When it comes to exercise, you can find inspiration in the oddest places.
I wrote about YogaQuest in my book, Geek Culture. Justine Mastin was looking for a way to encourage more physical activity within the geek community and came up with the idea of combining fanfiction and yoga. She found that YogaQuest served as a sort of “gateway drug,” as some people added more traditional classes to their schedules following their introduction to yoga via YogaQuest.
Mastin isn’t the only one to combine pop culture with exercise. Steve Kamb founded NerdFitness to help “people with desk jobs that love nerd culture, games, books, and movies, but also know they need to make healthier choices in their day to day lives.” Pokemon Go was designed to get people to exercise more (though it was only temporarily successful at achieving this). And there are several more examples of how geeks are using pop culture to spark interest in fitness.
If you’re having trouble getting enough exercise and think pop culture-related workouts might motivate you, consider these options, in addition to the ones above:
Pick an online workout
Darebee has page after page of workouts, many with pop culture references. If it helps you to imagine you are training alongside Brienne of Tarth or Robin Hood, you’ll find the perfect workout here.
Real Anime Training offers workouts inspired by shows like One-Punch Man, Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, and My Hero Academia.
Download an App
Zombies, Run! places you in a zombie apocalypse story. Walkers like me are out of luck; there is no Zombies, Step Lively! version of the app.
Not into zombies? BattleSuit Runner Fitness seems to be based on the same general concept.
Superhero Workout, by the folks behind Zombies, Run!, is an app that emphasizes strength training for people who dream of saving the earth.
Ninja Fitness is for people who want a more well-rounded routine, including endurance, strength, agility, and “zen” (flexibility plus meditation). Note: I mentioned this app because I’d read something about it and it had an interesting website. A few days ago, I decided I’d like to download it and found that it no longer seems to exist. I really wish people would pull down a product’s website when it is pulled from the market. I apologize if anyone tried to download this and couldn’t find it.
Over the coming months, four new Pokemon Go-style games will be released. If you’re a fan of Ghostbusters, Harry Potter, Jurassic World, or The Walking Dead, keep an eye out for these apps.
Join other geeky people in your area
The Los Angeles area has Nerdstrong Gym. Minneapolis has not only YogaQuest but also Geek Slink Belly Dance. And there are Live-Action Role Playing groups all over the world.
You might also just want to learn geeky skills outside of a geeky environment. You can learn archery so that you can fight alongside Legolas, or take fencing or martial arts classes.
Choose your own adventure
What if you really want to train for the Hunter Exam but can’t find the appropriate online workout? What if all you really want to do is keep up with the Doctor when he finally shows up in his TARDIS? Use your own geeky interests to create a workout that will train you for whatever fantasy world you particularly love. Whatever you do, just get moving!