Technology has been a gamechanger for the fitness industry, and the introduction of apps and tracking systems has helped countless people get into healthy habits. Indeed, it’s estimated that two million more people exercise now than did ten years ago in the UK alone.
Gamification has been one of the key methods for motivating people to stay active, and this has recently led to the exergaming trend. This combines exercising with digital games, allowing for an interactive experience that’s designed to make working out more fun.
Gamification Has Been an Excellent Tool for Consistent Engagement
It’s no surprise that fitness businesses have turned to gamification, as it’s an excellent engagement tool that has worked consistently across different industries. The online casino industry is one place where this has worked particularly well, as there’s strong competition between different operators in the industry.
Some have started to offer a free casino game that players can play every day when they return to the site. This gives them the chance to win prizes and is also skill-based so they can try to get better at it. This can work better than a static bonus, as it engages players and gives them something to work for.
There are other examples of gamification across countless brands and industries. One of the key aspects marketers have learnt from games is the idea of reward systems, and these have been brought into everyday apps and pages. For example, Starbucks allows customers to collect stars over time. The more they accumulate, the greater the rewards. There are also productivity tools such as Hard Reset that encourage consistency through streaks and leaderboards.
How Does Exergaming Encourage People to Get Active?
Motivation is one of the main stumbling blocks that people face when trying to develop good exercise habits. Apps like Strava have tried to help people with this by adding reward systems and streaks that encourage people to keep posting new workouts. However, some people need more than this, and that’s where exergaming comes in.
The idea of exergaming is that players have to play games with physical movement rather than sitting there with a controller. It can involve jumping, punching, and dancing, and is designed to get people moving. With workouts disguised as missions, these titles offer players another layer of motivation to complete them.
Could This Be Enhanced Further With VR?
A lot of exergaming titles take place in virtual reality, where it’s easier for the technology to track people’s actions and translate them to in-game activity. As VR and the haptic technology that accompanies it improves, these exergaming offerings could be enhanced further.
For example, people may soon be able to put on haptic suits and stand on multidirectional treadmills while they play games in VR. They would be able to run and act within the game, completing exercises that are disguised as mission-based tasks.
Anything that helps more people get into fitness has to be a good thing, and the rise of exergaming is helping with that. For people who need that extra bit of motivation to get moving, this could be the answer.