A Video Game Approach to Staying Active

With the whole world under a global pandemic, I have been trying to find a new way to stay active indoors. Some people like to hit the gym, others like to go on a run down a scenic beach and others like to play individual or team sports. But a lot of that is not physically possible right now.

As someone who is not as keen in the more traditional ways of keeping fit and is currently unable to go outside (due to having to shield because of Covid19), I have resorted to a video game approach to exercise. This way, I am having fun whilst subconsciously breaking a sweat. Here are the top games (in no particular order) I would recommend you try for a new, but just as effective way of exercising.

Ring-Fit Adventure

Source: Tech Radar

The main idea of the game is to put a creative spin on traditional workouts. As many people get into watching and copying fitness videos, you can instead use these exercises as a way of defeating monsters. For example, in the ‘adventure’ aspect of the game, there are no spells, trusty bow or sturdy sword, but a form of exercise such as a squat. Once you complete the exercise, it will form an attack on the monster you are fighting. And what is more motivating than that?

Pros:

• You can change the level of ability — if you find the game to easy or hard, you can adjust the settings so it is perfect for you
• Warming up and cooling down — before you start and once you decide to quit the game, it gives you the option to do its warming up and cooling down exercises which is perfect to make sure you definitely do your whole work-out
• It is appealing to the eye — when playing the Adventure aspect especially, it seems that the game has combined a lot of popular games such as Breath of the Wild, making it seem more like a game and less like you are exercising
• You can customise your own fully body workouts and choose which exercises you actually want to do for individual parts of the body

Cons

• It costs more than your average game (£69.99) because it also comes with the ‘ring’ and a strap around your leg to detect your motions

Fitness Boxing

Source: Tech Radar

Fitness Boxing was never something I would have considered initially, but Nintendo have managed to do a super job in combining boxing with music. The concept reminds me of piano tiles, where you ‘box’ to the tune.

Pros

• You can track your progress which means you can monitor your progress as you play along
• The ‘free training’ feature means that you can choose which parts of the body you want to work out, as well as the intensity of the course to suit your own goals
• You can also play with a partner, compete with them or work together for an ultimate chain combo

Cons

• Has been found to not have a completely reliable detection

Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports

Source: Pop Sugar (Wii Fit) and Mobile Game Trucks (Wii Sports)

I know what you are thinking, that these two games are old news. And you are not wrong. Wii Fit Plus came out in 2009 whilst Wii Sports came out in 2006. But having enjoyed both these games when they both came out, the two are no exception as a fun way of exercising all from the comfort of your own home.

Wii Fit Plus, along with the Wii Balance Board lets you enjoy over 60 physical activities and routines, including yoga, aerobic exercises and muscle workouts.

Pros

• Has a calorie counter which tracks how many calories you have lost whilst doing your exercises
• You can tailor the time of your exercise as well as the routines you want to do
• Has a multiplayer mode where you can compete in certain games to up to eight people

Wii Sports lets you experience five different sports virtually. These include tennis, golf, baseball, bowling and boxing.

Pros

• The game tries to give you as realistic of a feel it possibly can, such as when playing tennis, the game will register the power of your forehands to your lobs and slices, depending on how fast you swing as well as the angle

Cons (for both games)

• Because the Wii and the games are so old, you are more likely to get a second-hand version of the game since Nintendo do not really make them anymore
• The detection for both games might not be as strong as your newer games such as RingFit Adventure

Arms

Source: Nintendo

This may seem like a weird one so hear me out. Arms is a 3D fighting sports game which is different from your usual fighting games because it focuses on more long range attacks as your arms are stretchable. As well as punching, you can also jump, dash, block and grab so even though it is not known as a fitness game, you will probably still get your heart racing.

Pros

• The game features multiplayer modes which are ‘Versus’, the ‘Grand Prix’ and a range of battle modes which means you can also have fun with your friends
• The game has a total of fifteen fighters, each able to unlock three ‘arms’ you can choose when going into battle. This feature means you can’t get bored of all the combinations of fighters and their ‘arms’

Cons

• Controls are sometimes not accurate enough on how quick you are doing a motion

Pokémon Go

Source: Games Radar

Maybe not the best one for our current situation but if you do end up going outside for a walk or run, why not make it a little more interesting by catching Pokemon on the way?

Pros

• You may be motivated to walk a little further to get to a Pokéstop or gym, which will mean you get more exercise in without realising

Cons

• You will probably need to use your mobile data
• The game sometimes crashes

Just Dance

Source: Game Axis

Most people like to listen to music whilst they exercise, so why not dance instead? It is a perfect combination so that you can listen to popular danceable songs such as Nicki Minaj’s Starships and Katy Perry’s Fireworks.

Pros

• The songs on the game are catchy and well-known, making it very easy to dance to
• You can play with friends which makes the game more fun as you dance competitively or just have a laugh at each other’s dancing

Cons

• You can’t choose songs from your own playlists

Conclusion

So maybe you really miss your local gym or would rather see real trees on your run instead of virtual ones, but here is a fun spin on exercise that, apart from Pokemon Go, you can do without leaving your front door. For some people, exercising the traditional way just is not for them and may need more of a subconscious effort. And so we can adapt by playing these games that capture that very aspect of breaking a sweat whilst having fun simultaneously.