Alison Sweeney Discusses EA Sports Active’s 30 Day Challenge

While consumers are just getting their fitness kick with the new workout software, EA Sports Active, TV star Alison Sweeney is already a seasoned pro with Electronic Arts' answer to Nintendo's Wii Fit. The actress, who plays Sami Brady on NBC's "Days of Our Lives," was part of a 12-person team that received personal instructions from the creators of the game and nutritional tips from Oprah's personal fitness trainer Bob Greene at the Four Seasons Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara back on April 18.

"The 30 Day Challenge was awesome," said the 32 year-old mother of two. "It was a really great introduction into all of the things that the virtual fitness program is capable of, so you get an idea of what all the different workout routines are and how they work and how they affect your body."

The new game, which offers customizable 20-minute workouts, goes beyond just interacting with the Wii controllers and balance board.

"I learned how nutrition and sleep and your energy level play into your overall health."

"At the same time, I found that the journal was really effective too," added Sweeney. "I learned how nutrition and sleep and your energy level play into your overall health. I thought this was really important and really informative to keep you thinking about it all day long."

Sweeney has become an inspiration for many overweight people, including the contestants of the hit NBC show she hosts, "Biggest Loser." So meeting the group of journalists and ordinary people from across the country in Santa Monica was something special for her.

"Getting to know 11 other people makes you feel like part of a team," said Sweeney. "You're not in it alone and someone else is in it with you. With the launch of the game, we're trying to get everyone to try the 30 Day Challenge and blog about it and post about it and maybe get your friends and do it yourself. It's a really great idea and a great kick-start into a new health regime."

Although Sweeney is a fitness fan these days, in the 1990s she struggled with her weight. Given the fact that she grew up on television, having started on "Days of Our Lives" at 16, she was in the limelight as her dress size grew. In 2004, she wrote a memoir, All The Days of My Life (So Far), which gave insight into her weight struggle. With EA Sports Active, women, men and even children now have an alternative to working out with a personal trainer - and they can do this in the privacy of their own home.

"For me, I have an elevated sense of getting myself fit for the camera and I try to do three times a week a hardcore cardio workout which is like 45 minutes in a spin class or running. Over the course of the challenge, I still went to the gym or went for a run in my neighborhood. But his (game) was a great circuit training program that I did every other day. When you're really active, depending on what your fitness goals are, this is the perfect compliment to that. I think it's a great replacement for working out with a trainer."

Sweeney grew up in a family of gamers and logged plenty of hours on the old Nintendo systems as a kid. She's seen the advances in videogame technology lure kids and adults into a sedentary lifestyle.

"EA Sports Active is using technology for good by getting people off the couch and working out."

"The truth is you get distracted with games and hours can go by and people can lose sight of the fact that they've been just sitting there and staring at a screen," said Sweeney. "EA Sports Active is using technology for good by getting people off the couch and working out. It's really successful at getting people moving and getting you in a productive workout. It's not just getting kids off the sofa, it's giving them a good, productive workout and a good calorie burn. And it's good at showing you what your calorie count is and how you can push yourself harder next time."

Although she doesn't have much time these days with her two TV shows and her two children to play videogames, Sweeney does keep her Wii Fit and EA Sports Active in her bedroom. And she's been keeping up with the program.

"I think that for me, it's definitely been a natural because of my schedule," said Sweeney. "It's been something that's been very easy for me to fit in and I think there are a lot of things geared towards women. But I think the exercises are perfect for good training and you can customize it for how your fitness routine is."

While most of the press surrounding the new game has focused on female gamers and fitness buffs - even the 30 Day Challenge was female-dominated - Sweeney said she thinks guys will get a lot out of this game, too.

"If you're a guy who needs to focus on resistance running and toning and weight loss, it doesn't matter who you are, you can customize the program for yourself," said Sweeney. "My husband has tried it and he breaks a sweat too. More to the point, it's good in being versatile if you've never worked out before. You can start on very low intensity settings and get a good workout. And if you're like me, I hit the gym all the time, you can up the level and push yourself and really get a good workout in. It's just a good workout."

Just how good a workout can a videogame offer? Well, Sweeney said that during a recent appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," both she and DeGeneres got an intense workout on air.

"It's tough," confirmed Sweeney. "I was surprised at how tough it was. I went into this thinking, "Yeah, right, it's still just a videogame." And it's not. I was on 'Ellen' and I showed her a demonstration and we were literally out of breath and could barely finish the interview and we'd only been going at it for about two minutes."

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