Need a new source of motivation for your next sweat session? Enter exergaming, the high-tech way to optimise any workout.
Technology is forever surprising us with a constant stream of new gadgets designed to help chase our fitness goals. From wearable devices to the latest treadmill invention that tracks just about everything, we’ve come a very long way from Jane Fonda’s iconic follow-along-at-home VHS tape workouts.
Just last year, it was reported that the sale of smart watches in Australia is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of almost 15 per cent between 2022 and 2026 – a dead giveaway that we’re openly embracing innovation when it comes to scoring workout wins.
But what if technology was to go back in time? Think back to the days when your morning workout was set in the living room (Jane Fonda, optional). Popular ’90s video games like Dance Dance Revolution and Nintendo’s Power Pad were two of the first dubbed ‘exergames’ for the way they encouraged physical activity in a game-like scenario. Insanely popular, they were among the earliest examples of facilitating an entire exercise workout without the user realising that they were, in fact, working out.
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While the gaming boom of the past decade has certainly contributed to a rise in sedentary living for many die-hards, niche parts of the industry, such as those that promote the gamification of exercise, have persisted. Now, it’s one of the fastest-growing areas for digital offers, and is attracting a completely new, non-gamer customer base.
“The uptake [of workout products on gaming platforms] has been high, especially in people who would typically find exercise boring, because it engages people emotionally,” confirms Hayden Thin, founder of Melbourne gym, Club Forma. “It does this by acting on the reward pathways of the brain, engaging areas responsible for goal-oriented behaviour by increasing the level of neurotransmitters associated with reward and excitability, such as dopamine.”
It’s not just for at-home workouts, either. Exergaming is slowly taking over commercial gyms, too, with a number of equipment brands introducing interactive tech to their latest model stationary bikes, treadmills and rowing machines, often allowing users to compete against one another.
“Consistent exercise behaviour is driven by enjoyment; most games have a score system or goal-oriented outcome, which helps to drive motivation while performing exercise,” explains Thin. “Engaging with other online players helps foster compliance via accountability and competitiveness.”
As anyone who’s lost countless hours to tile-matching puzzle game Candy Crush Saga knows, this kind of gamified reward system is highly addictive by nature. But when it’s put to better use as a motivator to move, it works in our favour – not against. And users are lapping it up.
The other workout game changer has been virtual reality (VR) tech. Last year, the global VR fitness market was valued at $165 million, with a projected compound annual growth rate of almost 40 per cent that is expected to last until 2029, according to a recent HTF market report.
“VR exergaming is particularly popular as it facilitates exercise in environments that people wouldn’t usually work out in, such as homes, in care facilities and even hospitals,” says Thin. It’s also incredibly helpful for those who are older, recovering from injury, or who can’t engage in exercise in its traditional form. “VR is being used for people who have limited mobility, providing them with a safe and engaging way to exercise at home,” he adds.
So what exactly counts as an exergame? According to personal trainer and brain-health coach, Ryan Glatt, it’s anything where a type of points or score system is present, or there’s an end goal that supercharges a motivation boost. “As well as this external focus on a goal, people can have what’s called ‘enhanced expectancies’. That means they expect they will get better, and believe they can outperform their prior performance or achieve a specific goal,” notes Glatt.
Intrigued? Well, rightly so. Anything that makes getting or staying fit fun and produces better results is a bonus. Here are the most popular apps and videos to add a competitive edge to your weekly workouts. Let the games begin.
If you love boxing…
Nintendo Switch Fitness Boxing 2 $60, amazon.com.au
Fitness Boxing 2 is a game introduced by Nintendo Switch to bring a full-body workout to the comfort of your living room. The clever offering adopts a rewards system by encouraging you to punch to the beat through a series of jabs, hooks and uppercuts. Designed to incorporate your abs, legs and shoulders, as well as your arms, it’s a guaranteed heart-rate booster. With a range of instructors and challenge levels to choose from, each workout promises to burn calories and tone your body just like a regular boxing class, only this one is sure to draw on your competitive side.
If you love dancing…
Just Dance 2022 $50, bigw.com.au
Just Dance first entered the exergame scene in 2009 where it became the go-to activity for school sleepovers and family game nights. Today, it remains one of the most popular exercise video games on the market. The rhythm-based program asks users to follow along to fast-paced choreography paired to pop songs, collecting points for every move you hit on the beat. You can play solo or with others in a one-v-one scenario. Either way, bring your coordination A game.
If you love rowing…
Holofit VR Fitness App $18/month, holodia.com
This VR exergame can be used on its own for bodyweight exercises or connected to your fitness machine – be it an exercise bike, rower or elliptical – so you can take your cardio to a whole new world (literally). Take part in a fully immersive workout while you traverse various virtual environments, from forests and oceans to mountains, even outer space, until you completely lose track of how many reps you have left to complete. And just to make sure you’re up for the challenge, HoloFit adapts to your fitness level in real-time, meaning it’ll adjust the difficulty level based on your performance – so no slacking off.
If you love cycling…
Zwift Virtual Training App $23/month, us.zwift.com
Whether you’re seeking the adrenaline of a time trial, the thrill of a criterium or the camaraderie of a team challenge, Zwift allows you to plug into a virtual world with hundreds of different courses, all from the comfort of a stationary bike – whether it be in your living room or one at your local gym. Strap in each week to meet with a regular line-up of competitors as you test your cycling athleticism across familiar and unfamiliar terrains. It’s a dynamic, high-calorie-burning workout that’s sure to leave you sweaty with satisfaction.
If you love HIIT…
Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure $120, jbhifi.com.au
Nintendo is one of the leading and long-standing players in the exergame market, having introduced a number of console-based exercises that users can play either on their own or with friends through virtual connection. Ring Fit Adventure, made for the Nintendo Switch, is a resistance-based workout set in a fantasy world that requires you to move your body in short, high-intensity bursts to interact with the environment, and then level up through a variety of physical activities such as squats, abdominal twists and overhead presses.