio vascular work.
Your on-screen character then mimics your movements thanks to the specially designed leg strap that holds the Wii's Nunchuck controller, together with the resistance band.
On-screen you get real time feedback on your workout with details of calories burned as well as a progress monitor of how far you are into your programme.
Finally, for those who don't like to get fit alone, Active Personal Trainer supports 2-player interaction so you can lose weight and get fit with a partner or friend.
You should acknowledge what the rest of the world out there probably already knows and that is that computer games have come a long way in the last 30 years. As your on-screen avatar paces her way around the track, fuelled by your frantic on the spot jogging, the early days of Pong seemed "dark ages" away.
I suppose the bottom line is does it work? After 2 weeks of daily usage your answer has to be an emphatic "yes"! Computer games have long been blamed for many of the ills in modern society ?from violent teenagers to rising obesity ?but if this product teaches you anything it is that you can utilise technology to improve your wellbeing and have fun at the same time.
That was clearly the aim of the designers here and another reason why possibly women in particular (usually so poorly supported by the games industry in general) should think seriously about investing in this kind of product.
Anything with a power supply and a micro chip inevitably causes many people problems but you will find the set up and use simple and whilst Nintendo should continue to be praised for the Wii itself, recognition needs to go to EA for harnessing the best aspects of the console to such a positive end.
Without doubt this is a wonderful title and one which any Wii owning, keep-fit enthusiast should consider. Equally, for anyone looking to introduce a fitness regime into their lives but who isn't ready to take that daunting step up into the gym, it provides the perfect opportunity to get into a routine in the comfort of your own home and at the same time, build your confidence.
