This Forgotten Nintendo Switch Game Can Improve Your Workouts.
"Ring Fit Adventure" can be a good option to achieve your fitness goals if you prefer to avoid the gym.
The days of January have passed, and with them, the New Year's resolutions that often fade quickly. Many people, after the holidays, tend to cancel their gym memberships, and the idea of going for a run in cold and dark weather can seem daunting. According to some studies, about 20 percent of those who start a gym regimen in January abandon it within a month, and only 22 percent manage to stick with it throughout the year. But what if, instead of going to the gym, you could use video games to burn calories?
The idea of exercising while playing video games might sound appealing, but it’s not always as easy as it seems. An article reflects on the experience of integrating exercise-focused video games into a daily routine, revealing interesting results. Before diving in, the author clarifies that they are not a personal trainer, and their experience is solely personal.
From the daily routine of writing about technology and video games, the author admits they had not been very active. The pandemic had disrupted their routine, contributing to a noticeable weight gain. Reality hit hard when blood tests revealed they were in the prediabetes range, leading to a transformation. They returned to the gym focusing on cardio and weightlifting, which ultimately helped them lose weight. However, they hit a plateau, leading them to try a game they had acquired years earlier: Ring Fit Adventure.
The game is set up as an RPG in which the user interacts with a Pilates ring. Characters perform exercises that lead to a series of battles where effectiveness depends on the intensity and duration of the moves. At first, the author was skeptical, but soon realized that the sessions were more demanding than expected. The combination of exercise with RPG mechanics kept their interest and motivated them to continue the routine.
As the month progressed, and after some holiday celebrations that complicated their exercise plan, the author decided to try Fitness Boxing 3. This game focuses on cardiovascular activity through sequences of punches in time with music. Although more intense than Ring Fit Adventure, the author found it harder to concentrate on this game due to its more direct focus on physical activity rather than narrative.
Finally, upon weighing themselves after a month of testing both games, the author found they had lost a few kilograms, in addition to noticing a toning that they had not experienced with their usual routines. Through this experience, they concluded that exercise video games are valuable tools for health, but they should be complementary to a broader approach that includes regular training and good nutrition. Additionally, they emphasized that the variety of exercises was key to achieving their goals, suggesting that when people are having fun, they are more likely to stay on track toward better health.
