Views and Visions: Exercising in the new normal Part 2

レアジョブ英会話 Daily News Article Podcast

Continued from Part 1… In the game, the player holds a controller in each hand and is guided by a virtual trainer through a workout that features a variety of punches, steps and ducks. It keeps track of your statistics, including how many punches you have thrown and how many calories you have burned. A desire to improve those numbers gave me extra motivation to continue and it turned out to be the perfect workout for me to do before work. And of course, it was nice to be able to exercise and get fit safely, even during a pandemic. I obviously wasn’t the only one with this idea. Another exercise game, Ring Fit Adventure, has been sold out for months. I was finally able to buy a copy in September and started playing it in the evenings. It has a storyline and you interact with characters, so it feels similar to a regular role-playing game. The only difference is that to move your character, you have to run on the spot. And to attack an enemy, you have to do sit-ups or squats. I usually break a sweat after only five or 10 minutes. I hope that life can soon get back to normal and I can get my exercise in other ways. But for now, video games are my unlikely solution for staying fit. (Joel Tansey) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.