It’s always the same at this time of year, the ball is prepped and ready to drop in Times Square, families are getting ready to gather together, and a whole new year full of fresh possibilities is almost upon us. New Year’s resolutions are being made around the world, and one is more common than any other.
After the holiday season, filled with excuses to gorge and reasons to skip exercising, it’s fair to say that everyone feels a little down about their eating and fitness routines to an extent. The new year offers a chance to set an achievable goal, and if you’re anything like it, it usually has something to do with becoming more physically active.
It’s an achievable goal, but there are issues when it comes to implementing new fitness regimes into day-to-day life. Many of us work at an office or are tied to a desk at home. We all lead busy lives, with work, kids, family, and looking after the house taking up all of our time. So when can we fit in going to the gym? Or setting off on an hour’s jog every day? It’s not always a simple thing to do.
However, if you spend a chunk of time gaming each week anyway, which you likely do if you’re here, then there are some games that can be implemented to boost your fitness. If you struggle with motivation, having a high score to beat can definitely keep you pushing forward, and playing with friends or family can also help.
In the past four months, I’ve managed to lose 30 lbs by doing nothing more than adding some activity-boosting games into my life, using up no more time than I usually would gaming anyway. If you want to shed some lbs or get more active in the new year, here are 10 games that can help a whole bunch.
Dance Dance Revolution
Playing DDR for one hour on Difficult can burn up to 489 calories, which is pretty impressive. Admittedly, if you want to play at home you’ll need a Wii and a suitable dance mat, but these aren’t expensive and can be picked up pretty easily online. The games themselves are incredibly cheap at this point, and while the music is a little dated, there are some hidden gems in the soundtracks if you look for them.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to fork out for a new console, you could try StepMania, which is a similar game for PC. Players have built song packs with thousands of songs in every genre, so you’ll definitely be able to fine-tune your exercise routine to your own tastes. The only downside is finding a dance mat that works with the software, but there are plenty of guides out there to help with that.
Just Dance
Let’s face it, anything that gets you up and out of your seat is definitely going to help you burn some calories and get your heart pumping, and Just Dance is probably the best example I can give you. Depending on your current weight, you can burn between 360 and 600 calories in a single hour of playing, and that’s always going to help if you’re trying to shed some pounds.
Whatever Just Dance you choose, you’re going to have a fun time, and if you choose to play on the Switch, you can sign up for Just Dance Unlimited to gain full access to hundreds of songs from past games. You earn points as you play, and unlock new features, and there’s always a high score to keep you pushing for more. I love Just Dance, and I can confidently say that I have two left feet and a startling lack of coordination, so if I can do it then you can too.
Pokémon GO
I’m not saying that you’re going to transform your body and live out your fitness dreams just by downloading Pokémon GO, but it will not only get you on your feet, but unlike other games on this list, it will get you out of the house. Fresh air and Vitamin D are immensely beneficial to both physical and mental health, and if we ever need a mental health boost, it’s during the long January days.
I’d be surprised if you didn’t know how Pokémon GO worked by now. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you’ll be able to catch and battle Pokémon nearby, but that’s not what drives you to go for a walk. What does that is the eggs, which hatch after you’ve walked a certain distance. There are eggs that hatch after 2km, 5km, 7km, 10km, and even 12km. The longer you have to walk to get an egg to hatch, the more sought-after the Pokémon inside is likely to be.
Fitness Boxing
There are very few things more cathartic than punching something, but unless you have a punching bag to hand, punching things is somewhat frowned upon. With that in mind, let me introduce you to Fitness Boxing, the latest version of which features none other than Japanese music sensation Hatsune Miku. Not only is it fun, but it’s therapeutic, and you can’t beat that combination.
The concept is simple and reminiscent of DDR. Different types of punches roll up the screen and you have to perform them with the Switch JoyCons in hand in order to complete the song. Boxing itself burns up to 800 calories an hour, and while I’m not saying you’ll manage that by playing Fitness Boxing, you’ll definitely feel the burn after a little while of playing. Maybe don’t plan to do any heavy lifting the next day.
Beat Saber
Unlike most of the other entries on this list, Beat Saber will require you to slip on a VR headset and clear the room of children or animals who might inadvertently get in the way of your flailing arms. Of course, you should probably do the same for many of the other entries, but the VR headset means you won’t see them coming and that might cause some issues, and some bruises.
Anyway, Beat Saber is excellent for getting you moving and it burns about the same number of calories as playing tennis, but takes a lot less time and you don’t need to leave the house. Swing your arms around while you wield VR lightsabers, smack the colored pads as they approach, and enjoy the neon world that you find yourself right in the middle of. You’ll probably forget that you’re even exercising.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
You probably weren’t expecting to see a Legend of Zelda game on this list, but Skyward Sword is here—and for very good reason. Unlike any other Zelda title, Skyward Sword requires you to use both the Wii remote and the Nunchuck (or the individual JoyCons on Switch) to control Link’s sword and shield, meaning that you have to actually move. There’s no vegging out on the couch while you play Skyward Sword, you actually have to get physically involved. To an extent, at least.
Okay, so you can actually turn the motion feature off and play with the buttons, and you don’t actually need to leave the couch at all even if you do use motion controls, but where’s the fun in that? Getting up on your feet adds a whole new level of immersion in the world, and while you might get some funny looks from family if they’re caught unaware, Skyward Sword is a great way to get yourself moving, even if it’s only a little.
Ring Fit Adventure
To get the full benefits of Ring Fit Adventure, you’ll need to buy it complete with the RingCon and leg strap accessories. One JoyCon gets slotted into the RingCon, while the other slips into the leg strap, allowing the game to track your movement, and therefore how many calories you’re likely to have burned. This one is like the new version of WiiFit with the infamous Balance Board, but it’s better in every way.
There’s actually a story to follow in Ring Fit Adventure, and you’ll join forces with the sentient ring to take down an evil bodybuilding dragon called Dragaux. Okay, so it’s really quite goofy, but it’s also enjoyable and you control everything using your body movement. Traversing the world is done by running in place, while combat is performed using the RingCon. You’ll use every muscle in your body, and you won’t even realize that you’re doing it until you ache the next day.
Zombies, Run!
Okay, I know I said that all of the games mentioned here could be added to your daily routine without too much trouble, but to ‘play’ Zombies, Run!, you’ll need to actually go out for a jog every now and then. However, it didn’t feel right to type this list out without including it, so here it is. Although it’s the least “gamey” kind of game on the list and more of an exercise companion app, it’s still immersive thanks to the story and your role in it.
Zombies, Run! is a hands-free mobile game that runs in the background while you run. Using your phone’s built-in fitness features, it can track distance, time, calories, and pace, allowing you to track your fitness in real time. As you run, you’ll hear audio clips detailing the story of a zombie apocalypse, and you have “missions” to complete which usually require running for around 35 minutes to an hour. There are also “zombie chases”, which act as interval training, pushing you to run faster for a short burst to escape the zombies virtually chasing you.
Jump Rope Challenge
Jumping rope can burn a lot of calories. According to Healthline, jumping rope for just 20 minutes can help a 200lb person burn around 240 calories, depending on the speed and level of movement you do during each jump. If you don’t want to fling a rope around your living room, there are still options. Jump Rope Challenge was developed by a small team at Nintendo during the COVID-19 lockdowns as a way to stay active while working from home, and it’s now available for everybody.
Don’t let the simple art style deceive you, because out of all the games on this list, Jump Rope Challenge is weirdly one of the most challenging. Each day, Jump Rope Challenge will ask you to complete a certain number of jumps while holding a JoyCon in each hand, beginning at 100 by default with the option to manually set your own goal. The game tracks how many jumps you manage to do each day, so you can see your progress over time, which really helps when it comes to sticking to fitness goals.
Superhot VR
If you weren’t paying close attention to the YouTube gaming sphere in 2017, you might have missed Superhot, but it was a whole thing at the time, and it was released in VR too. It’s an FPS shooter with the twist that time only moves when you do, so you have the ability to freeze bullets in mid-air and halt the enemies’ advance simply by not moving.
Yet move you must, and avoiding those bullets will involve some Matrix-style avoidance tactics, you’ll need to gather ammunition and weapons from those that you manage to kill, and you’ll be out of breath before the game is over. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring, and Superhot VR is the perfect example of how fun it can actually be.
Published: Dec 31, 2024 10:12 am