Lists / 12 January 2024

5 Games Than Can Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals in 2024

If you are like me you may have set yourself a New Years Resolution to become healthier and to look after yourself. 2024 marks the year I turn 30, so I really want to enter my 30s as a better and healthier version of myself.

As someone who struggles to find time to go to a gym, I find working out in the comfort of my own home a lot more feasible for me as it cuts out the time it takes for me to get to my local gym, which could be better used actually working out.

So, I have compiled a list of 5 video games that I will be playing this year to help me reach my 2024 goals. I would be interested to see if you have any other fitness style games that you play? Let me know in the comments below.

Just Dance 2024

Console: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S
Released: 24th October 2023

Just Dance 2024 is the newest release in the Just Dance franchise. Since last year, Ubisoft has moved to a launcher and the newer releases almost feel like a DLC that gets added to this main launcher. So if you have Just Dance 2023, your 2024 maps will be found in the same application which I find really nice as it allows you access to all your new content instead of switching to an older game.

I am very new to Just Dance but I have really been enjoying learning choreography for the songs in the games playlist. I am someone who can’t dance, but I enjoy vibing out in the privacy of my home, and with my partner, but I would never say that I can dance. However, Just Dance has started to give me a lot of confidence with my moves, especially the more I learn the choreo.

The songs vary from being “easy” to more extreme and definitely feel like full body work outs. I was surprised after my first session how much the muscles in my arms were aching as if I have been lifting weights. So far I have really been enjoying Just Dance 2024 and I am looking forward to improving my dancing.

Ring Fit Adventure

Console: Nintendo Switch
Released: October 18th 2019

Ring Fit Adventure is an exercising action role-play game by Nintendo. I think mixing an exercising game with a role play style game is such a great idea and I am surprised something like this wasn’t done sooner. In Ring Fit Adventure you are tasked with defeating a bodybuilding dragon called Dragaux. You make your way through the story mode, all while defeating enemies and bosses while working out.

The game can be customised to you depending on your age and weight and how difficult you would like the experience to be. If you decide to step up the difficulty, Ring Fit Adventure can be a full blown workout without even needing to step inside a gym. After each course you can check your pulse using the controller and you can see an estimate on how many calories you have burned.

Fitness Boxing 2

Console: Nintendo Switch
Released: December 4th 2020

Fitness Boxing 2 is the second game in the Fitness Boxing series on Nintendo Switch. Compared to Just Dance and Ring Fit, Fitness Boxing definitely feels closer to a fitness program rather than a game.

As the name suggests, Fitness Boxing is all about boxing. The game offers a range of workouts based on a few simple moves such as jabbing and straight punches. Eventually the more you play you will unlock other boxing style moves into your workouts such as uppercuts, and dodges. While these moves are simple, combining them with bobbing around like would if you were in a boxing arena, you can work up a sweat rather quickly.

You use these boxing style fitness moves to the tune of the games curated music. The song selection isn’t huge and are all covers, probably to help with licensing, however, the beats in the songs work with the punches so I found that the music selection didn’t bother me too much.

While Fitness Boxing 2 is not much different to the first game in the series, the original Fitness Boxing is now a lot harder to come by as this version has basically replaced it. So if you are looking to pick up Fitness Boxing, I would recommend Fitness Boxing 2.

Let’s Get Fit

Console: Nintendo Switch
Released: May 13th 2022

Let’s Get Fit is another game that feels more like a fitness program rather than a game. Lets Get Fit is a fully customizable experience, allowing you to follow set programs, or create your own workout tailored to your wants.

Each fitness program in the game targets a specific area of your body or a type or workout such as strength and cardio, all the way to gentle exercising and stretching. Each program in the game lasts 30 days, with each session being around 15 minutes in length. As each day passes the sessions will increase in difficulty with the idea that you are building your resilience over time.

Instead of choosing a program, you can also fully customise your own workout. With this option you can add or remove certain exercises depending on your own needs. Lets Get Fit also records your statistics over time and lets you know how many calories you have burned which is great if that is the target of your workouts.

Pokémon GO

Console: iOS and Android
Released: July 6th 2016

If you are looking for an excuse to go walking outside more, then Pokémon GO is a great way to feel motivated. Pokémon GO is an augmented reality mobile game set in the Pokémon universe.

If you are not familiar with Pokémon, Pokémon is a franchise consisting of video games, a card game and tv and films. Humans co-exist with creatures known as Pokémon (almost like animals) that have a special powers. The most well known Pokémon being Pikachu who is an electric mouse. Pikachu is a great example on how most Pokémon are, with the majority of them being based on a real life animal, mixed with an elemental power.

I think the beauty of Pokémon GO is that there isn’t really a strict goal for what people can do. You can try and collect every Pokémon in the game, or you can try and get a really strong team for online battles. Personally for me, I have been trying to collect every Pokémon, but I have many friends who play mainly for the battles.

To find Pokémon you have to walk. As you walk around you will come across Pokémon that you can try and catch. Due to how many Pokémon there are in the game, to try and collect them all is a huge task, but it means this isn’t a game you are going to complete any time soon. I have personally been playing on and off since the release in 2016 and I still have not caught every Pokémon, especially with how often the game gets updated with new Pokémon and tasks to complete.

If you know me personally, or have been a member of Cat Is Loaf for a while, I am sure you are aware that I am a huge fan of the franchise, so it would be no surprise that I would recommend Pokémon GO. It is a great excuse to go outside and take a walk, or can give you a bit of excitement if you have to go out and your not really feeling motivated.