10 Reasons Why VR Is Revolutionizing Fitness [And How It Can Get You In Shape Without Leaving Home]
Table of Contents
- What is Virtual Reality…Exactly?
- …And How Can It Help You Get in Shape?
- The Good of VR Workouts
- And The Bad
- What’s the Best VR for Fitness?
- What Are the Best VR Fitness Games?
- Is Virtual Reality The Next Fitness Frontier?
Sticking to your fitness goals is harder than ever after COVID forced us into skipping workouts.
And we all put on a little extra weight we never really managed to get rid of.
On top of that, home workouts are incredibly boring, and going to the gym daily is always going to be an uphill battle.
The solution?
Turns out the gaming industry might be your saving grace with Virtual Reality’s fitness implementations.
In fact, ‘’Virtual Reality Workouts’’ are a hell lot of fun, but are they actually effective for weight loss?
If this sounds like something you want in on, in the next few lines you’re going to learn everything you need to know about Virtual Reality Fitness.
Let’s dive right in.
What Is Virtual Reality…Exactly?
Picture this.
You’re in Paris, light-jogging through the crowded French capital’s streets, enjoying the warm sun setting in the distance.
But to do that, you don’t actually have to take a flight to France.
You don’t even need to move an inch away from your living room.
All you have to do is turn on your Virtual Reality headset, and be instantly teleported to anywhere in the world.
Sounds cool right?
Virtual Reality has been increasing in popularity in the past few years, however, it was developed first for the gaming industry, not fitness.
When it comes to functionality, VR is simple in concept.
You get a pair of goggles that replace your surroundings with 360° virtual reality projections.
But there’s more.
You can also interact with this virtual reality and make it almost anything you want it to be.
Want to have a knights’ battle like in Medieval times? You can do that with VR.
Or maybe you want to have a boxing match in the comfort of your house without the risk of getting injured? There’s that too.
The possibilities with VR are virtually endless.
…And How Can It Help You Get In Shape?
I know what you’re thinking now.
‘’VR seems cool, but I’m not really into gaming.’’
And you’d be right to think that, but stick with me for a moment…
After COVID left a noticeable scar on our everyday life with remote work, Virtual Reality seemed like the perfect opportunity to merge gaming with fitness.
With VR you can immerse yourself in virtual surroundings, and use your body to control the game, which gets your heart pumping in a fun way that doesn’t feel like exercising.
Plus, you don’t need to get dressed and head to the gym in scorching hot weather or freezing cold temperatures.
You simply put the VR headset on, choose a game and have a ton of fun while burning those calories.
But what’s the catch?
There isn’t one.
In fact, the VRHI (Virtual Reality Institute of Health and Exercise) found that popular Virtual Reality apps and games can be just as challenging as real-world workouts, if not more.
Additionally, the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health also published a study pointing out how incredibly effective VR workouts are for weight loss.
Obviously, Virtual Reality technology is not perfect and we’ll go over a few drawbacks you should be aware of in the next few lines.
The Good of VR Workouts
1. Make Your Workouts Fun, Consistent, and Varied
One of the reasons why working out and getting in shape is such a hassle, is few people want to do the same boring exercises over and over again.
But with Virtual Reality, you’ll be excited and even look forward to every workout session.
Why is that?
With VR you can choose from a wide variety of games and experiences, and you’ll hardly ever find yourself bored.
Among other things, Virtual Reality lets you:
- Have a boxing match in your living room
- Dance with lightsabers
- Climb Mount Everest
- Become Robin Hood for a day
And a ton of other activities which will keep you glued to the screen while being in the comfort of your own house.
2. Workout Anywhere in the World
Exercising while staring at a blank wall in front of you is not exactly the most pleasing experience.
Wouldn’t it be much better to have a workout with an ocean view on the coasts of Malibu?
Probably.
But unless you’re a multi-millionaire, you can’t really do that on a daily basis.
On the other hand, VR can take you to lots of places around the world with the click of a button, making workouts infinitely more enjoyable and easy to stick to.
3. Length Matters
If you know anything about fitness, you should know that to burn any significant amount of calories you should exercise for longer periods of time.
No matter how much an exercise gets your heart pumping, if you do it for less than 10 minutes, it’s not giving you significant results.
For example, if you run at maximum speed for 10 minutes a day, it might seem to you like you are sweating profusely and burning calories.
Reality is…you’re not losing much.
But let me give you another example.
An average person burns around 100 calories after a 10-minute run.
Which in the grand scheme of things is nothing if you consider that a plain bagel is around 300 calories.
In other words…
You have to work out for at least 40 to 60 minutes with traditional sports to burn any significant amount of calories.
So, is there no solution other than doing the same boring exercises for 40 minutes straight?
Fortunately, yes.
In fact, Virtual Reality can help you make an hour of exercising feel like 10 minutes.
How?
In a recent study published in the Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, researchers discovered the effects of VR on heart rate during a workout.
They recruited 29 students to ride on an exercise bike while wearing a Virtual Reality headset and the results were incredible.
Not only most students felt like they could work out for longer with the headset on.
But they also burned more calories compared to ‘’regular’’ non-VR cycling.
3. Reduced Hunger Levels
While having long workouts is critical to weight loss, your diet has an arguably even bigger impact on whether you lose fat or not.
One of the ways to keep your hunger in check while on a diet is engaging in fun activities that keep your focus away from food.
But what does this have to do with Virtual Reality?
Recent studies published by Appetite show how people doing exercise tend to eat less after a VR workout.
That happens because you get greater enjoyment, pleasure, and sensations on a Virtual Reality workout rather than a traditional one.
And if you’re not thinking about food, you’re also eating less, which leads to a greater weight loss overall.
4. Engaging Multiple Senses
Think about the last time you went to the gym or for a jog.
You can’t exercise without your headphones and some good music giving you motivation, right?
This happens because music stimulates one of our senses, and people want stimulation while engaging in a monotonous activity to make it more bearable.
Now, add sight and tactile stimulation, and the time will fly by before you even notice.
While working out on VR, you’ll get most of your senses engaged and a long and excruciating workout will feel like a 10-minute fun activity.
5. Source of Motivation
When it comes to fitness, one topic everyone always brings up is motivation.
And while motivation isn’t the only factor determining your fitness results, it can influence you massively.
For example, do you ever get a sudden burst of motivation throughout the day?
You feel like you can achieve anything.
Now, that motivation usually is short-lived because to get motivated you need to be engaging in activities you like, and going to the gym is probably not one of them.
The solution?
VR makes the whole workout experience a ton of fun, which in turn will keep you motivated in the long run.
Virtual Reality is a fantastic motivation-booster — as you can also see from this study — making exercising a lot easier than you think.
6. The Perfect Tool for the Lazy Ones
Getting ready to go exercise is arguably one of the worst sensations known to men.
Especially when it’s particularly hot or cold outside.
On the other hand, Virtual Reality completely circumvents this problem by bringing the gym to your living room so you don’t have to move an inch to work out.
Imagine getting in the best shape of your life while exercising in the comfort of your home.
Sounds like a dream, right?
7. (relatively) Inexpensive
A common issue you’ll usually find with VR headsets is the initial cost.
While Virtual Reality headsets are not exactly cheap (they usually go for $400–500 depending on the model), they’re a great deal when compared to other options.
For example, if you wanted to build a home gym, you’ll need to spend a lot more than the VR’s cost.
A decent home gym will set you back no less than two grand, and that is with extremely basic equipment.
Additionally, even if you build a great home gym, you’ll still go back to square one with the repetitiveness of the exercises.
But that’s not all.
Unless you live in a mansion, you’ll also need a lot of free space even for basic gym equipment.
On the other hand, a VR headset needs a lot less room and all you need is approximately 6.5 x 5 feet of space around you to be safe.
8. Physical and Mental Workout
VR workouts not only will get you in great shape physically, but they will also help you stay mentally fit too.
Why?
Because Virtual Reality activities combine regular workouts with interactive videogame features, which enhance brain functioning.
For example, if you’re playing a VR climbing game, you will get rewarded for doing specific tasks.
Think of them like missions you have to clear through your workout.
The more you complete, the better your score will be, which also pushes you to work out for a longer period of time.
9. Be Social While not Being Social
If you’d like to meet new people but you can’t stand crowds or social gatherings, VR might be the right fit for you.
Virtual Reality games and activities allow you to interact online with other people playing or engaging in the same activities as you are.
Additionally, it’s also the perfect tool to engage in group activities with your friends or family members if you live in a different country.
Let’s say you had to move miles away from your hometown and you’d love to engage in a fun activity with your loved ones.
Thanks to Virtual Reality you can hop online and play a fun game together.
While also keeping your body fit.
It’s a win-win.
10. Making Fitness Accessible to Anyone
It might sound impossible, but there are lots of people who can’t easily have access to fitness.
Think of less-developed countries having maybe one gym in a 30+ miles radius.
Sure, you could get up and go running until you get in shape.
But how boring would that be?
Instead, VR is a much better solution as it brings whatever fun activity you like into your house.
And The Bad
Not all that shines is gold as they say.
In fact, there are a few drawbacks you should be aware of if you want to buy a VR set.
Most of these issues are not huge dealbreakers, especially when compared to the pros.
However, we’ll still go over the crucial ones, such as:
- The headset is bulky and quite heavy, which can be an issue if you plan on doing longer workout sessions. This can also cause neck injuries in the long run. VR headsets usually weigh around 1 pound, however, with each new version the weight gets significantly lighter.
- Another major issue with Virtual Reality headsets ,other than getting sweaty while exercising, is an effect called motion sickness. The disparity between the visual and vestibular stimuli is what causes motion sickness in some people, which in some cases can be extreme and force you to take the goggles off.
Excluding some very specific cases, both motion sickness and weight of the VR are not something you should be that concerned about.
As new VR models get released, both issues make huge steps forward toward improvement.
What’s the Best VR for Fitness?
Since there are multiple Virtual Reality headsets, you might be wondering which one should you choose.
And you’d be right to think that.
In fact, there are a ton of VR headsets on the market right now and not all of them are ideal for fitness purposes.
When it comes to a VR specifically for working out, my preference goes to the Meta Quest 2 for these reasons:
- It’s one of the lightest VR headsets, which is crucial if you don’t want your neck to be hurting after a long fitness session
- It’s incredibly responsive and responsiveness is extremely important for the immersiveness and overall fun of the activity.
- Lastly, at $399 it’s quite affordable, especially when compared to some other premium VRs.
What Are the Best VR Fitness Games?
Beat Saber
You’ve probably seen someone play Beat Saber in a video on YouTube.
That’s because Beat Saber became viral after its release and was one of the pioneers of ‘’music’’ games on VR.
While Beat Saber was originally intended for gaming purposes, lots of people are also using it as a workout tool.
In Beat Saber, your goal is to slice through blocks, avoid obstacles, and ensure you finish the whole song.
Sounds simple right?
Well, try the more advanced songs and you’ll feel like you worked out for an hour after a single song.
Thrill of the Fight
If you think you’re fit, wait before you give this game a try.
This boxing game will give even the most in-shape person a run for their money.
Even though the game is extremely exhausting, Thrill of the Fight is also a lot of fun to play.
It actually feels like you’re in a boxing ring and the sweat on your forehead after 10 minutes will prove it to you.
Is Virtual Reality The Next Fitness Frontier?
Virtual Reality workouts are exciting and fun, and they help you immensely when it comes to weight loss.
However, it might still be a bit too early to say whether it’s going to be just a trend or an evolution of the whole industry.
I hope you got lots of value out of my Virtual Reality Fitness roundup.
Now I’d like to hear what are your thoughts about VR Fitness.
Are you going to give it a try? Or maybe you think this is just a trend passing by?
Let me know in the comments below.
