Many of us set fantastic exercise goals; join a gym, promise ourselves that we'll set aside a certain amount of time each day for exercise etc.
But then we give up. It’s too hard. We don’t like exercise or something more interesting comes along. Imagine if your exercise regime was fun? Something you looked forward to as it not only helped your fitness levels but also entertained you.
That’s exertainment! Officially described as, “Any form of exercise that includes aspects of entertainment, especially exergaming” it's the latest trend getting us to enjoy our workouts.
At first, this may sound a little gimmicky, but there are some good reasons why exertainment makes sense.
Why do Exertainment?
- The more you enjoy it the more you'll do. To make exercise effective you need to make it a lifestyle choice and partake in it regularly. It makes sense that if you enjoy it you'll want to partake more.
- You will work harder. When you're not concentrating solely on the exercise you'll find you can do more. When your mind is focusing on something else it can make your workout seem shorter and more exciting. This is best suited for activities such as static cycling or running in a place where you don’t need to concentrate too much.
- Extra stimulation makes you achieve more. Research shows that certain athletic activities can be improved by different stimuli, for example listening to music. Motivational music helped exercisers push through fatigue and increased endurance up to 15%.
- It can encourage children to exercise. In the USA 16% of children between the ages of 6-16 are overweight and it is similar around the world. This has many health consequences and one way to encourage the younger generation to get active is by doing what they love - gaming!
Now we know why to do it, the next question is - how? Here are some different types of exertainment.
Types of Exertainment
Exergaming
This is when video games are used as a form of exercise. Defined as technology-driven physical activities, such as video gameplay, that requires participants to be physically active or exercise in order to play the game.
These games usually track body movement and require the user to apply full-body motion to participate in virtual sports, fitness activities and other interactive physical activities. Examples include virtual tennis, kickboxing, dance, golf, yoga and many more.
Static cycling
Get on a static bike plug in an app, watch the screen and you can be cycling the Tour de France in no time. Prefer to compete? No problem! Enter an online race where you can compete with your fellow static bikers.
If this isn’t entertaining enough you can plug into an online class where your instructor can see how you are doing and push you in the right direction.
Immersing yourself in your surroundings can take away the chore of exercising and make you go further and faster.
AI trainers
If you want to take your trainer with you, save money or have personalised attention, an Artificial Intelligent (AI) trainer could be for you.
From bio-sensing headphones which monitor your real-time heart rate, pace, distance etc and give you feedback as you run to clip-on sensors that provide feedback on your fitness levels and improvements. These devices can provide personalised information to keep you motivated.
Immersive experiences
Some fitness establishments are going all out to keep you entertained, with 3D curved screens, super sound, and storytelling as you exercise. You can run around the world, cycle in outer space and punch in a boxing ring, all from the comfort of your local gym.
Whilst these experiences may not be widely available yet, fitness establishments realise the constraints on getting customers through their doors so many are beginning to invest in immersive experiences.
Geocaching
It may not be an as high tech as the above options, but it gets you out and about whilst being entertaining. For those who don’t know Geocaching is a type of global treasure hunt of people looking for caches, or hidden stashes of objects.
After downloading the app, you search for different coordinates and locate them to find the next clue, keeping both your mind and body active.
Fitness technology has come a long way since the first pedometers were introduced and our expectations of interactive technology have developed at a rapid pace since online tennis and basic gaming.
As we continue to demand more from our free time a combination of exercise and entertainment seems a logical step and if it means that everyone can enjoy their exercise which will improve health and wellness then game on!
Combine exertainment with a healthy diet
A great way to improve your health is to include our superfood juices in your diet. Our organic superfood juices have a high nutritional value.
Frozen immediately, they’re natural energy boosters and are packed full of all the antioxidants, amino acids and enzymes needed for good health.
