6 Video Games That Will Replace Your Gym Workout

If you are convinced that Dota and Resident Village are great cardio, and that building a gaming computer will serve as a substitute for arm training, then we are happy to inform you! There are other ways to pump up your body with video games. There are many projects – both those made specifically for sports fans and those that have proven to be a good help in increasing activity in everyday life. We will tell you about active video games that require the use of the whole body..

Zwift: running and cycling

Zwift is a multiplayer action video game and training program rolled into one. True, you will have to buy a treadmill or indoor bike. You can compete with a thousand players in real time, overtaking them on online mountain trails. Or leisurely cover kilometer after kilometer alone. The program will show your distance traveled. Everything works as in life: watch your breathing, keep the rhythm and try not to get off the route due to fatigue!

Zwift works on PC, Mac, Android, iOS, and AppleTV. The app lets you choose from a variety of training plans to build endurance, prepare for long rides, improve your fitness in high-impact mode, and even have some good old-fashioned racing fun.

Just Dance: dancing

A classic of games that involve the whole body is Just Dance. It is a series of rhythm games with a simple plot and bright hits of the past year. You can play without special devices, but the whole thrill of the series is in the controllers for tracking movements, which read your progress and convert it into game points. You can also use a special Just Dance Controller app on your smartphone, which tracks movements thanks to a gyroscope.

You can play by choosing from several modes: compete with other players, just dance to the music or have a real workout to pump up your whole body. There is also a special mode for children with popular tracks and simpler movements.

The franchise was loved for its attention to choreography and costumes, and its colorfulness. The game is fun to play both alone and with a whole crowd at a party. And the combination of physical activity, popular music, and ease of learning were especially popular with the mass player.
The game has been updated almost every year since 2009, and has delighted with fresh new products and tracks that have become popular thanks to the Internet.

Ring Fit Adventure: Fitness That’s Not Boring

If you’re looking for ways to entertain yourself while working out, this Nintendo Switch-specific program will brighten up your workouts. According to the plot, the player must defeat a bodybuilding dragon using physical exercises. Cross the plains by running in place, attack enemies with overhead shoulder presses, and replenish your health bar by performing yoga poses.

Ring Fit Adventure tracks player progress, including calories burned, workout time, and exercises completed. However, to dive in, you need a Nintendo Switch and workout accessories: a special Ring-Con ring and a device for attaching a sensor to your foot. All of these are sold separately and will cost a pretty penny.

This action video game contains RPG elements. Each completed exercise gives experience points. Along the way, the player can collect ingredients for a smoothie, which restores health. Or look for special sportswear with high characteristics in stores. You create an unusual gaming experience for yourself, while doing sports! The gamer can adjust the workouts to their needs, choosing from categories of exercises for arms, legs, abs, or to improve stretching and flexibility.

Beat Saber: Rhythmic Movements to Cool Music

You’ve definitely seen recordings and streams of this game on the Internet! Beat Saber combines the rhythm game genre and VR technology. The player is immersed in a world of 3D blocks that need to be cut in the right direction with light swords that you control with your hands. One sword is red, the other is blue, and you can use each of them to destroy a block of the corresponding color. But be careful! On your way, you may encounter obstacles that you need to dodge using your whole body.

The game has several difficulty levels, the ability to change levels using mods and a lot of cool music: from original soundtracks to popular compositions.

The particularly enjoyable part of the game is that active movements of the arms and body burn calories and improve coordination!

Pokémon Go: Walking with augmented reality

The controversial game reached the peak of its popularity in 2016, but still pops up in the media as an example of the use of augmented reality. The essence of the game is as follows: Pokémon Go uses GPS navigation and a smartphone camera to superimpose images of Pokémon on the real world. The goal of the players is to catch as many Pokémon as possible. Alone or together with other players, gamers walk through real-life places, fight each other or with strong Pokémon.

If you decide to remember the past and go out to catch Pokemon, do not forget about safety! There are many cases when players got into accidents while chasing the desired baby or wandered into places inappropriate for games.

Pistol Whip: VR Shooter

The VR game combines elements of rhythm games and first-person shooters, in which the player must shoot enemies, dodge bullets and beat them in hand-to-hand combat, all to the beat of the music! Each level has its own original electronic soundtrack that sets the pace.

The project looks stylish and encourages beautiful play, rewarding for using several types of weapons, cool combos and dodging bullets at the last moment. Bright and beautiful levels immerse you in the atmosphere of the John Wick series of films. Epic battles require quick reactions, accuracy and a sense of rhythm from the gamer. And high replayability is achieved through modifications and customization of levels.

Another plus: the game requires active movements, which allows you to have fun and get physical exercise at the same time.