Is gamification effective in motivating exercise?

Abstract

Despite the benefits of exercise, many individuals lack the motivation to integrate it into their daily lives. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the use of game principles in non-game contexts to make an activity that is perceived to be challenging, tedious or boring more enjoyable. With increased enjoyment through the infusion of game elements, it is expected that individuals will be more motivated to partake in the activity. Given this backdrop, the present study seeks to ascertain the utility of gamification for promoting exercise among individuals. We used Fitocracy as the gamification platform. Our results suggest that gamification improves not only attitudes towards and enjoyment of exercise but also shapes behavior in terms of increase in exercise activity. These findings augur well for gamification platforms and their usefulness in motivating exercise among individuals. Finally, our work suggests design implications for applications that aim to gamify exercise.