Get fit with our Animal Crossing New Horizons group stretching guide

Animal Crossing: New Horizons group stretching guide isn’t really a sentence we ever thought we’d be writing but here we are. The enormous Animal Crossing New Horizons update 2.0 means that there are all kinds of new additions to your island. One of which is a boombox sitting outside Residential Services in the morning that means you can do some exercise with your villagers. 

Yes, it’s just as adorable as it sounds and it means you won’t feel left out when Tangy and co are doing their tai chi without you. There’s no instant unlock of items, but there is a feeling like you’ve used your arms and a general sense of fuzzy wellbeing after some shared Animal Crossing: New Horizons activities. 

Those who are Nook Mile and stamp inclined though will be happy to see that there’s a new 'Stretch to Refresh' section of your Rewards screen. For the first stamp, you’ll need to stretch once a day for three days. There are 5 stamps in total here so we’re guessing it’s just going to be a case of adding this to your daily activities. As Tom Nook says “the health of our residents is a top priority.”  

A random selection of villagers will join you for each session. Timmy and Tommy get in on the action, as do Isabelle, Wilbur, and the Able Sisters so it’s a lovely way to see everyone out and about doing something new. It’s not exactly Ring Fit Adventure but here’s everything you need to know about getting active with your Animal Crossing villagers.

How to start Animal Crossing: New Horizons Group Stretching

Starting your Animal Crossing morning stretches is easy. Head to the tape deck in the plaza and hit the option for ‘Let’s stretch.’ There are two different ways to stretch and it all depends on how active you are feeling and what kind of controller you’re playing with. You’ll need to be playing with JoyCons if you want to physically follow along with your island inhabitants. Every time you load it up, you get to choose so if you just feel like exercising your thumbs, you aren’t agreeing to a lifetime of a sedentary existence. 

Using motion controls in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Group Stretching

If you’re feeling active, it’s just a matter of selecting motion control, holding a JoyCon in each hand and waiting for the exercise to start. The on screen instructions will then let you know what to do with your arms. While it is technically possible to do this sitting down, for the best experience and for when the game wants you to jump, standing is best for peak performance. 

Follow along with the on screen instructions and try to keep in time with the rest of your villagers but of course there’s no punishment if you don’t. You’ll stretch to the ceiling, down to your toes and even do some jumping jacks and the whole experience is pretty short and sweet. 

Using button prompts in Animal Crossing: New Horizons Group Stretching

If you’re using a Pro controller or potentially don’t want to get out of bed, you can just choose to do your exercises with button controls. Once again, all you need to do is wait for the music to start and then spin the analogue sticks or press the buttons in time with the music. We’re going to be honest, we found it a lot easier to press the buttons in time with the music for peak syncing with the rest of the villagers but obviously you don’t get that nice tingling you get from actual exercise. As ever though, with Animal Crossing, the choice is very much up to you and no one judges you for it. 

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