10 Best Fitness Games for Nintendo Switch

Image: Nintendo

Human Made

Affiliate Links

Penned by Kody Wirth

Kody is our expert Destiny 2 and shooter genre writer. He lives in Oregon.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Ever since Nintendo released the Wii, the publisher has shown a keen interest in developing fitness games. Wii Sports, Wii Fitness, Wii Fit U, Wii Sports Club, and several third-party titles filled out the lineup for the Wii and Wii U. 

Unsurprisingly, that same dedication to gameifying fitness is still present in the Nintendo Switch. With countless first and third-party titles to help you break a sweat, you can easily find a new workout routine to help shake up the continued quarantine. 

With that in mind, what are the best fitness games for Nintendo Switch? Let’s find out.

10 Best Fitness Games for Nintendo Switch 

To help you get started on your fitness journey, let’s look at the ten best workout games for Switch. These will range from pure workouts to minigames and everything in between, meaning that you should be able to pick something up that’s perfect for your fitness level.

10. Jump Rope Challenge

• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Date: June 2020
• File Size: 163 MB

The Jump Rope Challenge minigame is a simple workout challenge that requires you to do a certain number of jumps in a given day. Using the Joy-Con, you have to jump and mimic using a jump rope to match what is shown on screen. Every day, you come back with a new goal to hit, which you can adjust to increase or decrease your overall reps. 

To add to the challenge, you’re also timed throughout your session, meaning you can work on your speed and reps over time. Additionally, you can have a friend join in, making this a fun two-player workout experience. This game is currently free on the Nintendo eShop, so what are you waiting for? Download and start jumping. 

9. 1-2 Switch

• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Date: March 2017
• File Size: 1.4 GB

1-2 Switch is honestly more of a tech showcase than a workout, but the nature of this game still makes it useful for breaking a sweat. The main benefit of playing this game is that it encourages you to stay standing and focus on competing. With a wide array of minigames, you’ll do everything from milking cows to striking a runway pose and even taking on a desperado in a one-on-one shootout. 

Just be sure to look out for this game when it’s on sale — the content really doesn’t justify a $60 price point.

8. American Ninja Warrior

• Developer: Gaming Corps
• Release Date: March 2019
• File Size: 3.4 GB

Emulating the challenges found in America Ninja Warrior should make for a good workout, right? Sure, you’ll be doing variations of the iconic Salmon Ladder, Warped Wall, and Log Grip, among other things, but does it translate to a workout? While this is definitely more of a game first, using the Joy-Con to replicate these actions, along with sprinting and jumping, is enough to get your heart racing.

To really fine-tune your workouts, you can even build your own courses to stack up obstacles that you want to take on. The only drawback here is that this is not a Nintendo-developed title, and you can feel it with how laggy the actions can be. But it still works well enough to help you start feeling the burn.

7. Mario Tennis Aces

• Developer: Camelot Software Planning
• Release Date: June 2018
• File Size: 2.01 GB

While this just seems like a sports title on the surface, Mario Tennis Aces is a surprisingly brutal exercise game as well. The key is to play solely in Swing Mode, which forces you to play with motion controls using the Joy-Con. Now, unlike classic tennis for the Wii, this won’t be just trading blows back and forth. You’ll also have special abilities, hazards, and accuracy to deal with, turning this into a physical and mental challenge.

If you don’t want to go it alone, you can bring in a partner to play with or against. And thankfully, the motion controls are incredibly intuitive, making this a game that anyone can understand and try out. Just know that Swing Mode is limited to specific game modes, so you won’t be able to play certain modes, like Story, with motion controls.

6. Arms

• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Date: June 2017
• File Size: 3.2 GB

Arms is like an amped-up version of Wii boxing. In one-on-one battles against friends or AI, you take control of various characters with different perks and fighting styles. The key difference between traditional boxing and Arms is that you will actually throw and direct your punches. It’s not just simple blocking and punch variations, but positioning and trajectory control that turns the game into a puzzle alongside a workout.

If you do hit a point where you need to take a break but want to keep playing, you can always switch the controls to traditional button presses. This can help you refine your strategy and make it easier to execute specific actions while using motion controls. 

5. Sports Party

• Developer: Ubisoft
• Release Date: October 2018
• File Size: 3.2 GB

If you’re missing the vast array of minigame options from Wii Sports, Sports Party may scratch that itch. It’s a collection of sports games that includes frisbee, jet-skiing, basketball, golf, skateboarding, and beach tennis. While it may be missing some staples like soccer, bowling and boxing, it makes up for it with a unique variety of other sports that work incredibly well with motion controls.

This game is best played with friends, and the local multiplayer functions incredibly well. While it’s definitely on of the best fitness games for Nintendo Switch, it’s also a party game — so it will take a few games to really work up a sweat. 

4. Just Dance 2021

• Developer: Ubisoft
• Release Date: November 2020
• File Size: 6.9 GB

Next on our list of best exercise games for Switch is Just Dance 2021. Just Dance has been a staple in the motion control and fitness genre for over ten years. Not much has changed with Just Dance 2021, but the new songs and refined controls feel better than ever. Either playing solo or with a friend, you need to match the choreography on the screen. The better you dance, and the more accurate you are, the better your score will be.

Since other consoles have shifted away from pure motion controls, Just Dance 2021 includes a mobile app that gives you the option to use either the Joy-Con or your phone to track movements. If you’ve played Just Dance before, you know what you’re getting into, and it’s sure to make you sweat.

3. Zumba: Burn it Up

• Developer: Kuju
• Release Date: November 2019
• File Size: 6.7 GB

If you miss hitting up your favorite Zumba class, this game may help. It’s designed to look and feel like an actual class, with direct instruction, a variety of music, and increasingly difficult choreography to pull off. Additionally, you’ll get access to in-game performance stats, including how many calories you’ve burned and technique scores.

In many ways, this will function like Just Dance, with you having to match the choreography on-screen as accurately as possible. It may sound daunting, but the amount of classes available makes this a great experience for players of various health and skill levels.

2. Fitness Boxing 2: Rhythm & Exercise

• Developer: Imagineer
• Release Date: December 2020
• File Size: 3.0 GB

The original Fitness Boxing felt like the next big thing in workout games. Fitness Boxing 2 takes those ideas a step further with better motion detection, additional game modes, and a focus on your overall rhythm over pure one-to-one action. It really feels like a fitness class, with you having to execute various jabs, punches, and uppercuts in time with the music.

It also acts very much like a game, introducing different workout mechanics, like dodging, weaving, and ducking as you progress. You can even set milestones for yourself and track your overall progress to make sure you’re getting the most out of each workout.

1. Ring Fit Adventure

• Developer: Nintendo
• Release Date: October 2019
• File Size: 2.8 GB

Ring Fit Adventure has no right to be as good as it is. It’s as much an RPG as it is a workout game, and those elements fit together flawlessly. The basic premise is that you’ve unleashed a great evil upon the world, and it’s up to you and your magic ring to stop it.

Using the Ring-Con attachment, you’ll run, squat and forward press your way through levels. Throughout, you’ll take on waves of enemies and bosses using a variety of traditional exercises. These will even be upgraded over time with damage boosts against specific enemy types and the ability to augment moves by drinking smoothies.

If the Story isn’t your thing, you can just jump right into minigames or perform a series of traditional workouts. All of this is tracked, allowing you to review your progress and see how well you’re doing. This really is the best of the best fitness games for Nintendo Switch.

Switch It Up!

Outside of VR, the best fitness games for Nintendo Switch provide an excellent workout experience at home and on the go. If you have friends that have been looking to upgrade their workouts, be sure to share this article on your favorite social channels. Interested in more articles like this? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the know on all things Nintendo Switch. 

Happy gaming!

Related Reading

• Best PS4 Workout Games
• Best Xbox Workout Games
• Nintendo Switch vs. Switch Lite
• Best Co-Op Games for Nintendo Switch
• Best Upcoming Switch Games