Unless you’re living under a rock (or possibly Siberia), you’ve at least heard of Pokemon Go. Reactions to the free game app have been strong. Some people love it (me!) and some people loathe it. However, one thing that can’t be argued is that our country is in sore need of more exercise, and that’s somewhere that Pokemon Go is really shining. Pokemon Go founder Satoshi Tajiri began brainstorming the original Pokemon game in 1990. He based the Pokemon experience on his childhood love of collecting insects.
Today, Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm. It is by far one of the most downloaded apps ever, with Apple declaring it to have more downloads in its first week than any other app, ever. I think the app really embodies the original concept of exploring and collecting that inspired Satoshi Tajiri to design the game in the first place since you need to get out there and explore the real world to find Pokemon. People are logging miles and miles of walking, jogging, and biking in the name of catching them all. Because of this, I’ve designed a little workout plan based on the game so that all of you fellow Pokemon Go trainers looking to drop a few pounds like me can maximize your calorie burn while having a good time.
*This is nothing better than something fun to burn calories. Please consult a doctor before beginning any new exercise program. There, I said it.
Hatching Eggs
Hatching eggs is one of the best ways to find rare Pokemon or starters like Charmander. Eggs hatch after a predetermined distance is covered. These distances can be 2K, 5K, and 10K. For reference, 1 kilometer is about 0.6 miles. My plan begins with hatching (or at least covering on foot per day) a 2K egg. If you are on a bike, you need to be covering at least 5K per day (and hatching a 5K egg!). Increase this distance until you are covering at least 5K on foot or 10K on a bike daily (with a couple rest days per week). Enjoy hatching those eggs!
Catching Pokemon
There are 18 types of Pokemon in the app, and I’m assigning a fat burning move to each one. Be aware that some Pokemon are 2 types, so they’ll require double the moves. So each Pokemon you catch, do the exercise assigned to its type. You can either do it each time you catch a Pokemon or use the “Recent” option to organize your Pokemon in order of recently caught. Simply notate where your day’s catch begins and do all of the exercises at once at the end of your hunt. Below is a chart of each exercise assigned to each Pokemon type. At the bottom of the article is a chart of all the Pokemon in Pokemon Go and their types (courtesy of pokemongodb.net) to use for reference.
Pokemon Types | Exercise | Amount |
Poison | Burpees | 5 reps |
Water | Crunches | 5 reps |
Normal | Plank | 15 seconds |
Flying | Jumping Jacks | 5 reps |
Grass | Push Ups | 5 reps |
Ground | Squats | 5 reps |
Psychic | Sit Ups | 5 reps |
Fire | Lunges | 3 reps per leg |
Bug | Lower Ab Leg Lifts | 5 reps |
Rock | Front Kick | 5 reps |
Electric | Back Kick | 5 reps |
Fighting | High Jumps | 5 reps |
Fairy | Warrior Pose | 20 seconds each side |
Ice | Side Plank | 10 seconds each side |
Ghost | Butt Kicks | 15 seconds |
Dragon | High Knees | 15 seconds |
Steel | Superman | 20 seconds |
So there you have it: the Pokemon Go workout plan. The small amount of reps for capturing Pokemon may seem miniscule, but once you catch your 17th Pidgey of the day (that’s 4 minutes 25 seconds of planking & 85 jumping jacks), you’ll be feeling it. I, personally, like to do them as I go, but that’s up to you. Don't forget to take rest days when you need it, but as long as you follow this at least 3 times per week, you're gonna be feeling much more fit in no time. Most importantly, be safe and have fun. Oh…and look before you cross the road!
