Welcome to the evolving world of fitness games, where sweat meets pixels and strength gains reward you with experience points. The fusion of video games and exercise is captivating fitness seekers and gamers alike, offering a revolutionary way to improve motivation levels.
From smartwatches to virtual reality (VR,) wearable devices have already demonstrated how well fitness-based variety games can help you to stay motivated and healthy. But what is fitness gaming exactly, and why is it considered a game-changer for exercise routines?
What is Fitness Gaming?
In a nutshell, workout gamification adds compelling video game mechanics to exercise routines. These mechanics can range from progress rewards like in-game currency and level-ups to complete virtual simulations of your dream running routes.
Fitness games offer compelling features based on effort leading to reward, transforming the pursuit of challenging fitness goals into an exciting activity you can look forward to. It’s the same concept behind the success of the world’s most popular video games, where goal-driven activities, scoring systems and achievements offer external sources of motivation to keep you invested.
Whether it’s a fitness game or Space Invaders, rewards that are realistic to achieve are beneficial towards engagement and focus. Of course, people have different tastes and some gaming formats won’t be as appealing as others, but a growing library with a variety of games can ensure the longevity of workout gamification.
Where it All Began
From 2012 onwards, popular mobile games like Candy Crush and Pokemon Go brought gaming to the masses on an unprecedented scale. Even non-gamers found themselves drawn to the conveniences of playing on the go, raking in rewards and meeting like-minded enthusiasts online.
From that point on, the growth of gaming accelerated and it quickly became the largest and most profitable entertainment industry in the world, bigger than movies and music combined. Fitness games use the same core elements which allowed video games to achieve this immense growth, harnessing the science behind psychology, math and interactive storytelling in a marriage of fitness and fun.
To gamify fitness, the adrenaline and excitement of real-world activities are combined with a wide range of digital and electronic elements. The latest Peloton Bike and Bike+, for example, feature rhythm-based workouts with score-tracking, allowing users to compare their best sessions after live virtual classes.
Combine group exercises with VR and you can see why gamification in fitness apps has the potential to transform your social life and workout habits. VR fitness is already gaining traction as a popular medium, with Sony’s Playstation VR2 and the HTC Vive offering the latest fitness games for the most popular gaming platforms.
Nowadays, there are apps and games for specific sports and fitness activities. Wearable devices that use gamification in fitness apps have proven to be immensely popular and the masses following celebrity fitness routines on social media have helped these devices gain a firm foothold worldwide.
Fitness-based additions to existing formats also aid the growth of workout gamification. In a poker game, for example, adding the best eating plans for poker players is a straightforward feature with barely any implementation costs, but the end result is a healthy player who can keep coming for more if they please.
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Motivation can be tough to come by when it comes to exercise. Fitness games make it easier than ever before to find inspiration for regular exercise, improving your health and opening you up to new experiences.
The future of high-tech gaming is exciting, to say the least, and fitness games will continue taking advantage of diverse gaming mechanics to gain mass appeal. Whether you’re playing online casino games with a live dealer or star-jumping your way to victory in OlympicVR, gaming offers near-endless possibilities for exercise and entertainment.
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