Asphalt Green In New York City As New High-Intensity Class Called AG6 That Looks Like A Video Game Arcade

Asphalt Green, a gym in New York City, has a new high-intensity class that is garnering plenty of attention, especially among those who love to game. The reason why is the class looks a lot like a video game arcade.

According to an article written by Metro, the video game arcade-style class called AG6 looks like a flashback to the real thing in the 70s with disco lights and neon colors. As mentioned earlier, it is part of Asphalt Green which is located in the wealthy area of the upper east side in New York City. As for the class, it is technically a room glowing with fluorescent lights. The floors and walls respond to touch and pressure and will either light up or turn off. Patrons will then follow the flow and pattern of lights to get their workout in. For example, a fellow gym patron will throw a medicine ball at panels on a wall that light up. When the ball hits the lighted panel, another panel on the wall will light up in which they will have to throw the ball to that newly-lit panel next.

The AG6 is the first known gym to use the pressure-sensitive LED system, which is officially known as PRAMA. When implemented correctly, gym patrons will improve their reflexes and muscle memory while they burn up to 1,000 calories through generated short-bursts of intense exercise, all within 45 minutes.

The concept of creating a workout class that comes off like a video game may sound far-fetched to traditional gym rats who are dedicated to their fitness, but it is technically not a new idea. Over the years, there have been many video games or video game concepts that utilized fitness as a means to get Americans off their couches and active. Back in the 80s, Nintendo created a running pad for gamers to compete in a video game version of track and field. Later on in the 90s, gamers suddenly felt the craze of Dance Dance Revolution, a game that had players “dance” and connect the arrows to music, primarily Japanese techno songs. Because of the complex movements, gamers were constantly sweating, especially if they were putting hours into the game. There are even reports of gamers losing 20, 30, 70, or even more than 100 pounds playing Dance Dance Revolution, according to Live Strong.

As for a game that is presently influencing fitness, believe it or not it is a free downloadable app game on iPhones and Android phones called Pokémon GO. The app turns the phone owner into an actual Pokémon trainer. Through traversing the areas around them, they can fight, capture, and compete in ” Pokémon Gyms” through augmented reality. By happenstance, many who have Pokémon GO are dedicated to “catching them all” and are constantly walking, running, or biking all over the place just to find and capture Pokémon. Now social media is flooded with these gamers complaining about sore legs because of all the physical activity they have to do.

Ultimately, what Asphalt Green did with AG6 was take the fitness game experience and turned it into a class-in-gym experience. Still, if it gets more people to improve on their fitness, the investment is surely worth it in the long run given the fact more Americans are becoming unhealthy thanks to bad food and lack of exercise.

[Image via Asphalt Green Promotions for AG6]