Gamifying your exercise
A bunch of apps that make exercise fun and interesting, gamifing how we think about getting outdoors. Revolutionise your fitness journey and transform cycling, hiking, and outdoor adventures into exciting quests. Embrace the outdoors like never before!
Making exercise fun and interesting
Are you getting a little bored with your everyday routine? In an era where staying fit has transcended conventional gym routines, outdoor enthusiasts are increasingly turning to innovative methods to spice up their cardio fitness journey. Among the myriad ways to make exercise more engaging, gamification stands out, blending the thrill of outdoor adventures with the gratifying sense of achievement found in video games. Let's delve into some captivating platforms and concepts that promise to elevate your outdoor activities to a whole new level of excitement.
Most of these platforms are "powered by Strava".
Wandrer.Earth
Wandrer.Earth is a unique platform that challenges users to explore new roads around the globe by foot or bike. By tracking your walks, runs, and rides, Wandrer.Earth awards points for every new kilometre cycled on uncharted roads, turning every cycling outing into a quest for exploration. It's an enticing way to motivate users to leave the comfort of the usual route and discover the hidden gems that lie off the beaten path where you otherwise wouldn't go.
Squadrats
Similar to Wandrer.Earth, Squadrats is about ticking off locations you haven't been to before. Instead of streets, tracks, and paths, the world is broken up into different-sized squares - the smallest being one mile by one mile and the most considerable 8 miles by 8 miles. You must record an activity in one of those squares to tick it off, using just your muscle power, wind, or gravity. By connecting these squares, adventurers expand their personal empire, aiming for the grand prize of forming an übersquadrat or übersquadratinho.
Score My Line
Inspired by the adventurous spirit of GeoWizard, a YouTuber renowned for his attempts to navigate across countries in a perfectly straight line, Score My Line invites adventurers to undertake their own straight-line challenges. The goal is simple yet profoundly challenging: choose a starting point and destination, then navigate the route as closely as possible to a straight line, regardless of the obstacles in your path. This could mean traversing private properties, navigating dense forests, or crossing rivers. Score My Line tests your navigation skills and resolve to stick to the less travelled path. Check out GeoWizard's escapades at Score My Line for a dose of inspiration.
Summit Bag
For mountaineers and peak baggers alike, Summit Bag introduces a gamified platform to track and celebrate the mountains you've conquered. Users earn points, badges, and a spot on the leaderboard with each summit, encouraging friendly competition among fellow hikers. It's a digital testament to your mountaineering achievements and a motivational tool to aim higher.
Zombies Run
An oldie but a goodie, blending fitness with immersive storytelling and survival excitement. You start the run with headphones in, and the app tells you a story and details the zombie apocalypse scenario. While you listen, you need to collect supplies and run errands, and every now and then, the story will be interrupted with "Zombies RUN!" and you have to break into a sprint; otherwise, the zombies will get you, and it's "game over".
Gamifying your exercise routine through these innovative platforms and challenges injects some fun into your fitness regime. Whether you're pedalling through unexplored roads, paddling imaginary squares in the ocean, navigating straight lines across rugged terrain, or summiting peaks, the fusion of adventure and gamification makes something interesting. So, why not turn your next outdoor activity into a thrilling game? The world is your playground.
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