Now here is something that isn’t exactly your everyday console shoot-em-up game. Many people promote this as the “game your mom/wife can play.” Well, really any gamer could use this as a way to get exercising! Though it’s no “Dance Dance Revolution” by any means, it’s definitely more of a straightforward exercise video, except your instructor is made up of pure pixels.
You will notice when you turn on the game that there is a big warning page that tells you that you should consult a doctor before starting any kind of exercise program. That is definitely something to consider, since nowhere in the game did I find any kind of modifications if you happen to have debilitating injuries that could be exacerbated if you do this exercise program.
Barring any problems, your first step is to make sure you have a free memory card. To save your personal profile, you need at least 283kb of space on the card. But be warned, for some reason I wasn’t able to save my progress on my old card (that barely had any space left) after my first workout, even though I had saved the initial profile ok. This might be a bug, or it might just need to have that much free space. Anyway I had a shiny new 8 MB memory card, just in case.
Maya is your instructor, and she’s pleasant enough to look at, and her voice is pleasant enough to listen to. Her movements are pretty fluid for the most part, though I did notice a little choppiness at times, and it definitely isn’t made to look ultra realistic. From the main menu, you can create a profile, which Maya will guide you through. If you have guests who want to try the program, you can choose the “Guest Pass” option, which won’t save any data.
Making your profile involves first inputting your name, height and weight. Then you indicate what fitness equipment you own out of four: heart monitor, stability ball, step bench, and hand weights. Then comes a preliminary fitness test – note that this is kind of like a mini workout, so it might be best for you to do this and then the actual workout the next day or later in the day. You’ll measure your resting heart rate, then do a bunch of jumping jacks, then measure again. You’ll be asked about your current activity level (sedentary, moderate, active), and then go through some measurements of your lower, upper, and core body strength. You’ll also be tested for your flexibility by sitting and reaching for your toes with your legs straight out. After all this work, Maya will recommend the type of program that should be your primary focus – weight loss, cardio, upper body strength, core body strength, lower body strength, or flexibility. You don’t have to choose the recommended workout, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t.
After your program is set, Maya will recommend a weekly schedule for your workouts, plus the duration of the workout based on your fitness profile. You can fiddle with this if you want to, but it’s probably best to stick with the same duration and intervals between workouts if the exact days of the week don’t mesh with your schedule.
The next step talks about meal plans, and this is where things get a little iffy for me. There is no place where the game recommends a particular meal plan, based on calorie intake. Also, even though there are 4500 recipes stored in the game, you aren’t able to print it out real easily. Thankfully the Web site actually has a bit more information and guidance on what meal plan you should use, and also all the recipes as well. There is a calorie counter and meal plan PDFs at http://www.yourselffitness.com/commitment/eat-right.aspx.
Now the actual workout itself is tailor made for your profile, but during the workout there are times when Maya will ask you if the workout is too difficult, too easy, or just right. Your answers will adjust the routine for the next time you do a workout. You are also limited in scenery and music selection at first, but as you progress in your program, they will be unlocked.
A nice touch is the “progress bar” at the bottom of the screen which tells you the activity you are doing, and you can see the next portion of the workout coming up. Also, remember when you indicated what workout equipment you own? Maya will work in routines that involve your equipment. And if you don’t have equipment, don’t fret – she has routines for that also to fit your needs.
Since many of the moves were totally new to me, I made use of the “tutorial” button which demonstrated how to do the move. You can also pause the workout whenever you want, to increase or decrease difficulty, change your sound options or music track, or quit the workout. When you resume, Maya has to “find the beat” and then begins again from where you left off.
After your workout is done, you will be told how many calories you burned that session, and save your progress. Neat! Now check that candy bar you ate earlier and compare the calorie count đ
Overall this is a great concept for use on the PS2. It takes something you already own and adds more interactivity than just a plain workout video may give you. I was very impressed by the way it was put together and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new workout program that’s more tailored to their needs. Comparing this to any other workout video is not appropriate. Yourself!Fitness is way BETTER than any workout video, with its ability to customize the workouts to your personal needs. Like I said before though, you have to make sure your doctor has cleared you to do an exercise program like this. If you have injuries or certain medical conditions that could hinder exercise in any way, this may not be the right program for you.
Special thanks to Phineas Barnes at responDESIGN for providing a copy of this game.