What did we do before the release of Pokemon GO? If it was just sitting around, then most of us are better off with the popular app. Except, maybe, your actual pet….
I haven’t even played the game for a week, and try to keep it minimal. Staring at my phone as I walk around is not my favorite pastime, so luckily its addictive power has not fully overwhelmed me…yet. It has, however, given me an idea for a way to turn it into a workout.
Nothing like getting outdoors with your smartphone and working up a sweat as you hunt Pokemon. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say. But in an effort to roll with the current trends, I’ve found myself playing the game, and even saving my daughter from a vicious Pidgey attack.
She’s lucky I have a accurate Pokeball throw!
Anyway, as I’m sure many of you already have the game and are familiar with the platform, let’s get right into the workout.
Combat Power Pokémon GO Workout
1. Find a popular Pokemon hangout. Preferably an open area like walking/jogging trails or a park to give you plenty of space. Inside your home will suffice too.
2. Launch the app and walk/jog/run until Pokemon show up. If inside, running probably won’t happen. Take this Pinsir I found wandering inside our home, for example.
3. Catch the Pokemon.
4. Once caught, you’ll see the list of stats about your fresh catch. What you want to look for is the CP (Combat Power) of your Pokemon. Use each number to perform bodyweight exercises.
Notes:
For this Pinsir, his CP was 88. So I would choose to do 8 reps of one exercise followed immediately by 8 reps of another exercise. As your experience level increases, so will the CP, even into the triple digits. Then you’ll have 3 different exercises to perform for each catch.
If you get a number with a 0 in it, like 10, just do one exercise of 10 reps. Or, if it’s a triple digit like 220, then do 2 reps of an exercise, then 20 of another.
Here’s a useful list of bodyweight exercises to use. Choose ones you’re able to do with good form, and with opposing muscle groups for multiple sets. For example, if your Pokemon has a CP of 345, you’d perform 3 push ups, 4 sit ups, and 5 squats.
Walking, jogging, running, or sprinting until you find another Pokemon depends on your fitness level as well as your chosen location. Please please PLEASE, do not sprint into the street!
Pokemon GO is already great for getting sedentary folks moving more, but for those that want more, this is a simple workout you can do anywhere. All the while, you’ll add to your Pokedex. Like killing catching two birds Pidgey’s, one stone.
To some, this might sound easy at first, but find an area swarming with Pokemon and you’ll feel after a while, I promise.