
Unwind with these apps to help relieve stress, soothe your brain
Life can be stressful! Here are some easy tech solutions to help you take a moment for yourself.
Problem Solved
- Video games can provide fitness and mental health benefits.
- Gamified fitness can make working out more engaging and fun.
- Fitness-based video games are available on various platforms, including VR headsets, gaming consoles, and mobile devices.
Does working out feel overwhelming? Maybe make a game of it.
Video games can offer advantages for not only fitness but also mental health, and many people and companies are leaning into gamifying health goals.
About 76% of U.S. adults said that video games provided stress relief, with 68% saying they play to relax or pass time, according to a 2024 survey of 5,000 Americans from the Entertainment Software Association.
For those who use smartwatches, some of those devices, including the Apple Watch, have added specific options for tracking “fitness gaming” workouts.
In recent years there has been a movement toward gaming as a sport, said Peter Economou, an assistant professor of applied psychology at Rutgers University and the director of behavioral health and wellness for Rutgers University Athletics. If done in moderation, “there could be some really great benefits to it.”
Economou said people starting a new fitness journey should be cautious about setting rigid goals or steps, as this could lead to failure.
If fitness is something that people are doing as a resolution…