Fitness has always been widely accessible. You certainly don’t have to go to the gym to get a good workout in. Of course, if your sole aim is to get as muscular as possible, there are limitations to do bodyweight exercises and using lighter weights. However, if you just want to be in shape and improve your cardio, they can be great.
If you prefer to train outside of the gym, you used to have to revert to either training outdoors or putting on your favourite HiiT workout via DVD or YouTube. Now, thanks to technological advances, you can get fit and play games at the same time.
Many of the benefits associated with playing fitness games at home, mirror home workouts. They include.
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Its time saving
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You can wear what you want
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No worrying about what other people are thinking
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Financially better in the long run
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More fun and engaging
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Can add variety to your workout
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It can become competitive in a good way (play online with your friends)
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Likely to train longer as you are thinking about having fun and playing
So, what are the options like?
Nintendo switch
Probably the Alpha of motion-controlled video games. I remember playing Wii sports almost every Christmas (actually, I still play) and having a brilliant time. The Wii of course is the Switches predecessor. The Switch offers a lot more in terms of games and motion smoothness and out of all the current consoles, has the most fitness games to choose from. The controller isn’t restrictive and is also very light, allowing very natural movements.
The game to look out for is Fitness Boxing. You will be throwing jabs, hooks and uppercuts to popular songs and you will receive feedback on your performance too. Anyone who has done any form of boing before knows how much of a good workout it is. You can easily burn hundreds of calories playing this game.
Xbox One Kinect
What’s cool about the Xbox Kinect is that you are totally controller free, which is a big advantage over other consoles. The Kinect uses a state-of-the-art camera and microphone to analyse and track your movements, whilst also feeding back on your form. Due to having no controller to hold, the range of movements and exercises are much more varied. You really can have a tough workout.
The most popular game is called Sports Rivals. As you would expect, the game lets you play a large number of sports including, football, tennis, shooting, rock climbing and bowling. You can also play against friends, online or together on the same console.
Nintendo Wii
As I briefly mentioned earlier, the Wii is a fantastic and fun console to have in your home. It does require you to hold motion controllers, but they aren’t too restrictive and won’t spoil any of the fun. The motion controller is also great at tracking your movements, allowing a seamless transition into gameplay.
The best game for a tough, enjoyable workout is Gold’s Gyms Cardio Workout. You’ll mainly be doing boxing workouts, but as discussed, they are one of the best options for a tough home workout. They are quite lengthy and moderately intense, with warmups and cool downs included. You can easily sweat off the weekend’s antics with a few of these workouts.
If you are lost for motivation and ideas on how to work out, taking your exercise regime onto a console may be the way forward for you. They are time saving, fun and can certainly provide a great workout if you put the effort in.
