Gamer!Exercise
Jun. 5th, 2022 01:50 pmI got a Ring Fit at the end of March (A game for the Switch that includes a peripheral ring and leg strap it uses to track/encourage movement), and have been loving it!
Back in college I sometimes got in the rhythm of going to the gym regularly, but I don't think I had the best gameplan about it... I would cycle through the machines, focusing on arms or legs depending on the day, and would run on the treadmill for a bit at the beginning and end to "warm up" and "cool down"... but after college I didn't have much access to a gym (especially with COVID-19) and my at-home efforts were quite weak. Doesn't help I ended up working-from-home for the most part, so I wasn't even walking to a bus stop or going out much.
But after moving to Boston, I've been having to do more activities (walking around, going in-person to work sometimes, etc) and have been embarrassed at how quickly I get out of breath... so after a coworker of mine recommended the Ring Fit, I gave it a try. There's not a gym in a convenient location for me, so I figured I should splurge on the pricey gaming periphery that won't expire like a gym membership would (in case I end up on-again off-again).
I love it! I always enjoy a game-ified exercise experience (As a kid I used to come home from school and just play Dance Dance Revolution for an hour), and the Ring Fit does a really good job of slowly ramping things up, but staying flexible, encouraging, and entertaining. The "story" is a little silly, but I'm okay with it as a framing device for me to fight little monsters with planks XD. Plus, the game does a really good job of always making me warm up and cool down after the exercises--My coworker warned me that the one time she skipped her cooldown, she was super sore the next day, so I've stayed vigilant. I think I've never really learned how to do proper warm-ups/stretches, so a machine that tells me exactly what to do and how long is super helpful.
And I only play a couple of times a week (sometimes a few days in a row if I've got time), but I do feel like I've been doing better. I'm no longer as easily tired when I go to work and have to go up those subway steps... And I feel better generally as well. If you have a Switch already and like gaming but want to exercise, I would recommend!
Back in college I sometimes got in the rhythm of going to the gym regularly, but I don't think I had the best gameplan about it... I would cycle through the machines, focusing on arms or legs depending on the day, and would run on the treadmill for a bit at the beginning and end to "warm up" and "cool down"... but after college I didn't have much access to a gym (especially with COVID-19) and my at-home efforts were quite weak. Doesn't help I ended up working-from-home for the most part, so I wasn't even walking to a bus stop or going out much.
But after moving to Boston, I've been having to do more activities (walking around, going in-person to work sometimes, etc) and have been embarrassed at how quickly I get out of breath... so after a coworker of mine recommended the Ring Fit, I gave it a try. There's not a gym in a convenient location for me, so I figured I should splurge on the pricey gaming periphery that won't expire like a gym membership would (in case I end up on-again off-again).
I love it! I always enjoy a game-ified exercise experience (As a kid I used to come home from school and just play Dance Dance Revolution for an hour), and the Ring Fit does a really good job of slowly ramping things up, but staying flexible, encouraging, and entertaining. The "story" is a little silly, but I'm okay with it as a framing device for me to fight little monsters with planks XD. Plus, the game does a really good job of always making me warm up and cool down after the exercises--My coworker warned me that the one time she skipped her cooldown, she was super sore the next day, so I've stayed vigilant. I think I've never really learned how to do proper warm-ups/stretches, so a machine that tells me exactly what to do and how long is super helpful.
And I only play a couple of times a week (sometimes a few days in a row if I've got time), but I do feel like I've been doing better. I'm no longer as easily tired when I go to work and have to go up those subway steps... And I feel better generally as well. If you have a Switch already and like gaming but want to exercise, I would recommend!
no subject
Date: 2022-06-07 02:57 am (UTC)Exercise is so much better when you're having fun :D
no subject
Date: 2022-06-07 11:47 am (UTC)