Does Gamifying Fitness Really Help You Lose Weight?

Gamification is the act of turning a mundane task into something fun. This can be done for just about anything, from careers to health and fitness. In fact, gamifying has demonstrated such as success rate that many fitness products have been hitting the Internet in one form or another.

Although a lot of these devices are just outside of my affordability range, they absolutely pique my interest. That’s because I personally know just how effective gamifying can be.

If it wasn’t for finding fun ways to get healthy and lose weight, I wouldn’t be here to write this post today. And that’s not an exaggeration.

Here is an example of how effective gamification can be; according to statistics, operational gamification can boost conversion rates of companies by 700%!

That’s why a lot of developers are diving heavily into taking gamification to a variety of platforms.

How Gamifying Fitness Helps

Gamification works by tapping that part of your mind that makes activities fun and rewarding. You might think that living would be reward enough, but for many people, it’s not.

If it were, a lot of people with unhealthy habits would quit.

When you gamify something, though, it’s no longer a mundane chore that you dread when getting up in the morning. Depending on how you turn fitness into a game, you could actually get quite excited to “play.”

Gamifying fitness is all about creating a positive mindset that boosts your motivation to do certain things.

For example, a lot of game developers have created apps for devices that rely on your physical movement to play. And if you get a game that has good progression and engages your mind, you can easily burn calories and fat without realizing how active you are.

It’s why gyms have televisions sitting in front of treadmills. Engage the mind in another activity and the walking part doesn’t seem boring or dull.

How many times can you use a workout DVD or set up a playlist on YouTube before the exercises seem tedious?

Making it a game, however, starts tapping that mindset of breaking records, scoring points, and winning while competing with others. Play a game you find exceptionally fun, and you could be entertained for years.

My Experiences with Gamifying Fitness

Turning my workouts into something fun and engaging has helped me lose 80 pounds while keeping it off for the past seven years. This is because I constantly look for something fun or try a new product to see if it’s better than what I’ve been playing.

I’m the type of person who can’t simply crank out a set of push-ups, sit-ups, or run just because. I have to engage in something that has an immediate reward. Otherwise, I tend to just give up and be done with the activity.

Essentially, I get extremely bored.

Now, I’m not saying that gamification is the perfect method of losing weight and getting healthy. I know a lot of people who are successful without gamifying fitness in any regard.

Unfortunately, not all of us are built that way. Every person’s experience with exercise is vastly unique, and some of us need that extra motivation to stay inspired.

I am one of those people.

I’ll never own workout DVDs or make exercise playlists on YouTube because I know I won’t be able to stay focused on those things for very long. I need engagement and interaction within my environment.

How I Gamify Exercises for Fitness

Everyone will have a specific viewpoint of what they find fun. Not everyone thinks strapping on wrist weights and playing tennis is ideal. The trick is finding a way that you can gamify fitness to make it enjoyable for yourself.

With that being said, here are some ways I keep myself motivated to continue working on improving health and fitness.

Using Apps and Wearables

A lot of companies are creating apps and wearable technology to cater to those who want to have fun while exercising. Some will augment reality through your phone to get you to walk and run more while others simply give badges and rewards for bragging rights.

The bottom line is that you have a plethora of options in today’s tech-driven world.

One of my favorites is using the Fitbit to burn calories while challenging friends and family to play some of the games that come with the app. I am particularly a fan of a bingo-esque game that uses your steps to turn tiles.

Tracking Progress and Breaking Personal Records

When working out, remember that you’re not in competition with anyone but yourself. Well, unless you gamify the workouts and challenge some friends or family.

I love collecting data and tracking my physical progress. I’ll set personal records in various exercises and then work to beat those numbers.

I geeked out quite a bit when I shattered my push-up record.

Usually, I use an app such as Exercise.com to track personal progress. Even though the app isn’t what it used to be, it still does a good job at keep track of what I’ve done in terms of working out.

Playing the Xbox Kinect – Still

I am a big fan of the Xbox 360 Kinect. In fact, it’s the primary force behind how I’ve lost 80 pounds. I have a series of games I still play to this day that keeps me going and burning calories.

According to average data, I can burn more calories in front of the Xbox Kinect than many people will by going to the gym for the same amount of time. This is because when I play, I really play.

I don’t just stand in the middle of the living room moving my arms about. I really get into the game and jump around the entire living room.

Test Driving the Oculus Quest 2

One thing I am interested in is how effective VR fitness is compared to something like the Xbox Kinect. Although the Oculus Quest 2 has fitness games, I don’t know if it’ll get the heart rate up more than what I do today.

But that is part of my point from earlier…trying something new to see if it works out better than what you’re doing now.

So far, I am a fan of Premium Bowling. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get my heart rate up like other physical games. I only burn about six calories per minute with VR bowling compared to 13 per minute with Kinect tennis.

Hand and Wrist Weights While Playing

Now, this isn’t necessarily a way to gamify fitness, however, it does vastly boost the workout while playing. I’ll strap one-pound weight gloves to my hands or add two-pound wrist weights while playing.

This increases the amount of energy your muscles expend during movement, which improves muscle density, reaction time, and endurance.

One pound doesn’t really sound like a lot until you’ve played something like Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for 30 minutes.

What Do You Find Enjoyable?

As I said, the best way to gamify fitness is by finding something you personally enjoy doing. Whether you’re into VR fitness or simply joining a sports team in your local area, the bottom line is getting in physical activity that you find fun.

Because if you’re enjoying yourself while keeping active, you’re improving your cardiovascular system, muscle definition, and burning fat while keeping your mind engaged.

Never underestimate how turning a mundane task into a game can keep you motivated.