What if we could exercise and make it fun instead of the old dreaded routine of going to the gym every single day after work, or finding the strength to get up in the morning for that early jog? Those are all great ways to work out if that works for you. But what about the people — like me — who need something else to stimulate their brain and body at the same time? We need new fun and innovative ways to stay in shape and enjoy our workouts.
Luckily for us, we have the age of technology at our fingertips. There are so many apps that invite us to have fun while getting some physical exercise. For the gamers out there, this can really help to kill two birds with one stone.
Benefits of Exercise
Exercise doesn’t just help with our physical health, but also our mental health. Sometimes we need to breathe in the fresh air while walking around our neighborhood while picking up some Pokemon eggs and watching them hatch. However, sometimes you have to walk great distances to hatch them. This forces you to get up from the screen and get outside and become active while playing. Getting outside and walking not only helps with exercise, but it also gives you a mental break from everyday life.
Let’s face it, we all need that sometimes. With family, work, school, there’s so much energy we build up that it has to be released.
Dance, Dance, Revolution
What about all those dancers out there? Does anyone remember Dance, Dance, Revolution from the late 1990s, early 2000s? (Oh my god, I can’t believe it was that long ago when they came out with that!) Of course, games have evolved and changed, but the idea still remains the same. I don’t know about any of you, but when I was playing that game, I would seriously work up a sweat. Now that I think about it, I’ve been wanting to get another one for a long time. It’s one of the best workouts. You are dancing your butt off while enjoying some of the coolest songs. How can you go wrong with that? While not everybody likes the music, you have to admit, it beats putting your running shoes on and running down the street!
Wii Fit
Not only did we get Dance, Dance, but we also were graced so nicely with the Wii Fit. I remember when this came out. At first, I wasn’t super into it, but then I started playing the games and I got really excited about it. I am such a nerd when it comes to bowling, and it’s actually a decent workout when you are doing it all the time. (Side note: they have college classes for bowling… I took one.) I got super into bowling and golf on the Wii, and I actually started to get into it in real life too. One thing leads to another and all of a sudden I’m going golfing every weekend and loving it!
My point is that we can totally geek out on things from video games and still have fun while doing it and getting our exercise in. I remember when I was younger, we were always playing outside until the street lights came on, and honestly, sometimes even after that. Very rarely was I stuck playing video games all the time. It actually made the act of playing video games even more sweet, because I felt I was gone from them for so long.
Street Fighter
Now, I’ll admit. One of my favorite video games to play to this day is Street Fighter. I could not get enough of it when I was younger playing against my older brother. Of course, during that time, I was a little young, so I used to just win by pressing any buttons that I possibly could… But then I learned how to actually play. It was a sweet, sweet victory when I won. I’ve taken that into my real life too.
I love to do martial arts and kickboxing. (You could say it runs in the family.) So anytime I actually get to a gym or when someone has a bag at their home, I’m always envisioning myself as Chun Li, kicking ass and taking names. Who wouldn’t want to be her?
Apps
There are so many different game apps out there that will help you to stay in shape and keep your gaming on. One that I have really been wanting to try these days is Zombies, Run! I would love to hear about people trying it and how it works out for you. I find it to be just the thing that might elevate my “geeking out” on zombies. One thing is for sure, I am definitely going to be ready for the zombie apocalypse.
All of these games improve us mentally for something. They teach us to have better hand-eye coordination. They teach us about how to strategize and discipline ourselves to reach a goal. We can also learn how to stay fit while we make it fun and enjoy our favorite games. Sometimes, we have to take our favorite games and simply use them as inspiration in the outside world and imagine we are in the games we love so much.
I hope you can get creative and find the right games for you that will help you along your healthy geek path. Until next time!
