Summary
Setting a workout routine for yourself is often easier said than done. If you’re looking for a simple way to start exercising, look no further than a current or older Nintendo console. Here’s where to start.
Build Your Stamina With the Switch
Few consoles offer as much variety in fitness and sports games as the Nintendo Switch. Whether you’re looking for a quick workout or a full routine, the Switch has something for everyone.
For a light workout, sports and dancing games likeNintendo Switch SportsandJust Dance 2024are the easiest way to keep yourself active for hours. Although they’re not as strenuous or demanding as a traditional workout, these games are effective at burning calories. Between the massive song selection of theJust Danceseries and the abundance of sports available inNintendo Switch Sports, the Switch makes it easy to spend hours working up a sweat (just be sure towear the Joy-Con’s wrist strapwhile you play).
PokémonLet’s Go PikachuandLet’s Go Eeveecan also help you stay active, albeit in a less direct way. Both titles allow you to import your Pokémon fromiPhoneandAndroidmobile hitPokémon GO, meaning you can fill your Pokédex during outdoor walks rather than spending hours glued to a couch.
Switch owners also have access to numerous fitness games that can be incorporated into a proper workout routine. Games likeFitness Boxing,Knockout Home Fitness, andLet’s Get Fitprovide a mixture of upper-body and full-body exercises, along with the option to build workout regimens according to your preferences. These games also encourage you to maintain a consistent schedule by tracking your daily logins, calories burned, and other stats that illustrate your personal progress.
However, few workout games are as effective asRing Fit Adventure. Using the Switch’s Ring-Con controller and Joy-Con leg strap,Ring Fit Adventureleads you throughturn-basedbattles reminiscent of role-playing games likeFinal FantasyandDragon Quest. But rather than selecting attacks from a menu, all your actions inRing Fit Adventureare performed through strength, cardio, and yoga exercises. Between fights, you’ll run, jump, and shoot targets in a variety of linear obstacle courses. In addition to the campaign,Ring Fit Adventurealso features individual workouts and a rhythm game mode for shorter sessions.
Ring Fit Adventureis much more intensive than most other fitness games on the Switch, but that’s arguably its greatest strength. Exercises that involve squeezing the Ring-Con use the controller’s resistance to help develop your upper body strength. Likewise, the leg strap allowsRing Fit Adventureto track lower-body exercises, which are rarely seen in other Switch games.
There are few fitness games on the Switch that are as varied and feature-rich asRing Fit Adventure. The lengthy campaign will keep you hooked for hours, and the RPG-inspired leveling and upgrade systems provide plenty of reasons to replay the game on higher difficulties. With over 60 exercises that strengthen different parts of the body,Ring FitAdventuredelivers the most thorough workout experience on the Switch.
The 3DS Tracks Your Daily Step Count
Even Nintendo handhelds can provide fulfilling workouts. The DS featured some fitness games likePersonal Trainer: Walking,Personal Fitness, andMy Weight Loss Coach, but these portable workout titles seemingly died out before the 3DS was released. However, you can still get fit with the 3DS by using its most underrated feature.
You may have likely forgotten (or never even realized) that the 3DS contains a built-in pedometer. While in rest mode, the 3DS counts your steps and records your total step count for each day in the system’s activity log. you may check the activity log to see your progress for each day, and compare the number of steps you took between multiple days, weeks, months, or years.
After every 100 steps, the 3DS will reward you with a “Play Coin,” which can be exchanged for prizes or currency in various games. Up to 10 Play Coins can be earned in a single day, encouraging 3DS owners to form a routine of logging at least 1,000 steps every day.
Most games on the 3DS use the pedometer solely for exchanging Play Coins, butNintendogs + Catsis one of the rare exceptions. The virtual pet simulator provides the option to walk your dog (or cat) by using the pedometer. The amount of steps taken during these walks determines which prizes you receive the next time you return to the game. There is no upper limit on how many steps or prizes you’re able to receive, which provides a way for 3DS owners to exercise for longer while still being rewarded.
To be fair, the 3DS isn’t as accurate or easy to carry as a traditional pedometer orfitness tracker. But for those looking for a reason to start jogging every day, the 3DS offers plenty of incentives.
The Best Workouts Are on the Wii
Few consoles were as influential as the Wii, and its impact on fitness games cannot be overstated. Although the Switch is home to some of thebest games in the fitness genre, there’s a reason people keep coming back to the Wii.
Much of the Wii’s success came from its impressive ability to turn exercise into a staple of game nights with friends and family. Like its Switch counterpart, the simple yet endlessly enjoyable design ofWii Sportsallows anyone to join in and start burning calories. While most ofWii Sportsboils down to just swinging the Wii remote, you’ll likely find yourself running around in its tennis matches, performing full swings in golf and baseball, or flailing wildly while boxing.
Wii Sportsisn’t the only game to transform light workouts into simple party games.Just Dance,Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games,Wii Sports Resort,Dance Dance Revolution, and many other Wii games all help you stay active without even feeling like you’re exercising.
The Wii is also worth owning for its massive selection of proper fitness games, with the most notable beingWii Fit. The game uses the Wii Balance Board for a variety of strength, yoga, and aerobics exercises. Some of these involve following a trainer through exercises of varying complexity, while others are imaginative minigames that test your balance and stamina.
Wii Fitisn’t a highly intensive game, especially when compared toRing Fit Adventure, but it makes up for its limited difficulty with an abundance of useful fitness tools. Using the Balance Board as a scale,Wii Fitcan measure your body-mass index (BMI) and create a custom workout routine for you. WithWii Fit, it’s easy to measure your progress over time and see the effects of the game’s exercises. As an introduction to exercising,Wii Fitis one of the best fitness games ever made (and it’s fairly inexpensive to find a second-hand model, too).
Not every fitness game on the Wii is as thorough and feature-rich asWii Fit, but the console still boasts an impressive variety of workout programs and exercises. Whether it’s boxing withGold’s Gym: Cardio Workout(the precursor to the Switch’sFitness Boxing), dancing alongsideZumba: Fitness Core, or strength training withMy Fitness Coach, you’re likely to find the right workout for you on the Wii.
Fitness Has Always Been Part of Nintendo’s DNA
Even before the Wii sparked a fitness craze within the gaming industry, Nintendo had been combining fitness and gaming since the ’80s.
Nintendo previously published various toys and peripherals that aimed to make fitness seem fun. One of the first fitness-oriented releases was the Power Pad, a floor mat created for Bandai’sFamily Fun Fitnessseries on the NES. The Power Pad featured pressure-sensitive buttons and supported sports games such asWorld Class Track Meet(originally released asStadium Events) andSuper Team Games.
Nintendo continued to publish fitness products in the late ’90s, starting withPokémon Pikachu—a pedometer that also functions as a virtual pet. By logging steps with thePokémon Pikachu, you’re able to earn currency to buy presents and raise your friendship with your pet Pikachu. Nintendo later released a second generation of thePokémon Pikachuas well as the Pokéwalker—a similar pedometer/virtual pet that came bundled withPokémon HeartGoldandSoulSilver.
Yet even with their many advancements and innovations over the years, Nintendo’s fitness games have never been designed to replace traditional workouts.Ring Fit Adventuremay burn some calories, but don’t count on getting a six-pack just by playing it. Instead, these games ease you into a proper workout routine through light exercises presented in creative and entertaining ways, making them perfect for both beginners and experienced gym-goers.
Whether you’re struggling to commit to a workout regimen due to a lack of time or motivation, or you just want a healthy way to pass the time, Nintendo’s fitness games are the best way to start incorporating exercise into your daily routine.
Check out a few otherfitness video games that can help you work out while you play.
