Play And Sweat! 5 Gamified Fitness Apps For Android

What would it take for you to choose the stairs over the escalator? Better endurance, stronger muscles, feeling good about yourself…or scoring bonus points to get free games for your smartphone? That is the question tackled by fitness app developers this year.

Atari, a well-known game and entertainment application developer, has made the headlines this week with their announcement of the launch of Atari Fit – a gamified fitness application. The app, developed under the watchful eye of fitness expert Michael Porter, combines fitness goals and practices with mobile gaming elements – to get maximum motivation and results for the users.

However, Atari is not the only company putting gamified fitness applications on offer in 2015 – more and more companies seem to have gone the extra mile to ensure we don’t miss out on morning exercise.

With the summer fast approaching, we are all on the market for ripped looks and these apps could not have come at a better time.

Atari Fit

We kick off with Atari Fit and the app’s new functions. By simply downloading it at the Play Store, you will get over 100 exercises and 30 workout routines for running, conditioning and muscle-building. In addition to lots of social share options to keep you motivated, the app will reward you with coins for completing certain exercises which will unlock some of Atari’s other games, like Pong Or Super Breakout, which come with their own Leaderboards, creating a kind of “game within a game” layout.

AtaruFit is compatible with most wearable devices out there, like FitBit and JawBone and works on both Android and IOS. So, if you are still looking for a good excuse to not try this app, you probably won’t find one.

FitBit

One of the big names in fitness motivation, FitBit has also got into the game, so to speak. It has recently added three separate game components to its existing application to bring even more motivation to its users. Now with Fitbit you can participate in challenges with friends or your outer fitness circles. You may be quite reluctant to get up at the dawn of day for that planned jog – but wait until you see that your best friend is already out there sweating. Wanting to beat him/her to it and then throw it into their face may not be the right kind of motivation, morally speaking – but we’ll take what we can get.

The fitness routines in the proposed challenges bear tale-telling names, like Weekend Warrior, Daily Showdown and the Workweek Hustle – and once you are in the game, you will learn to love each and every one of them.

Fitocracy

If you find the thought of sharing your fitness life with friends or colleagues embarrassing – you may feel more comfortable with forming your own fitness community, who will share you skill level and self-improvement goals. Fitocracy would be a good choice for that. The app focuses on building a fitness community of like-minded people and letting them motivate each other not through direct competition, but inspirational advice and success stories. So, as you complete challenges and get points – you get to meet new people and expand your social circle.

One of the best things about this particular app is that it groups you with people on a similar fitness level as you, so that you don’t feel inadequate or superior to any members of the group.

FitRPG

You probably can’t get a more gamified (in the traditional sense of the word) fitness solution than you do with FitRPG, at least for now. The app will turn your fitness achievements into a game character, who you can use to fight with other users, go on quests and more. As you move up and complete your fitness goals, your fitness data is used to increase your character’s speed, strength, endurance, experience, etc. – so that he or she can eventually “take on” others and complete more quests.

While seeing your calorie burn at the end of the day can be motivation in itself – using your fitness progress to build up a fictional character is somehow much more fulfilling. As more of your friends get involved in the game, it gets more and more addictive – so be warned that you may be overdoing it at the gym in no time.

Zombies! Run

If you feel that  you still can’t be motivated or talked into exercise – how about being scared into one? An app that is a true masterpiece of story-telling and virtual reality, Zombies! Run is sure to get even the most sceptical of us to put on the jogging shoes. Put on your headphones and go into a light jog – pretty soon you will hear the sounds of a dreadful end approaching, as hundreds of the living dead chase after you. You will hear orders and commands, helping you get to safety and will be guided to collect supplies as you go.Once you get home and catch your breath, you can use the earned points to build up a base and make it through another night in the post-Apocalyptic world. The app is probably the best sprint motivator out there – and if you are a fan of The Walking Dead – a great way to feel like one of the characters in the series.