This post is a trade exchange with Nintendo Switch for the Ring Fit.
Exercising during lockdown has been difficult for many including myself.
I had those moments where I did not want to work out because it felt like a chore.
I was also lazy and bored of the same routine every single day. As much as I love following my favourite fitness Youtubers, I also love a little challenge and a reward … and honestly between housework, kids and cooking – who has time to fit this ‘exercise thing’ in.
I wanted something that would challenge me, provide variety, and if it combined time with kids (I really hate this guilt time when I want to do something for me or when you just start your routing little voices tend to call you …) then I would think that it would be a win-win situation. Amazingly this is exactly what the Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure offers me.

I can be a cool mom because I am ‘playing’ Nintendo Switch and I spend time with my kids while keeping us all fit. Of course, we each have our own ‘challenges.’ Where the fun if I can’t win – sometimes.
Honestly, I assumed that the workouts on the Ring fit would be ‘easy,’ I mean, it is just a game, right? Wrong. Those workouts have been kicking my butt. I had days where I was sore after my workout. Now I know the importance of warmup and cool-down exercises.

10 things you need to know about the Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure:
1. You can work out and play a game, how sneaky but fun does this sound?
Ring Fit Adventure includes over 60 types of real-life exercises. The development of fitness activities in the game was supervised by personal trainer Kaoru Matsui and yoga instructor Mika Saiki.

2. You can choose exercise levels (1-to-30 difficulty) scale depending on your preferred intensity. The exercise level is configurable on… example, the number of reps you need to do or the duration that you need to hold a position/stretch changes based on your exercise level.
3. You can create customized workouts (my favourite) to target different areas in your body. You will have a sidekick aka fitness trainer which will guide you through the workout program and motivate you to keep going.

You have several options to work out:
- Adventure
- Quick play
- Custom
I recommend you try the mini games which are short but also focuses on a specific area that you would like to work on.
Some of these games are difficult like the squattery wheel.
4. The adventure game allows you to jog, run, jump, fight monsters and collect coins.
This has been one of the hardest games for me because it can get tricky, you also end up sweating a lot but it’s worth it if you really want to push yourself. The enemies are cute versions of gym gear, like a trundling kettlebell with an attitude who you need to defeat to level up. You can also select from a few different exercises, example squats, knee lift or planking.

5. There are around 250 levels spread across more than 20 colourful worlds in the Adventure mode and it could take you up to 3 months to complete.
6. If you do not do a pose in the right way, the game will stop and warn you that you are not doing something right.
7. The game tracks your heart rate although I am not too sure as to how accurate it is because it has always been a little different from my Huawei smartwatch.

8. In order to see the results, you want, you need to use it almost every single day and be consistent with your plan.
9. You can track your progress under settings and see how far you have come, the calories you burned and levels you passed. This is helpful to show that progress is happening.
10. The game can easily fit into your lifestyle – As mentioned, many of us will benefit from a game like this now during lockdown but also if you need quick effective workouts and don’t like exercising outdoors.

The Nintendo Switch Ring Fit Adventure was created for the entire family to have fun while getting fit! I think it is a good substitute for gym right now however I also recommend you mix and match your workout, so you do not get bored easily or lose motivation.

The game costs R1,599 in South Africa and comes with the ring-con, a flexible, hard-plastic ring that the user holds and one joy-con slots into, and a leg strap, a piece of fabric affixed to the user’s leg that holds the other joy-con.