As we embark on a new calendar year, many of us find ourselves setting various New Year’s resolutions. These can be a variety of things based on various topics. One that many tend to start with is focused around fitness, this could be as simple as wanting to integrate more exercise into your daily routine or joining a local gym. For some of us, fitness is something that we would rather focus on at home by doing home workouts instead. Don’t forget, it is also completely normal to also not set any New Year’s resolutions and just explore different and fun ways to keep fit.
While I’m not very good at keeping any New Year’s resolutions that I set, this is where I decided to combine my love of video games and options to help get me moving and having fun at the same time.
Now, I do want to quickly add, I am not a trained fitness professional in any way. The thought behind this post is to highlight some of the fun ways you can combine gaming and fitness together in moderation, as well as showcasing some of the many games that focus and include fitness skills/mechanics.
The Early Days of Fitness Games
You may think fitness and video games are a strange combination, but in fact, they’ve been very common for well over twenty years now. Think back to the Nintendo Wii days, you may well recall the launch of the Nintendo Wii Fit. This was a global smash hit for fitness games from the moment it was released, and is still relatively popular to this day. However, it’s been noted that video games focused on fitness have been a thing since the 1980s with games such as HighCycle by Autodesk as well as games like Dance Dance Revolution from the late 1990s.
Now, let’s fast-forward to 2026, and there’s still a vast selection of fitness-themed video games available across Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Consoles. Here are some of the current health and fitness-inspired video games available on the current market!
Wii Fit & Wii Fit Plus
The classics of Nintendo Fitness Games. Whether you owned both at the time or just Wii Fit, it is still a popular choice even now. Both featured a range of different exercises and fun mini-games that players of all ages could get involved in. Of course, in time, Nintendo followed up the original release with Wii Fit Plus to expand on the fitness gaming experience with new mini-games to play.
Wii Fit U
When the Wii U was released, it was only natural for Nintendo to release an updated version of the much-loved Wii Fit games. This new version came with many of the exercises from Wii Fit Plus (minus a small handful) but also added a number of new dance and aerobic mini-games.
Ring Fit Adventure
What can somewhat be described as the Nintendo Switch edition of Wii Fit, Ring Fit Adventure to an interesting approach to combining fitness and the video game world together. Progressing through various levels, fighting enemies using various exercises and taking on the big bosses one exercise at a time. Now, at approaching six years old, the game still proves popular for new and returning players.
Just Dance
It goes without saying that Just Dance is still going relatively strong in 2026. Having been released initially back in 2009, it has continued to grow from platform to platform over the years. Incorporating popular music tracks from various artists and genres, Just Dance is still a popular choice to get moving to!
Beat Saber
For those with VR, the rhythm game Beat Saber is another fun way to incorporate some dance moves into your gaming mix. From ducking and jumping around to ensuring you’ve hit each of the boxes as they move towards you as you play, this is definitely one that would be lots of fun to play. With various levels and music tracks to choose from, this is one you could really customize your experience to make it truly your own!
Also, did I mention that technically, you get to hit every block with swords? Yes, swords, to a degree anyway!
Zumba: Burn It Up!
Zumba took the world by storm some time ago now, which naturally led it to be introduced to the video game world as well. However, it appears to still be a popular choice now. While there hasn’t been a new Zumba game since 2019, you can still pick up the latest release of the cardio and Latin dance-style-inspired game on Nintendo Switch.
Fitness Circuit
Featuring a range of different workouts, Fitness Circuit strives to make exercises accessible and fun for all! The game features over forty different exercises focused mainly on cardio and strength and uses the Super Circuit Training Method. Create your own plan to meet your goals and dive in!
Fitness Boxing
Fitness Boxing on Nintendo Switch has seen several variants released over the years. Most recently, Fitness Boxing 3 as well as one version collaborating with Hatsune Miku. Having been released initially in 2018, this boxing game incorporates having fun while learning the basics of boxing alongside a customizable in-game coach.
Fitness Boxing feat. HATSUNE MIKU
Sticking with Fitness Boxing on Nintendo Switch, there is also the version which features the one and only HATSUNE MIKU! While the premise of this iteration of the game remains the same as seen in the Fitness Boxing games, this time you are accompanied by HATSUNE MIKU.
You’ll also discover some specially selected songs, outfits and workouts themed around the HATSUNE MIKU universe, as well as some other familiar faces in game.
ARMS
ARMS was one of the first games once the Nintendo Switch was released to take advantage of the new motion controls. The fighting game may look easy, but it surely packs in one hell of a workout! Use your Joycon to control your character’s arms and take on your opponents.
While ARMS isn’t traditionally a fitness game as such, it is in its own unique way.
While this is only a brief look at fitness-inspired video games out there, it does seem like Nintendo is the one to lead the way with the genre. There are still plenty more out there to explore, including earlier iterations to some mentioned in this post.
Whether you are someone who regularly works out or you are looking at introducing some basic and gentle exercises, there are plenty of options you can explore. Fitness games are a great way to get moving and can easily be a fun addition to any healthy lifestyle!
Are there any fitness-themed games that you’ve played that you recommend to others or that you have fond memories of? Drop a comment below!
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