Exercising during breaks in God of War Ragnarok will improve focus

We have all been there.

We stand in front of the mist, door, ladder, or whatever initiates the boss fight in a game like, say, God of War Ragnarök, and arming ourselves for the unknown – or at least for the saltwater education we are about to receive. Brimming with dizziness and fear, we might even utter a few verbal encouragements as we mentally prepare for what lies ahead.

We choose our time, breathe and enter.

We start from a distance, feel things as we trade a few punches, then get closer to see what changes. We try out our favorite moves, see how they work, and start modifying them.

Then it starts.

The big guy is killing us. Our fights turn into a windmill of misplaced shots, late defenses, and choppy gameplay.

We have problems.

At this point we leave the “combat” area and enter the “flight” area – but death is often the only way out of a boss battle. We struggle, trying to regain a momentum that never comes, until the boss wins.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

I am an Occupational Therapist with over three decades of rehabilitation experience and have focused on improving human function since the very beginning. I have a hunch: I think there’s something we can implement that can give us an advantage over bosses and increase overall game performance.

I call them boss killer exercises.

Here’s how it works: When the cutscene comes up, we jump into a little “Cutscene Carnage.” These are short, quick drills that get the juices flowing, sharpen our focus, and allow us to go into battle prepared for what lies ahead. Why sit and worry as we rock in our chairs, when we can warm up for the fight?

Keep in mind that we are not looking at traditional exercises aimed at better health. No, what we want is the goodness to beat the boss. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to watch the cutscene and I’ll suggest exercise modifications to accommodate different performance potentials.

Let’s start.

Exercise 1: Abdominals on chair

Start by sliding your back to the edge of your chair. Lean your upper body all the way back in the chair, which will make you somewhat longer. From there, sit up to where your shoulders are above your knees. Try 30 reps. These can be surprisingly difficult at first, depending on your fitness level.

Modify by holding your armrests and using your upper body to pull up. Not too much; just enough to straighten you up.

Exercise 2: Chair decreases

Quickly slide to the edge of your chair. Place your feet as far in front of you as possible, while placing your hands palms down on the bottom of the chair. Slide your back off the chair, then lower it back to the floor, using your arms to control the descent. When you hit bottom, push up with your arms. Aim for at least 20 repetitions and take a full second to move in each direction. This exercise hammers the chest, shoulders, and rear part of the arms.

Modify as needed by moving your feet closer or farther to control the level of difficulty, or limit how deep you descend into dips. Depending on your body, you may not be able to go all the way down, and that’s fine. Just do what you can.

Exercise 3: sit-stand

When the cutscene happens, I want you to get up from your chair. That’s right, get up! Stand with your knees straight and shoulders back.

Sound easy? It’s not.

I want you to get as close to 30 of them as possible. Aim to stand up in a second and sit down in a second, and focus on smooth movements all the time. Now, you might not be able to do 30 in a row at first, and that’s okay. Do your best. This exercise will really speed up your metabolism and your concentration will be boosted by the end of the cutscene.

Changes can be:

• Slower Movement: Reduce movement speed and halve reps.
• Bend the knees: stand upright. Stabilize. Then, continuing to stand straight, lower yourself as low as your knees will allow before returning to a standing position.
• Run in Place: Perform a fast stationary run. Make sure to raise your knees high.

Exercise 4: Touch the ground; touch the sky

It’s the most difficult exercise, but fantastic for what we’re trying to accomplish.

First, stand up. From there, bend your knees, squat, and touch your controller to the ground (if it’s wired and not wireless, you can put it down briefly). Immediately rise to a standing position while reaching above your head in one smooth motion, and hold your controller (or hands) as high as possible. Pull for at least 20 reps, but take what you can get at the start.

This exercise may sound a little funny, but it’s a high-intensity closed kinetic chain movement that will put your body on edge. You’ll come out of the cutscene clean and ready to rumble.

If you need to modify, try limiting your descent. You can also do progressive movements, where you get deeper as the reps increase.

6 tips for getting started

A quick note before you get started:

1. Practice these exercises in advance. Once you’ve refined your Cutscene Carnage routine, you can incorporate it into a high-stakes game.
2. It is practice makes perfect. The more you exercise, the more your body will adapt and the better you will get. You will begin to understand your body better.
3. Everyone is different. Some of these exercises might not work for you at all. Others will be right up your alley. Stick with the ones that feel natural to you.
4. Adapt as needed. If you can’t do some of these exercises, try modified forms. You’ll find something that works for you with a little exploring.
5. You will be surprised. Brief, high-intensity activity can trigger the same body chemistry and physical responses as a fight-or-flight scenario (in a good way)!
6. Make it your own. Although I provide a few options here, feel free to use whatever exercises you want.

I hope these exercises will be useful to you. Get them right, and I think they can really change your approach to gameplay. It doesn’t matter how big the boss is (or how scary his weapon can be), because now you’re in good shape. You’re ready. You take it out and bring it home.

Trust me on this one, boss killer.