NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ - Providence Health and Fitness located at 18 South Street in New Providence is offering online classes.

Virtual / offering online classes that include all styles of yoga (Hatha with a flow, Vinyasa yoga, and Restorative yoga), barre (Barre Intensity and other styles of barre), Zumba, Mat Pilates, willPower, stretching classes, and FREE Meditation. Our team of virtual teachers include Kathy, Larry, Alison, Miguel, Heather, Lauren, Tabitha, Angel, Sherri, Paola, and Karen.

Please come try a class online. We are getting creative. Adding Stretching classes, cooking classes with Larry, and willPower with Heather that doesn't need any props. We also have added a Yoga Adventure Class for children 2 through 7. It is so cute. We will add more class times during the day too. So please sign up on our websitewww.providencehealthandfitness.comand help us survive. We need you and you need us! 🙂 !!!

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If you are not already coming to Providence please go to our websitewww.providencehealthandfitness.comand create an account profile. Our business program is very easy to follow and it will prompt you to go and buy a single class or maybe a class card. Nothing will expire so no worries. Remember keeping the body alkalized is so very important to help keep the immune system strong. Larry, Providence's nutrition guru, has great suggestions for keeping the body alkalized. I am eating my miso soup everyday 🙂 Watch for his classes online.

This virtual stuff is new to us so bare with us -- but we got this, and we are in this together so stay strong and positive. 🙂 See you online! Any suggestions please email mekathy@providencehealthandfitness.com

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Providence Health and Fitness Offers Online Classes - TAPinto.net

By Jamie Samhan. 56 mins ago

Chris Hemsworth has announced his fitness and health app Centr will be free for the next six weeks.

We have been incredibly inspired by the outpouring of support and positivity from the Centr community during this challenging time. We hope that by making Centr available to everyone for this extended period, we can help even more people stay strong, healthy and find a sense of calm at a time when we all need that the most, the actor said in a statement.

RELATED: Chris Hemsworth Donates $1 Million To Help Combat Australias Wildfires

He also posted the news on his Instagram where he spoke of the importance of staying healthy while in isolation, I think now more than ever is when we need to focus on what I believe to be the 3 key pillars to living healthier and happier- movement, nutrition, and mental fitness.

According to a press release, Centr includes access to over 1,000 unique workouts, 500+ delicious recipes, and entry into Centrs private Facebook community which provides a nurturing and supportive space for members to engage and share experiences with others from anywhere in the world.

RELATED: Chris Hemsworth Slams Story Suggesting He Hired Drinking Water Trucks For His $1M Garden Amid Australia Drought

New customers must sign up by March 31, 2020 through the Centr website to get the free weeks. Select any program and the six weeks will be applied.

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Chris Hemsworth Gives Away Six Free Weeks Of His Health And Fitness App Centr During This Challenging Time - ETCanada.com

The federal government is working on a third stimulus package that would aid specific industries that have been affected by the spread of the coronavirus, and IHRSA, the trade association for commercial club operators, is lobbying for health clubs, gyms, studios and fitness industry suppliers to be included.

The third stimulus package also may allow for the creation of a small business interruption loan program, according to an article from Politico.

Related: SBA To Provide Small Businesses Impacted by Coronavirus (COVID-19) Up to $2 Million in Disaster Assistance Loans

IHRSA sent a letter to leaders of both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate sharing that the 39,750 U.S. health clubs and studios are vital to the economy, serving 64 million consumers, generating $32.3 billion in annual revenue, and employing more than 425,000 people.

Despite these impressive numbers, many clubs and studios are in fact small businesses, disproportionately impacted by the disruption COVID-19 is causing to the economy, the letter, signed by IHRSA President and CEO Joe Moore, reads.

The letter states: As front line providers, it is also crucial that clubs and their suppliers need to be up and running and providing valuable services when the world returns to normal.

Moore shared that exercise can improve immune health and improve respiratory health, both of which are important to fight COVID-19.

The letter goes on to say: Now is not the time for America to lose one of its best preventative tools for reducing the impact of viruses and diseases such as Coronavirus 19. It is vitally important to the health of our nation that we maintain a strong health club and fitness industry, they are on the front lines of improving Americas physical and fiscal health. It is for these reasons that health clubs, studios and fitness industry suppliers must be included in any COVID-19 economic relief package.

As soon as Congress began working on economic relief packages for businesses and industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, IHRSA and IHRSA board members began working with the associations Washington, D.C.-based lobbyists.

IHRSA is urging the fitness industry to join its lobbying efforts by going hereand contacting their members of Congress.

As of March 19, Congress has worked on three stimulus packages due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The first package was signed by President Trump on March 6, providing $8.3 billion to combat the spread of the coronavirus through medical research and testing.

The second package was passed by both houses of Congress this week and is expected to be signed by the president. This phase, which is estimated to cost $100 billion, will provide two weeks of paid sick and family leave, increased unemployment insurance benefits, increase funding for Medicaid and food security programs as well as free coronavirus testing for people who are uninsured.

The third stimulus package is to address industries and small businesses impacted by business disruption from the coronavirus.

According to a Politico article, the proposal for the third stimulus package currently includes creation of a small business interruption loan program as well as $50 billion in help for the airline industry and $150 billion for other distressed sectors of the economy.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said that the Senate will remain in Washington, D.C., until the third stimulus package is passed.

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Fitness Industry Fights for Inclusion in Third Federal Stimulus Package Related to the Coronavirus - Club Industry

As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the world, its normal to be worried about catching it and thats causing rising anxiety levels globally.

In addition to following processes intended to protect physical health, its important to pay attention to mental health related to the outbreak.

An outbreak like this affects everyone, and an emotional response to its impact is normal, said Mikayla Johnson, disaster behavioral health coordinator and administrator for the Division of Behavioral Health at the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services. However, dont allow worries about the virus to control your life.

Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations such as an infectious disease outbreak that requires social distancing, quarantine or isolation. People may feel:

Anxiety, worry or fear related to health status;

Time taken off from work and the potential loss of income and job security;

The challenges of securing needed things, such as groceries and personal care items;

Loneliness associated with feeling cut off from the world and from loved ones;

Anger at being exposed to the disease because of others perceived negligence;

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Staying mentally strong during the coronavirus outbreak | Health and Fitness - Lincoln Journal Star

NEWPORT As social distancing and quarantines become the new norm, gyms and fitness studios are going digital in order to bring home exercise and a sense of community to viewers.

Mend Yoga, located above the Firehouse Theater, had 150 people tune in live to its first virtual class held Tuesday afternoon.

Mend classes are donation-based and available via Vimeo, a live stream service. Anyone can access the video via the link in its Instagram bio (@Mend_Yoga), or the link can be sent if one signs up for its email list through the website.

Mend is currently offering its signature sculpt class, a 60-minute HIIT class that incorporates yoga, though it intends to add meditation and vinyasa options if people continue to tune in and donate.

OUR BIGGEST CLASS EVER 150 of you showed UP for us and for yourselves today, proving that even in tough times (no, ESPECIALLY in tough times), community is stronger than anything. If you missed us during our 3:30 livestream, well be keeping the video up for the rest of the night. If youre new here, please make a donation to our Venmo @mend_yoga. More classes coming soon, well keep em public if you keep supporting us!

A post shared by mend (@mend_yoga) on Mar 17, 2020 at 2:14pm PDT

When asked about the response to their donation-based system, the founders say its all a part of the community theyve fostered in their first six months being open. You give and you get. Were happy to have put ourselves out there and have people willing to support, co-founder Lexi Geschke said.

The founders said making these classes public is about potentially introducing it to new people and giving everyone a way to stay healthy and strong while staying home.

Its proven that a healthy body helps with immunity, Brooke Finocchiaro, a co-founder said.

They stressed that the mental benefits are just as important.

A lot of people just had their entire schedule cleared and they have unstructured time. That's the hardest thing when dealing with anxiety or depression or anything right now, Geschke said.

The videos go live at 3:30 p.m. daily and are available until 9 a.m. the following day.

Another local studio offering online classes is Studio Barre.

Currently, Studio Barre is featuring two 45-minute total body workouts via Vimeo people can do at home using a chair in place of the usual bar. The workouts also require light weights, though if people dont have them, they can use water bottles, or even wine bottles, owner Kelsey Collard said.

Barre workouts consist of small isometric movements with a lot of stretching in between, Collard said.

Members can tune in free and anyone else can get the videos for $39 by emailing Studio Barre.

The studio is part of a small franchise of about 24 locations, and founder Shannon Higgins teaches the classes.

Obviously it's a super stressful time for everybody. Were all just cooped up at home on the couch figuring out the new normal. Before you know it, you've been home for a week and haven't done anything. We just want people to work out easily from home and show them its possible to stay strong and stay healthy, Collard said. Its such a mental release. too. Hopefully this will give them an opportunity to think about themselves and their health for 45 minutes without letting any other intrusive thoughts creep in.

In Middletown, Innerlight Center for Yoga & Meditation also went digital on Monday of this week.

Some people might consider it to be a fitness class, but I don't think of it like that. I think of it more as an opportunity to connect really deeply with one's being. The physical, the mental, the spiritual. Its important because theres so much pulling us out of ourselves into an unsettled state of mind, said Kim Chandler, founder of Innerlight. Yoga is strengthening as far as connections with ones self and with others. It's soothing for the nervous system and so important for the immune system.

Currently, Innerlight is offering classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon as well as Saturday at 8:30 a.m. The Monday class is free and the other classes cost $10 through the mindbody app.

The video is live streamed through Zoom, and the link for Mondays classes are available through Innerlights social media pages. For the paid classes, a link is sent after purchase. Soon, the studio plans to add restorative yoga and meditation, and available now is Chandlers meditative writing class.

Chandler mentioned that those who participated in the first yoga class Monday ended up staying on Zoom after the class to chat.

People have a chance to connect during this time where were all starved for that, Chandler said.

Something similar happened at The November Project, which normally takes place outside at Eastons Beach at 6:20 a.m. on Wednesday mornings.

The project is continuing its usual free community-based workouts on Zoom, and rather than its usual coffee shop outing after class, particpiants are staying on the Zoom call to enjoy their morning coffee virtually and be social.

We are a big community group that really thrives on us all being together. We miss out on that human connection by being stuck at home. It gives us a way to feel connected to each other, said Beth Blendell, one of the organizers.

Blendell and Erin Briskie are the founders of the Newport chapter of the November Project, which has 52 chapters around the country.

Everything is free and our workouts are always free. We want people to come and enjoy themselves and not have to worry about paying for it, Blendell said.

The all levels, bodyweight classes are available via live stream and can be accessed via the Facebook page.

Also offering free classes at the moment is Elevate Fitness.

Elevate runs an eight-week bootcamp, and because the facility is closed, the memberships have been suspended.

In the meantime, owner Kathy Martin is recording free workout videos on Youtube shes sharing on Elevates Facebook page.

Theyre primarily HIIT workouts, we also offer low-impact versions and a lot of bodyweight workouts right now. Martin said. Were making it user friendly, no equipment needed.

Martin spoke of the struggle all studios are facing. The bootcamps can be pushed off, but the problem is, can the rent be pushed off? Were in that position right now as a small business where we dont want to get ourselves in debt, she said.

This is a message the other studios mirrored.

This is going to be a week by week thing for me, Martin said, noting the business will be assessing its model as its moves forward during this time. But for now, shes just focused on figuring out the best ways to get content out to people.

rthatcher@newportri.com

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Newport area studios and gyms are getting creative with virtual fitness during coronavirus shut down - newportri.com

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With retail stores, gyms, and studios across the country currently closing their doors to slow the spread of the coronavirus, several companies in the running and fitness industries are stepping up to support their employees and others affected by the pandemic.

Some businesses, such as Brooks and Lululemon, have promised to pay their retail workers full compensation while the retail stores have closed. Others, including Nike and Under Armour, have pledged to donate money to support coronavirus response efforts.

Its important to note that large companies are perhaps better suited than smaller ones to weather the financial loss of temporarily closing their stores. Many smaller operationsincluding local running stores, fitness studios, and event organizersare struggling to stay afloat without customer foot traffic or races to pull in revenue at this time. Here are some ideas on how to support your local running community.

During this uncertain and isolating period, lifting each other up is of utmost importance. Here, were highlighting a few of the generous ways that companies in the running, fitness, and recreation industries are responding to the coronavirus outbreak.

Were keeping an eye on how other companies are supporting COVID-19 relief efforts and will update this list when possible. Also, please tell us in the comments if you know of a company assisting its employees and the greater community during this time.

The coronavirus spread is a rapidly developing situation. For the most up-to-date information, check resources like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) regularly. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.

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How Running, Fitness, and Recreation Companies are Responding to the Coronavirus Outbreak - runnersworld.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Alabama neighbors are coming with each other to sew masks for well being care employees fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospitals and medical facilities are dealing with a nationwide scarcity of masks and other individual protective devices. Immediately after reading through about an Indiana healthcare facility asking neighbors to assist sew masks, Kathy Environmentally friendly commenced organizing efforts in Alabama by way of Fb.

I rapidly figured out that I felt like, I thought there was likely to be a need to have, and that it was almost certainly too significant for me to control as a result of email, so I begun a Fb group, Environmentally friendly mentioned.

The team is called Facial area Mask Stitching for Birmingham, Ala. Health care and had a lot more than 1,300 members as of Sunday afternoon, March 22. Expert seamstress Christine McNeal is among all those attempting to enable. She also has expertise in the wellness treatment field.

We are also working with Jefferson County Well being Department. We are in contact with infectious sickness physicians at UAB. We just want the masks, and we will make absolutely sure we get them into the proper palms to be dispersed appropriately, and also that they will be protected, McNeal mentioned.

McNeal explained team members are performing to observe down supplies desired for the mask design. Elastic is just one of their greatest wants.

I had now been attempting to get supplies, and was recognizing that we seriously desired to deal with the sources adequately due to the fact elastic is now the new rest room paper. Just request any one who sews, and is hoping to make masks, and you are going to know that elastic is in really brief supply, McNeal reported.

Team members created three diverse styles based mostly on wants in services. Individual protective devices is employed by health and fitness care industry experts, front desk personnel, and sufferers.

People just really want to support, and so, we produced a pattern that is uncomplicated and effortless to use, McNeal continued. Because elastic is in small supply, our sample only employs a foot of elastic on each and every aspect, six inches on every facet.

Not all members of the team have a stitching history. A lot of just want to discover a way to give again.

If you dont sew, volunteer to do something else. We are arranging drop off points to consider our masks to the groups that we are functioning with, and we will need to have men and women who can push. We might need to have men and women in the foreseeable future that can just cut materials, McNeal claimed.

If youd like to find out additional about how to help, click below.

33.518589 -86.810357

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Neighbors in Alabama appear collectively to sew experience masks for health and fitness care personnel - Mash Viral

By 2022, the number of fitness app users is expected to surpass 353 million people. AppDeveloperListing.com ranked the top app developers that help brands create top-performing software for the growing number of consumers in the health and fitness industry.

NEW YORK, March 17, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ --By 2022, the number of fitness app users is expected to surpass 353 million people.

Health and fitness apps can help the growing user base find a workout regime, track their general health conditions, make appointments, get timely feedback during their workout regime or promote a healthy lifestyle in other ways.

AppDeveloperListing.com, a B2B marketplace connecting brands with app developers, identified the best developers that work with businesses in the health and fitness industries to create high quality, user-friendly applications.

The top health and fitness app developers are:

1. Anadea 2. BeCurious Studio 3. Blue Label Labs 4. BoTree Technologies 5. Code Inspiration 6. Decipher Zone Softwares 7. DigiGround 8. FOONKIE MONKEY 9. ICON Worldwide 10. IIH Global 11. Kind Geek 12. KWebmaker 13. Lloyds Design 14. metajive 15. Next Big Technology 16. QArea 17. Reinvently 18. Riseapps 19. SingleMind Consulting

Brands can search and compare the best health and fitness app development agencies based on their location, team size, rates and budget on AppDeveloperListing.com.

About AppDeveloperListing.com: AppDeveloperListing.com is a directory of carefully screened and ranked app development companies in the US and abroad. Once vetted and approved by experts, the companies are listed by categories: technical, OS and industry expertise, as well as location.

SOURCE AppDeveloperListing.com

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The Top Health and Fitness App Developers, According to App Developers Rating Platform - Yahoo Finance

Lean out, tone up, get ripped... they all mean the same thing: body recomposition.

If you've ever said something like "I want to tone up" or "I want to lean out," you were referring to body recomposition, even if you didn't know it. Body recomposition -- or altering your physique by burning fat and gaining muscle at the same time -- is a different approach to health and fitness than the typical weight-loss mindset.

Many people think that true body recomposition is impossible because of this conundrum: To reduce your body fat, you have to eat fewer calories than you burn. But to build muscle, you have to eat more calories than you burn.

Your body is smarter than you may give it credit for, however, and by keeping a close eye on your diet (specifically when you eat what) and your training, you can absolutely lose fat and gain muscle at the same time.

Read more:The best at-home fitness equipment in 2020

Body composition refers to your body fat percentage and lean mass percentage.

Your body composition is the ratio of fat mass to lean mass in your body. Sometimes, body composition is used interchangeably with body fat percentage, but body fat percentage is just one part of your overall body composition.

Lean mass includes muscle, bones, ligaments, tendons, organs, other tissues and water -- in other words, everything that's not body fat. Depending on what method you use to measure your body composition, you may see water as its own percentage.

Read more: The best body composition scales for 2020

Body recomposition refers to the process of changing your ratio of fat mass to lean mass -- that is, losing body fat and gaining muscle mass. The goal of body recomposition is to lose fat and gain muscle simultaneously, unlike the traditional approach of "bulking and cutting" in which you intentionally put on a lot of weight first (muscle and fat) and then go through an intense calorie deficit.

When your goal is body recomposition, ditch the scale and use a tape measure for a better idea of your progress.

Body recomposition isn't about weight loss; it's about fat loss. On a body recomposition plan, you may maintain your current weight or even gain weight -- remember hearing "muscle weighs more than fat"?

Muscle tissue is in fact denser than fat tissue: The more muscle mass you gain, the more you'll weigh, even if you lose fat at the same time. What changes, instead of weight, is your physique. As you progress through body recomposition, you may notice changes in your body, such as an overall firmer look or that your clothes fit differently.

For example, I weigh exactly the same now as I did before I started exercising and eating healthy. I wear smaller clothes, however, and my body has more muscle tone than it did before. I also feel much stronger than before I began a strength training program (a nonaesthetic benefit to body recomposition). So you can ditch the scale, because it doesn't differentiate between fat loss and muscle loss, and weight loss isn't the primary goal with body recomposition.

There's one caveat to consider, though: If you want to lose a large amount of body fat and don't intend to put on much muscle mass, you may lose weight in the long run.

Read more: 6 health metrics that are more important than your weight

Because you're trying to do two things at once -- lose fat and gain muscle -- you can't treat a body recomposition plan like a fad diet. Healthy weight loss and healthy muscle gain both take a long time on their own: Put them together and you're in it for the long haul. The slow, steady process of body recomposition offers sustainable results, though, so you'll enjoy your new physique for as long as you maintain healthy habits.

Body recomposition is a fine balance between building muscle and losing fat.

Body recomposition truly comes down to your specific health and fitness goals. Unlike traditional methods of weight loss -- such as very low-calorie diets or periods of really intense cardio exercise -- there's no real protocol for body recomposition.

There are basic guidelines to follow. To successfully change your body composition, you need:

Read more: 20-minute high-intensity interval training workouts to burn fat

Fat loss ultimately comes down to your calorie maintenance. To lose fat, you must eat fewer calories than you burn. Cardiovascular exercise, or combined cardio and resistance exercise, alongside a healthy diet still stands as the best techniques for fat loss -- there's just no way around the science.

Read more: Eat more, weigh less: These high-volume foods will fill you up on fewer calories

Building muscle requires resistance training.

To build muscle, focus on two main factors: weight training and protein consumption. Strength training is essential to changing your body composition -- your muscles won't grow if you don't challenge them.

Additionally, you can't build muscle without being in a caloric surplus, so you must eat more calories than you burn to promote muscle growth. While all macronutrients are important, protein is especially important for building muscle. Without enough protein, your body will struggle to repair the muscle tissues that get broken down during weight training.

Plus, studies show that a high-protein diet can help with losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time. Research shows that, while in a calorie deficit, consuming more protein than you normally might can help preserve your lean body mass (a.k.a. muscle mass) than being in a calorie deficit without changing your protein intake.

In people who have already been following a strength training program, increasing protein intake and following a heavy weightlifting routine leads to improvements in body composition.

Read more: The 7 most important strength-training moves for building muscle

Body builders are known for their ability to achieve insanely lean and muscular physiques. This obviously isn't everyone's goal, but it's a good example of what's possible with body recomposition.

It sounds confusing that you have to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose fat, but you have to eat more calories than you burn to build muscle. It's actually pretty simple when you learn about the concept of calorie cycling: modifying your calorie and macronutrient intake to match your goal for the day.

The first thing you need to do is figure out your maintenance calories, or how many calories you burn on a day you don't exercise. You can see a certified personal trainer, dietitian or other health professional to find this number, or you can use an online calorie calculator.This one from Mayo Clinic uses the Mifflin-St Jeor equation, which pros consider the gold standard.

On days that you do cardio exercise, you should consume enough calories to meet your maintenance number. Consuming maintenance calories on a cardio day ensures that you're in a slight deficit to promote fat loss, but not in a deficit so large that your body starts using muscle tissue as fuel. We want the muscle!

Read more: Should you lift weights or do cardio first?

On days that you do a strength training workout for 30 minutes or more, eat more calories than your maintenance number with a focus on protein. Depending on how much muscle you want to put on and how quickly you want to gain it, add 5% to 15% to your maintenance calories.

On days that you don't work out at all, eat slightly less than your maintenance calories -- decrease that number by 5% to 10%. This number is called your "rest day calories."

If you're still confused, think of it this way: Every day, you consume new calories and your body must decide what to do with those calories. Your body essentially has three basic choices: immediately burn the calories for fuel, use them to repair and build muscle tissue or store them as fat.

If you're looking for a body transformation, you definitely don't want to store calories as fat. But you do want your body to use new calories to repair the muscles you broke down during weightlifting workouts.

So, you'll eat more calories (and protein) on weight-training days so your body uses those calories and nutrients to fuel muscle repair, and thus muscle growth. And you'll eat fewer calories on cardio days and days that you don't work out because you want your body to use the fat it already has as fuel -- not to use new calories as fuel.

By combining these two tactics, you can successfully achieve body recomposition.

Ready to hit the gym? Make sure you get the best pair of shoes for your workout.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.

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Body recomposition: How to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time - CNET

Tiffany Ruiz had tried various gyms, apps, workout routines and diets, all in an effort to get fit and lose some weight. None of them worked because none of them kept my interest, she said. Now, Ruiz is working out at least four times a week, thanks to a video game.

In her bedroom, she sprints, squats, stretches and performs other exercises like knee lifts and shoulder presses, all while battling a muscle-bound dragon and its toadies in Ring Fit Adventure, a new game from Nintendo, the Japanese consumer tech giant. I am so focused on beating the high score or conquering an enemy that before I know it, 30 minutes have passed, said the 26-year-old.

Ring Fit Adventure, created for the Nintendo Switch console, is the latest effort by the video game industry to try to entice consumers to get up off the couch and become more active. Developers are folding fitness into games as part of a dual-pronged strategy: to retain players by offering a physical twist on traditional gameplay and to draw in new ones like Ruiz who are looking to break up the monotony of working out.

The campaign appeals to parents and other caregivers worried about the amount of time children spend glued to screens. And the games help counter the stereotype of the sedentary player, sitting in a chair for hours on end. Developers are trying to reach people who want fun and fitness at the same time, said Rik Eberhardt, a programme manager at the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys (MIT) Game Lab in the US. They know fitness is good for them, but it can feel like a chore in their busy lives.

Exergaming, a portmanteau of exercise and gaming, has been around since the late 1980s, when Bandai introduced Power Pad, a gray mat with pressure sensors, for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Games now use motion sensors, smartwatches and even virtual reality to track a players movement.

The gameplay has changed, too. Some games disguise fitness routines in the form of role-playing, dancing or other activities such as running from zombies. Others are fitness and health apps that lead users through workouts with gamelike features such as scoreboards, real-time feedback and multiplayer options.

Nintendos Wii game console brought exergaming into the mainstream in 2006. Its Wii Fit game incorporated a balance board so players burned calories through calisthenics and yoga.

Nintendos two main competitors, Microsoft and Sony, followed its lead, adding motion-detecting cameras to their consoles. Games such as Just Dance and Zumba Fitness: Join the Party, which were available on Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony consoles, were breakout successes in the motion era, said Mat Piscatella, an industry analyst NPD Group, a market research firm. Since then, the industry has been overturned by the rise of mobile devices, which allow games to be played on the go.

Consumer expectations have changed dramatically, Piscatella said. People are no longer just playing on their TVs in their living room. They now want to be able to play games whenever and wherever.

Zombies, Run! coaches runners to complete hundreds of missions, including one with author Margaret Atwood, in order to escape the zombie apocalypse while running a 5K. In Pokemon Go, players capture creatures in real-world locations using augmented reality and GPS on their phones.

Hoping to build on that trend, Nintendo in 2017 introduced the Switch, which functions both as a traditional console and a hand-held device. Since its launch, more than 50 million Switch consoles have been sold worldwide

Part of the Switch is an acknowledgment that Nintendos main competition is no longer just Microsoft and Sony, but Apple and Google, too, said Philip Tan, creative director of the MIT Game Lab. He added that Nintendo was drawing on its strength in creating games that bridge the digital and physical world. Instead of trying to compete with other console makers with better cinematography, they have created an innovative new console.

The company has focused on games, like Ring Fit Adventure, that use consoles in new ways, said Bill Trinen, a senior director of product marketing at Nintendo. Nintendo wants to create games that encourage people to get active and motivate them to stay active. Trinen added that the company hoped the role-playing adventure format would encourage people to play longer.

Part of Ring Fits popularity stems from its unique controller, a flexible resistance hoop that Nintendo calls a Ring Con. When players squeeze it, pull it or hold it above their head, their movements are tracked in the game.

Other games incorporate new hardware, too. Beat Saber, a music game from Beat Games, relies on virtual reality goggles.

But Ring Fit is attracting a growing number of fans to the gameplay. I love it because it is this fun, goofy story that is way more intense than Wii Fit. It hides the workout, and you cant cheat, said Tristan Scatliffe, a 33-year-old product manager who lives in New York. The first time I played it, I was dripping with sweat.

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon posted, on Twitter, a video of himself playing one of the Ring Fit minigames, Spinal Erectors Challenge.

Many exergames promote movement, but whether they increase physical fitness is up for debate. Critics have said they found the exercise routines underwhelming, and a study at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found that Wii games did not help children meet daily exercise requirements.

Some researchers are creating their own exergames. Eefje Battel, a project manager at the Sports Innovation Campus at the Howest University of Applied Sciences in Bruges, Belgium, uses Makey Makey in several of the centers exergame projects for children. Developed by JoyLabz, Makey Makey is an invention kit that allows users to connect everyday objects to the internet via alligator clips and a simple keyboard.

Battel created a version of Tetris, the 1980s puzzle game in which falling blocks are manipulated to fit them in a straight line. In her version, conductors are attached to bananas and other fruit, and children have to run from fruit to fruit to move the tiles in the game.

Regardless of the fun factor, exergames are not without risks, Battel said. One element that is missing in Ring Fit, she said, is a coach to ensure that players are performing exercises correctly and safely. If you are squatting, the system will measure movement up and down, but it wont track posture, she said.

Nintendo is hoping Ring Fit becomes a top-selling game as Wii Fit did in its heyday. Game analysts like Piscatella have not yet decided.

What makes Nintendo unique is their willingness to push boundaries, and when Nintendo is really weird, they are at their best, he said. Ring Fit Adventure could be the biggest thing or not. Its still hard to predict. The New York Times

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Exergaming: Fun and fitness from the comfort of your own home - The Irish Times