Another shout-out to “Zombies, Run!”

Those who think they have no time for exercise
will sooner or later have to find time for illness.
Edward Stanley

I think I’ve recommended “Zombies, Run!” (an App for iOS and Android) every year since 2012, but, yeah, it’s really good. It’s an exergame, meaning your real-life actions (here: running) influence the game. Essentially, you play a runner in a post-Zombie-outbreak world doing missions for a surviving outpost.

Really well done, esp. considering it makes use of GPS tracking (to calculate speed for when you are chased) and provides you with lots of information. Oh, and it uses your playlist to provide you with music you like during the audio messages. Want to run to classical music, you can (longer tracks are interrupted/paused). Want to run to video game music, sure. Pop songs, you name it. It’s a really intelligent and creative way to get people to exercise. Hmm, I wonder if there are any studies on this kind of intervention …

Although I must admit, while it makes a lot of fun with the right equipment (waterproof casing for iPhone + waterproof earphones is a must), the fact that they badly damaged your base after season one was a really bad move. Running hundreds of kilometers, only to have your base badly damaged in a zombie attack. It put me off the game for a while and it took me ages to get back into the game.

But I think I have finally gotten back into it. Still in season 2, about 2/3s into it (that damaged base really did tank my motivation), but it’s fun again. I just hope their website is fully functional again soon. The ability to look up where you ran and how fast and to which music is really something. Esp. when you run a track you don’t do every day.

Sidenote: It’s strange how you can run at an even pace no matter the music, and then one song comes on and you go for broke. It was fun when it happened during my last run. But running full steam can have its downsides (damn you, Skyrim Main Theme! 😉 ).

So yeah, if you want to keep fit, I highly recommend taking a look at “Zombies, Run!

P.S.: Hmm, given the repeated highly positive postings, perhaps I should write a disclaimer. I recommend things I think might be useful, mostly things I frequently use myself. I have gotten a couple of offers to write about programs I did not use, sometimes with offers of a free copy or the like. I don’t accept these offers (although I might write about the program). First, most programs offer trial versions. Second, I value my independence and I don’t want to feel “nudged” in my evaluation. So, here as in other postings, there’s no conflict of interest. Although in case of “Zombies, Run!”, I freely admit I’m a fan. 🙂