Couch Fitness Heroes-Examining Fitness Exergame Motivational Concepts and Player Monitoring

In recent years, sports and fitness apps have become increasingly popular. In a 2018 survey, 60% of respondents aged 18–69 years old reported using a fitness app several times a week [1]. Moreover, it is expected that the use of these offers will continue to increase in the future. By 2024, 18.3 million users are predicted to use the service. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions on team sports and the closure of gyms, many people try to compensate for the lack of exercise by doing workouts. There are many different programs and apps that motivate the user to do sports at home. Systems like Nintendo’s Switch Ring Fit Adventure try to animate the user playfully. Other apps, such as Adidas Training by Runtastic and 7-min Workout, on the other hand, motivate the user through instructions, challenges and customizable workout plans for body-weight exercises. This paper aims to analyze the current market situation of digital fitness applications. The applications are to be categorized and evaluated concerning their application area and structure. The focus of the analysis is, on the one hand, on the possibilities and methods for recording sport sessions and, on the other hand, on the applications’ approach to motivate the users to exercise in the long term