Gamification and Fitness, A World of Potential
Gamification is the process of taking something that already exists, and adding in gaming elements to motivate, improve engagement and increase loyalty, in simple terms its turning something into a game. So how does this apply to fitness?
Gamification has emerged as a popular strategy as a means of influencing behaviors and expert Yu-Kai Chou says “Games have spent years decades learning how to master motivation and engagement, we are now learning from games, and that is why we call it gamification.” The underlying concept of gamification is motivation, in fitness, one of the main hindrances is lack of motivation. Gamification is used in the fitness industry to motivate consumers to participate in fitness and to achieve their goals.
It is found is most apps we use today, there are currently over 31,000 health and medical apps, and it is estimated that 60% of health initiatives in workplaces now include gamification elements. Over 64% of apps involve gamification elements.
Gamification has become immensely popular due to the overall rise in health consciousness among Australians. Advancements in wearable technologies allows consumers to have personalised bio-metric statistics delivered straight to their smart phones. Through Fitbits and smart watches, this technology has become even more affordable and accessible. Changes in lifestyles have led to the digitisation and increase in growth of gamification in the healthcare industry globally.
Chronic disease has increased the demand for medical technology, resulting in the adoption of gamified models across various healthcare systems. Most consumers have a mobile phone, and access to this technology. The potential for tech based health services is unlimited, and its ability to impact population. There have been apps developed to help people monitor their chronic diseases. For example mySugr an Australian app designed for people with diabetes encourages kids to measure their blood level, and rewards them with points and a leader board.
Health insurance companies are also taking advantage of gamification. They have come to the realisation that healthy people cost less money, therefore they are encouraging people to become healthier. Health insurance companies encourage people to look after their health, healthy people are less of a burden to health care professionals. They are also able to track data and learn more about the health of the broader population through this model.
Gamification motivates people to achieve their fitness goals, games have mastered engagement and motivation, so transferring this across to fitness. Many fitness apps motivate users by tracking their progress, offering rewards and creating competitions. So how will you use gamification to build your fitness based business?
