Making Exercise Fun: The Impact of Fitness Gamification

Last December, Michael Garcia began frequenting his local Dave & Buster’s in Gaithersburg, Maryland, to enjoy a unique arcade game called Pump It Up. This game involves moving in sync with music while colored arrows guide your steps on a platform. As challenges increase, the rhythms become faster and more intricate. Soon, 26-year-old Garcia found himself devoted to the game. Originally playing for an hour or two weekly, he now often spends entire days engaged. ‘Saturday, I stayed here for 8 hours,’ he notes. ‘I even packed a lunch to keep playing.’

Notably, Garcia noticed encouraging changes in his physical health. He lost weight and felt fitter than he had in years, but playing Pump It Up never seemed like a workout. Why is this the case?

Becky Harlan/NPR captures Garcia posing by the Pump It Up game. The game encourages players to move with the music’s beat.

Research into fitness gamification helps explain this phenomenon. Dr. Mitesh Patel, a specialist in this area and leader of the behavioral insights team at Ascension, remarks on the goal: ‘It’s about making necessary but often dull activities (like exercise) enjoyable.’ Games like Pump It Up captivate through the allure of points, levels, and challenges intertwined with physical movement. This dynamic fuels player motivation to continue gaming — and exercising.

Applying these methods to routine fitness activities can make a real difference. Life Kit converses with Patel and Elizabeth Lyons, from the University of Texas Medical Branch, who explores gamification’s role in motivating exercise in older women. They share practical tips on how to make workouts as enjoyable as gaming.

1. Set a Goal

In gaming, objectives drive focus and motivate progress. Patel recommends treating exercise similarly by defining clear fitness goals. Whether it’s walking 10,000 steps daily or running 6 miles weekly, tracking activity is vital. Wearable technology like Fitbit or Apple Watch, along with smartphone apps such as Google Fit or Strava, can assist in monitoring steps, heart rate, and distance. Even traditional methods, like recording workout time in a notebook, can keep you accountable.

2. Engage in Competition

Competition can enhance workout efforts, as shown in a 2019 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Patel and his team challenged overweight and obese employees to a step-tracking contest; those competing with others walked more. Apps like Zwift enable users to race peers in virtual environments using personal equipment. Workplace wellness programs also offer competitive incentives. Fitness video games, such as Nintendo’s Ring Fit Adventure or VR games like Supernatural and Beat Saber, introduce competitive elements to workouts.

3. Collaborate with Others

Collaboration also boosts physical activity, according to the 2019 study. Groups performing together towards a common objective demonstrated improved efforts. Patel suggests setting shared exercise goals with people you trust; mutual accountability helps maintain commitments, even when motivation wanes.

4. Introduce Playfulness

Lyons emphasizes adding unpredictability and fun to fitness. By designing games, she motivates exercise through intriguing challenges. In Galveston, Texas, she encourages older women to explore through photo challenges and nature walks. Introducing whimsical elements, like photographing neighborhood flora or personal trail records, creates excitement in routine exercises.

Ultimately, any enjoyable engagement, whether active or contemplative — is worthwhile. If exercise evokes happiness or meaning, then it’s a positive experience.

The audio component of Life Kit received production support from Audrey Nguyen and engineering backing from Stu Rushfield. Malaka Gharib edited the digital version. We welcome your feedback. Leave a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email [email protected]. Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or join our newsletter.