Playing video games can be a great way to get a good workout without even leaving the house. Here are six titles that will get you moving and make your workout fun.
Ringfit – Nintendo Switch
This is hands down the best fitness game out there. Your character travels through over 100 levels spread over more than 20 worlds using a pilates ring to fight monsters, beat minigames and upgrade your character into a powerful force. It follows the format of classic RPGs. Best of all, everything you do is a workout. There are about 30 unlockable exercises that target every part of the body. As you progress through levels by jogging, squatting, jumping, pulling and squeezing the ring, you’ll occasionally run into monsters. You do damage to the monsters by doing exercises. Each world also has one or more boss battles and several side quests. There’s also a pure fitness mode, where you can choose or create a custom set of exercises and/or mini-games without progressing through the story mode.
Wii Fit – Nintendo Wii
This is the foundation that modern day fitness video games are built upon. You use a balance board that tracks your center of balance. There are a number of yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance games. Mini games consists of diverse activities like hula hooping, skiing, and tight rope walking. All the while, the player is guided by a personal trainer and/or a personalized “Mii” that scores your performance and tracks your progress. This game is a true classic that plays just as well as it did when it was released.
Fitness Boxing – Nintendo Switch
This game combines the gameplay of rhythm games like Guitar Hero with realistic boxing moves to give the player an excellent aerobic workout. There are six coaches that guide you through the different types of punches and dodges in each of the 25+ workouts. Each coach is customizable. New clothing items are unlocked based on total punches thrown, total days played or performing well on workouts. There are 20 tracks based on pop songs to work out with. The game requires no additional equipment other than the Switch and the Joy-Cons and can be downloaded directly from Nintendo’s online store. Fitness Boxing 2 is set to be released on December 4, 2020.
Zombies, Run – Mobile App
This is an app you can download to your phone. You play as “Runner 5” a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. Pop in your headphones and receive a mission that typically involves jogging around your neighborhood. The missions are part of a story mode, and there are several seasons to keep you interested. While doing your run, you are collecting supplies to help build your base for the survivors. There is also a separate part of the app to complete after your run which lets you divvy up the supplies and build up the base. The game even recently added a home workout mini-season that lets you do different kinds of workouts without leaving the house.
Just Dance – Most Consoles
This is a rhythm game that has put out more than ten different versions spanning several generations of gaming consoles. It uses hand held controllers to track your movements while you dance to the on-screen choreography. Recent versions even allow you to play with just a mobile phone. Each version has a different line up of songs from diverse musical genres. Most versions have some kind of a workout mode and the more recent ones even keep track of calories. The dances range from slow and relatively easy to fast and incredibly difficult. This game will improve your dancing skills and give you a great aerobic workout. If you have Just Dance 2017 or later, for a small monthly subscription fee, you can join Just Dance Unlimited with loads of songs taken from all the past Just Dance games. There’s more than 500 tracks available. Just Dance 2021 is scheduled to drop November 12, 2020.
Nike+ Kinect – Xbox 360, Xbox One
This is not so much a game as it is a personal training program. One of the best of numerous similar titles available using the Xbox Kinect technology. To start, the game evaluates your overall fitness level and generates routines specifically for the player. The programs last four weeks and gradually increases in intensity. Outside of the main training program, there are also five minute workouts and challenges the player can choose if there are time-restraints or they’d rather go at their own pace. Unfortunately, the new Xbox Series X is not compatible with the Kinect, so you’ll have to have an Xbox 360 or an Xbox One.