Have you ever thought to use gamification as a next generation catalyst for your fitness? I recently had a highly engaging gaming experience with Nike. Check out the first game ever powered by your everyday movement.
Motivation is critical to achieve your fitness goals. To stay motivated, most people join a gym, sign-up for a marathon, or convince a poor soul to keep them accountable. Nike has now made it a reality to leverage the addictiveness and heroism that we find in games to help you be more fit.
Humans desire advancement and unfortunately most times after we crush a workout, we don't have a system to tell us what our score was or how well our activity has trended over the last month. Gaming and specifically NikeFuel Missions ensure your runs are not in vain. Nike's gear tracks your movement and applies NikeFuel points to your activity which allows you to unlock new missions and videos, advance your character thru a rugged storyline, and gain gear to help you perform better.
Real internal conversations I had as I ran to complete my NikeFuel Missions:
- "I can't quit now, I won't complete the mission."
- "I ran 25 minutes yesterday so I have to run 30 minutes today to beat my last score and advance in the game."
- "I wonder what the next level video is…If I stay at this pace, I'm sure to unlock it."
- "I have to run 3 days in a row to unlock the bonus mission."
Am I just a ginormous dork? Well…yes. But I bet if you engage with these Missions, you'll find yourself having similar internal conversations and pushing yourself harder than ever before. Embrace gamification and allow it to be your next generation catalyst to fitness.
Steps to Start Your NikeFuel Missions:
- Go to http://www.missions.nike.com.
- Select your country.
- Click "Begin Journey".
- Create a free Nike+ account.
- Choose a device that will track your movement and sync with the game.
- I use the Nike+ Running Appwhich is free. Or you can purchase a Nike+ FuelBand or SportWatch.
- Sign-in to NikeFuel Missions using your new Nike+ info.
- Begin your journey.
- Nike allows you to select your celebrity avatar (I chose Calvin Johnson).
- Select a difficulty for each mission (Easy / Medium / Hard).
- Play mission. (When the timer begins, boot up your app or device and get running!)
- Once the time expires on the mission, it will sync with your device and calculate your NikeFuel and tell you if you completed or failed the mission.
Gamification is a win-win. Nike wins because they created an immersive environment where you engage with their brand consistently for an extended period of time for FREE. And the users win because we are having fun competing in a game that is making us healthier.
Level-up your fitness today.
Question: What are your greatest fitness motivators?
