Pokémon GO is hitting harder than the original, and those looking for this summer’s trendy new workout have latched on with both hands. Hey, the game’s even got gyms, what could be better?
To say Pokémon GO is taking the world by storm could get you kicked out of the understatement club for being too conservative.
If this keeps up it will have more active users that Twitter, and in only 2 weeks! There are already 3 times more people with smartphones clenched firmly in fist, looking for Charmander, than looking for their next hookup on Tinder; in only 10 days, really! Maybe orgasms aren’t what they used to be…
Not since Nintendo rocked us with the Wii has electronic entertainment done so much for weight loss. Sure, Wii made us think we were fantastic tennis players, but you really could work up a sweat in the privacy of your own home. Who wants to stay inside during the summer, though? That’s where Pokémon GO’s GPS enabled Pied Piper comes in.
It leads you around your neighborhood in search of virtual Pokémon characters; how fast you catch them is up to you. If you’re trying to turn it into a workout, you have ample opportunity. If the powers that be at Niantic get their server issues ironed out so Pokémon GO doesn’t crash so much, there are a couple Pokémon GO workouts that do the trick.
Pokémon GO Speed Workout
This one’s easy; run, don’t walk. Sprint between PokéStops or gyms, and run when finding and collecting Spearow and Zubat. There’s a game screen that tells how far away Pokémon are from you. If you’re up for it, choose the most distant. If not, go closer as necessary. You’ll have to figure out where it is, so if you start moving and it seems Pikachu is in a neighborhood you’d rather stay out of, pick again.
You know how I feel about high intensity workouts, and upping the speed ups the intensity. Sometimes you’ll have to go a few kilometers, so an all-out sprint may not work for you. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is probably a better use of your fat loss time anyway. Sprint at 100% for 30 seconds, then go at a fast walk for 60. Repeat until destination is reached. Stay well hydrated on your quest, so don’t forget to bring your water bottle.
Use your discretion here, especially in the suburbs, where those little blue PokéStop squares can be further apart. In case you consider driving, it may not work. I tried driving to go the indicated 3 kilometers last night, and it looks like the game can tell you’ve gone beyond walking speed. That, or the Android/Samsung/T-Mobile data connection combination was having an issue; wouldn’t be the first time.
Pokémon GO Speed Plus
Okay, so we know cardio isn’t the most effective fat burning prescription. That’s why they invented weights, after all. To up the fat burning quotient of your Pokémon GO workout a bit, it’s time to mix in some resistance training.
Since you’ll be hard pressed to lug around a set of dumbbells while on the GO, I’m thinking body weight exercises are the way to go here. Stay with the HIIT workout concept, then add in some new wrinkles:
- When fighting, count the number of screen taps it takes. That’s how many burpees and pushups you have to do. If you’re more advanced, or winning/losing too easily, double them. Hey, when you do your burpees, don’t cheat yourself. Really try to jump as high as you can!
- Reward yourself for wins and losses. Winning a battle means you get to do 10 pushups. Losing means 30-60 seconds of lying bicycles, depending on your fitness level. (Remember, those were found to be themost effective ab exercise in a comprehensive university study). Really, you win either way.
There are endless variations of the Pokémon Go workout. Remember the rules for fat loss workouts and incorporate them into your Pokémon Go routine: Compound resistance training movements first, and high intensity interval training cardio second.
Safety first, though! Don’t want to get nabbed by an errant bus as you stray off the sidewalk in search of Rattata…
Have you been using a Pokémon Go workout for training? What are you doing to make it into a workout?
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