Smarter Phones for Healthier Lifestyles: An Adaptive Fitness Game

Mobile phones can persuade users to adopt healthy behaviors such as regular exercise. Monsters & Gold, a context-aware, user-adaptive mobile fitness game, runs on mobile phones to motivate and train users in jogging outdoors. The game dynamically presents virtual monsters, gold, and other items-according to factors such as users´ heart rate, age, and exercise phase-to encourage users to speed up or slow down. A first evaluation led to an improved game design; a subsequent evaluation confirmed beneficial effects on training and motivation.