Thanks to modern technological advances, fifitness can be fun.
We all grew up playing. When we play we do not think about exercise. We play because it is fun and we enjoy it.
There is a big difference in playing and exercising. Exercising is more structured and is simply not fun. It can be enjoyable, but for the average consumer, it is nothing to write home about. What we do know is that being physically active and working out provides a number of health benefits. Just knowing this should be enough to keep us active for life – but it’s not anymore. The obesity epidemic is spreading like wildfire, and although many people are turning to the fitness industry for help, most of them leave it after a short time.
What is the reason? One of the major reasons is that generations change. There are over 90 million in our current generation, and this generation is driven by technology. Whether it is computers, iPods, or video games, they are motivated and intrigued by the latest updates and features concerning technology. Unfortunately, they are so used to technology providing an intriguing lifestyle that traditional activities do not “fit in” as well anymore. This generation is talking to us. They are telling us that fitness has to change with them. How many of you are listening?
I was presented with an interesting opportunity several years ago to help open the very first fitness facility for kids that focused on making fitness fun. This place was unique and it definitely provided customers with that “WOW” factor. It was a new form of fitness. It was not just exercising, and it was certainly not traditional. It is being called Exergaming, and it is now a part of the fitness industry. It works, and it’s fun!
Technology in the Industry
The fitness industry cannot be blamed for not trying to create a more appealing and engaging experience when exercising. During the 1990s, the fitness industry encountered a positive response from customers when they incorporated traditional exercise pieces such as a treadmill or exercise bike with a television screen or other technology allowed the user to be “entertained” as they engaged in physical activity. This combination of technology-based devices and exercise is called exertainment.
Similar to exertainment, interactive fitness activities involve the use of exercise and technology-driven devices to encourage physical activity. Examples of interactive fitness may include: 3 Kick, Makoto, Sportwall, iJoy, Coretrainer, HopSports technology, etc.
Exergaming takes the form of a technology-driven game that requires the participant to use his or her body to play. Exergaming activities are accompanied by some sort of screen that incorporates some style of video game. The other common denominator is that all Exergaming activities require the player to use his/her body as the controller.
The History of Exergaming
Videogames can be traced back to 1958 when Tennis for Two was developed by William Higinbotham. It was not until the 1980s that Autodesk developed two systems, the HighCycle and Virtual Racquetball that attempted to incorporate exercise and gaming. HighCycle was an exercise bike the user controlled movements on a screen by pedaling through a virtual landscape. Virtual Racquetball used an actual racquet to hit a virtual ball in a virtual environment. In both the HighCycle and Virtual Racquetball, users could wear a head-mounted display to simulate a 3-D environment and create more immersion when playing the game.
Atari’s Puffer project of 1982 was the first recognized attempt at producing an exergaming activity. Puffer was an exercise that would hook-up to an Atari console and all of the actions on the screen were controlled by the user’s body movements. In the late 1980s, Nintendo tried again with the Powerpad, but little recognition was given and it faded from the market. The Computrainer was the next exergaming system released to the market in the mid 1980s, and it is still available today. These exergaming activities did not gain popularity for several reasons: 1) they were considered expensive, 2) they were hard to maintain and 3) users were intimidated by the technology – reluctant to participate in fear that they would be embarrassed while trying to “play” the games. They were obviously not a part of this gamer generation.
Then, in 1998, Kanomi’s Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), was introduced to the Japanese video arcades and quickly migrated to the US. Since this movement in exergaming began, many activities have surfaced and been released to the market such as: Cateye Gamebike, 3 Kick, X Board, Cybex Trazer, Sportwall, ExerSation, EyeToy, Xavix games, Expresso Bikes and most recently, Nintendo Wii. Health clubs, YMCAs, JCCs, recreation centers, and schools have all gained interest in incorporating exergaming in their facilities. The Xrtainment Zone, Fitniks, Bulldog Interactive Fitness, Fizzed’s, and Next Gym are a few stand-alone facilities that are based on the concept of making fitness more fun with exergaming. The XRKade is a new concept in exergaming that can be incorporated in a facility, like the spinning class model, or serve as a stand-alone facility.
The Popularity of Exergaming
What makes exergaming so popular? Exergaming takes the fun aspect of gaming and adds a fitness component. This clever combination has made exergaming attractive not only to the gamers, but to anyone interested in helping find solutions to the obesity crisis.
What Does Exergaming Look Like?
Walk into an exergaming environment and the first response is that you may have entered into a Sci-Fi futuristic arcade zone. Imagine yourself racing against a friend on a snowboard down a snowy mountain, dodging trees, jumping cliffs and riding rails; or maybe you prefer to pedal fast and race your dirt bike through a challenging course full of steep ramps, sharp turns, and dangerous off-road adventures. For a real virtual experience, strap on a magic belt that puts you inside the video game. Move quickly and jump high to keep balls from smashing on the floor, or avoid the trap attack by trying to collect as many red dots as possible. Many of these games put the gamer in a virtual or fictional world for extended periods of time. They are engaging and entertaining, and they offer the user the positive benefit of exercise.
How Does Exergaming Work?
It’s simple. This generation loves games and is relentless when it comes to playing them as long they are fun. Because exergaming is self-paced, success levels increase and participants are motivated to continue playing. Also, part of the enjoyment of exergaming is gaining the problem-solving skills required to advance to higher levels. As players acquire such skills, they begin to experience success at different levels of the game. The results: Players become so engaged and attached to the possible outcome; they forget they are actually exercising.
Is Fun just a Fad?
Exergaming is coined with the idea that it makes fitness more fun. Douglas Lowenstein, president of the Entertainment Software Association has said that, “The video game industry is entering a new era, an era where technology and creativity will fuse to produce some of the most stunning entertainment of the 21st Century. Decades from now, cultural historians will look back at this time and say it is when the definition of entertainment changed forever. Exergaming is going to become more and more entertaining as new and intriguing features and graphics continue to be released. The coolest and most engaging games have not even been created yet.”
Another key to keeping Exergaming fun is through appropriate programming. Programming allows for different games and activities to be implemented which creates a new atmosphere for the users. Instead of becoming a redundant activity, the Exergaming environment can constantly change and offer users new ways to play games and stay motivated. (Not including appropriate programming is stirring up a recipe for failure.)
The fitness industry has been trying to evolve for years. You may be signing up new members, but IHRSA’s retention guide is telling you that you are not keeping them. In fact, 15 to 17 million memberships are created annually, but 12 million are lost. Unfortunately, it may only get more difficult to keep members as this gamer generation becomes the adult market. Exergaming is bridging the gap between exercise and fun, and is still able to provide the health benefits of traditional exercise. Children, adults and senior citizens are all getting involved with this contemporary approach to fitness. Virtual bowling leagues have been established in retirement homes. Kid zones are popping up in fitness facilities. Schools are incorporating these activities in physical education and recess. And, more and more adults are asking where they fit in regarding exergaming in the fitness industry. They are telling you they are ready to play again. They are ready to have fun. What are you waiting for?
Lisa Hansen is the Co-Director of the University of South Florida (USF) XRKade Research Lab.