5+ Ways to Gamify Running and Make Your Workouts More Fun
Motivation can be an incredibly fickle thing. It comes and goes on a whim; it can let you dive in and work towards your goals or leave you wondering if it’s worth putting the effort in right now. Trying to find the motivation, even for things you want to do, can sometimes be a challenge. If an immediate reward or good feeling isn’t in the cards, our brains can really dig their heels in. Many people’s minds start to fight as soon as the thought of a run crosses it. How can you ensure that your brain doesn’t stop you from doing what you love? Gamify your running!
Written by Lucas Collins
Edited by Pavlína Marek
Even if you’re someone who enjoys running even before the runner’s high kicks in, there have probably been days you just do not want to get up and go on that run. Maybe you can’t get a runner’s high at all and always have to rely on some form of external motivation to get started. Whatever the reason may be, the result is the same— you know you should go running, but can’t make yourself go. What can you do to give yourself that extra push now and avoid the guilt of skipping it later?
While there are a lot of different things to try, the one that we will be discussing today is called gamification, and it could just be the puzzle piece you’re missing on those low-motivation days.
What does it mean to ‘Gamify’ Something?
Elements of games such as experience points, leaderboards, achievement badges, progress bars, and variations of each are all used to offer more immediate and tangible rewards that give more excitement to the activity, potentially causing someone to feel more motivated to do it.
(How) Does It Work?
Now that you know what gamification is, some might be wondering, “Ok, I can incorporate some game elements into my run. How well can it really motivate me to run?” As it turns out, quite a bit!
An article by Wired goes over a study of Wikipedia volunteer editors that showed gamifying their experience on the site increased engagement and retention over a year by up to 20%. Studies like those show why gamification is being used all over these days, from marketing to education and beyond. If it works in these areas, it can absolutely be used to help your running, too!
Here are some examples of how you could gamify your running with different game systems:
Set a goal to earn a certain number of points and pick a reward for yourself when you reach that number. Every mile you run is worth one point. Once you reach your goal, you level up, get your reward, and set a new goal that’s higher than the last.
2. Celebrations
Signify distances or times of importance with stars, badges, or another symbol once you achieve them. (These two points are a great way to gamify your running because they ensure continuous rewards!)
3. Healthy Competition
Have a leaderboard of your best times and distances you run, so you can see your best scores and know what to beat. (Do a similar leaderboard with friends, so you can all compete to be the best in the group!)
4. All Fun and Games
When you’re out on a run, make it an adventure. Pick a tree in the distance and sprint to it. Smell all the flowers along the way. Run until you find someone wearing socks in sandals. The possibilities are endless!
5. The Hero’s Journey
Make up a narrative for your runs, or some sort of reason you’re currently running. It can be as simple as chasing someone to as fantastical as running from zombies! Listen to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack and run to save Gondor. Find something that lets your mind wander and be entertained while out on your runs.
@tomtrottercoaching Reply to @tomdaley “RUN UNTIL YOU FIND A SUE” @Tom Daley Good Tom’s think a like Running for 🥇 WHO NEXT?! #fyp #fun #viral #trending #tren #foryoupage #goviral #fittok #happy #funny #sue #runchallenge ♬ Miss You – Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz
Now Put It In Practice
It’s hard to go wrong when you try to gamify your running (or anything for that matter!) for yourself. It’s not rocket science; you know yourself and what kind of game elements might motivate you the best.
- If you like to keep it minimalistic and a simple point system works for you, great!
- If seeing your best scores pushes you to beat them, rock that leaderboard!
- And if you like to spin a wild story in your head about avoiding the undead, that’s awesome too!
The goal is motivation, and how we get there isn’t nearly as important as actually getting to that point that makes you want to go on that run today. So go earn those points, get those badges, watch yourself improve, and have fun doing it!
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