Like a New Years resolution that was never going to be kept, I woke up on March 13 with grand plans: Every morning while under stay-at-home orders I would work out for at least 30 minutes. Then I decided to start that on March 14. Soon it was the first week of April. Turns out Im pretty good at excuses, all under the guise of self-care.
So I did the next best thing: I turned to video games.
Such a statement isnt as odd as it may have been in 2007, when Nintendos Wii Fit was all the rage. Working out, after all, has become gameified, be it through our apps that keep track of our steps or higher-end, screen-based equipment such as a Peloton bike. And Nintendos recent Ring Fit Adventure, which is hard to find and going for sometimes double or triple its $79.99 prince on eBay, is an absolute joy. An adventure game that encourages us to mix cardio activities with a Pilates-like ring, Ring Fit Adventure is cheerily encouraging as we do battle with a mean dragon.
I had been away from the game for a couple of months, but Ring Fit Adventure is a surprisingly adept personal trainer. Many of the upper-body exercises are completed by pulling the ring in and out, allowing it to mimic the activities one would normally associates with a resistance band. But it also encourages us to take breaks, and if we miss a day or two it dials down the difficulty. I appreciate its illusion of awareness and that its less rigid than throwing on a video.
And yet there is one ever-so-slight negative with Ring Fit Adventure. Its not the fault of the game so much as my mind. It lives on the Nintendo Switch, which is also home to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. And while I can speak only for myself, of course, Animal Crossing has been a savior when it comes to easing any anxieties or worries during this time. Its pull is irresistible.
Home fitness, of course, faces many hurdles, as anyone with a bike or treadmill that most often gets used as a place to dry clothes can attest. Should I simply resign myself to gaining back the 30 pounds I lost last year and just worry about it after the pandemic ends? That was the path I was on, at least until my work-at-home desk (its a couch) sent my lower back into a red-alert panic mode.
I was going to need to find a way to move. And right now, if it werent for virtual reality, I probably wouldnt be getting any exercise.
Moving inside the headset has resulted in my most intense workouts in months, so much so that Im planning to cancel my gym membership on the other end of this. While Im far from the first to discover that virtual reality is pretty great space for working out, Im somewhat frustrated it took me this long to realize it. After all, some of the lightsaber moments in Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series certainly could work up a sweat,
Beat Saber" is probably the most recognizable VR workout, having made it to late-night television and boasting partnerships with a number of major pop acts. Its good to get the body moving and the heart rate up. With neon cubes flying at me every Tuesday and Thursday morning, when my schedule goes according to plan, Im hopping around my kitchen and swinging wildly only what I see is a tunnel with a cyberpunk aesthetic. I could easily spend 40 minutes in this world.
The VR exercise game Supernatural aims to give users a full-body workout in virtual reality. The new game, available for the Oculus Quest, will use a $20 per month subscription model. Credit: Within
(Within)
That I could use a game like Beat Saber for a cardio workout was a bit of a surprise to me, only because the one drawback of VR is that I cant see myself. Yet that turned out to be the greatest advantage of VR workouts. I dont want to see myself. Even alone in front of my TV with Ring Fit Adventure I am self-consciously aware that I am moving like a weirdo in my family room. VR allows me to get out of my own head. In other words, when I cant see myself, Im not embarrassing myself.
To exercise, I use the Oculus Quest, which is sold out. But it is cordless and at a price of either $400 or $500 runs cheaper than some high-end fitness equipment. That being said, its primary use has been entertainment rather than fitness, although that may be changing, at least if the just-released Supernatural from local tech firm Within catches on.
Supernatural is designed specifically for working-out in VR, and its been destroying me in the best possible way. Unlike in a more game-like experience, even one that encourages swinging and movement, Supernatural gives you a virtual coach and places you in postcard-worthy visual landscapes. Think New Guinea islands, the Grand Canyon or Ethopias Erta Ale volcano.
I especially like the volcanoes, as the backdrop allows me to pretend Im training to be a Jedi. But this isnt National Geographic; the settings, while beautiful, work largely to get you removed from remembering youre in your own home.
The movements are similar to other rhythm games, such as the aforementioned Beat Saber, where the virtual foam-like swords are used to swing at circular objects coming our way. Supernatural also throws in plenty of triangles, which are designed to get you to pull off squats or lunges. Because of my back issues, Ive worked with physical therapists, so I know how to modify some of these movements to work within my abilities.
While Supernatural will require a $19-per-month subscription, it has succeeded in getting me as sweaty and sore as when I did morning boot camps. Im not someone to give certified fitness advice I sometimes eat Swedish Fish candies for dinner, after all but a benefit of Supernatural is the presence of coaches, filmed so they appear in front of you. The full 360 movement afforded in VR helps make sure Im moving in the way Im instructed.
What left me most surprised, however, is that after a few days in Supernatural my arms felt as if I had done 100 push-ups. I thought this was an odd sensation, considering I was only holding the Oculus controllers rather than weights. But Within worked with professional coaches to guide players to behave in way that uses their full range of motion rather than attempting to simply become good at the game.
The VR exercise game Supernatural aims to give users a full-body workout in virtual reality. The new game, available for the Oculus Quest, will use a $20-per-month subscription model. Credit: Within
(Within)
Though the app will supposedly adjust placement of its objects based on how well were moving, I havent attempted to fully game the system, so to speak. I just know that after a couple of weeks, Supernatural is still challenging me. Within, says co-founcer Aaron Koblin, found that most rhythm games, as players improve, actually result in worse workouts, as they are understanding how to move to win rather than how to burn calories.
That is not the same objective as creating something thats focused on large healthy movements follow through with your swings the kinds of things you get more from the success of the sport than success of the game, says Koblin.
After two weeks, as Supernatural has succeeded in getting me off the couch, my back pain has decreased. At the end of these stay-at-home orders, I hope to emerge a fully trained Jedi. Thats how this works, right?
The rest is here:
Coronavirus and fitness: How VR games got me to exercise - Los Angeles Times
- UNL program using virtual reality to enhance research - KOLN - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- 3D augmented reality with regular glasses | Stanford News - Stanford University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- LG Display's Research Results on OLEDoS for VR Selected as Distinguished Paper at SID Display Week 2024 - PR Newswire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Full-colour 3D holographic augmented-reality displays with metasurface waveguides - Nature.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Future of Onboarding: Inside Serviceplan's VR-Based Employee Integration | LBBOnline - Little Black Book - LBBonline - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality space experience returns to Silver Street Studios - Houston Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Rain Technology to Unveil New Anamorphic-XR Optical Engine at Display Week 2024 - Display Daily - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality used as a tool for brain health at assisted living center - Eyewitness News 3 - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality in Gaming Market to Reach US$75 Billion by 2028 - Analytics Insight - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Disney+ to release VR Marvel series exclusively for Apple Vision Pro - CyberNews.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Startup aimed at VR entertainment in cars files for insolvency - PhoneArena - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- After Decades of Promise, the Virtual Reality Era Has Finally Arrived - Kiplinger's Personal Finance - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Hahnville senior signs with virtual reality gaming company - St. Charles Herald Guide - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Forges Franchise Partnership with Apparel Group to Pioneer Virtual Reality in the Middle East - Business Wire - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Best VR games in 2024 - TechRadar - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Researchers rely on Virtual Reality as a complementary therapy for eating disorders - MIXED Reality News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Beyond therapy: Virtual reality shows promise in fighting depression - Medical Xpress - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Apparel Group And Sandbox VR Announce Partnership - Retail & Leisure International - Retail & Leisure International - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Batman returns to VR - theSun - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual Reality Shows Promise in Treating Depression - Neuroscience News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Augmented And Virtual Reality in Manufacturing Market Size, Share And Growth Analysis For 2024-2033 - EIN News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Sandbox VR Announces U.S. Franchise Initiative and International Deal - Franchise Times - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- MINI Mixed Reality Experience: Driving into the Future. - BMW Press - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Virtual reality project will allow users to witness October 7 first hand - The Jewish Chronicle - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Spin Rhythm XD getting PlayStation and VR ports this summer - Niche Gamer - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology use virtual reality headsets in class - Islander News.com - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- SFU SIAT researcher uses virtual reality to help teen mental health - Simon Fraser University News - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- The Navy Brings Training to the Fleet With VR - ATD - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Manchester Airport launches gaming area with virtual reality escape room Business Traveller - Business Traveller - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Can virtual reality help ease the end of life? - Universit de Montral - May 13th, 2024 [May 13th, 2024]
- Fans still waiting for a virtual reality view of the Buffalo Bills' new ... - Buffalo News - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Immerse yourself in new, augmented worlds - University of Miami: News@theU - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Who are the leading innovators in vehicle digital twins for the ... - just-auto.com - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- How Virtual and Augmented Reality Are Redefining Construction - TimesTech - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Virtualware Appoints VRARA's John A Cunningham to Advisory Board - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- University Project Aims to Dissolve Borders Between Virtual and ... - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Are real cadavers better than virtual ones? - Slate - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- Samsung Glasses could be the name of a new pair of Samsung ... - TechRadar - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The Best Augmented Reality Accessories for AR Immersion - XR Today - November 28th, 2023 [November 28th, 2023]
- The best VR apps for 2022 | Digital Trends - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- What is virtual reality? - TechTarget - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Forget the metaverse, Sony's PlayStation VR2 will make you a virtual reality believer again - British GQ - February 18th, 2023 [February 18th, 2023]
- Time to play! New virtual reality gaming coming to Northern Virginia - WUSA9.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Virtual reality training content launched for footwear and leather sector - The Hindu - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Texas A&M researchers are using multisensory virtual reality to help NASA astronauts - KAGSTV.com - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Hollywoods Virtual Reality Guru and American Millionaire Expanded His Soccer Portfolio to Europe With a Deal Worth $940 Million - EssentiallySports - January 8th, 2023 [January 8th, 2023]
- TikTok owner ByteDance takes first step into virtual reality with ... - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality inspires students to think about long-term careers - Turn to 10 - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Virtual Reality Arcade with Best VR Game Experiences - Main Event - December 12th, 2022 [December 12th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality - reddit - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- The Future Of Virtual Reality (VR) - Forbes - November 16th, 2022 [November 16th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality (VR) For Professional Workflows | NVIDIA - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual reality in fiction - Wikipedia - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Meta will release a new consumer-grade VR headset next year - TechCrunch - October 28th, 2022 [October 28th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality [VR] Market Size & Share | Forecast Report, 2029 - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality in the Healthcare Industry - VISUALISE - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality vs. Mixed Reality - Intel - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- Applications Of Virtual Reality - Virtual Reality Society - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- The Global Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality In Manufacturing Market size is expected to reach $27.9 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth... - October 25th, 2022 [October 25th, 2022]
- We Met in Virtual Reality Explores the Potential of the Metaverse - Seven Days - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What If the Metaverse Is Better Without Virtual Reality? - WIRED - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- XRHealth and HTC Introduce The First Distraction Therapy Virtual Reality Platform to Improve Patient Experience During Painful or Anxiety Provoking... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Department of Corrections Introduces Virtual Reality Technology to Augment Programming for Incarcerated Parents and Their Children - Pennsylvania... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Arden Bendler Browning conquers virtual reality, Luve More LC + Thinkers Makers Society, and opportunity - theartblog.org - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- How Virtual or Augmented Reality Can Help Your Packaging Line - Packaging Digest - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- A marriage of virtual reality and physical therapy: Immergo Labs emerges from its UCSC roots - Lookout Santa Cruz - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Senior living residents explore the world through virtual reality - Rocky Mountain PBS - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Orthopedic Residency Program and PrecisionOS Team up For Exclusive 3-Year Collaboration: Virtual Reality Development and Curriculum Integration - PR... - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- 6 Insightful Construction XR Cases to Read in 2022 - XR Today - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Video footage emerges from an MMA event that put virtual reality users into the thick of the fighting action - Yahoo News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Carmack: Theres a bunch that Im grumpy about in virtual reality - Ars Technica - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The Peripheral Co-Creator on the Shows Line Between Reality & Virtual Reality - TV Insider - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Clarkson's Dr. Dana Barry Gave a Presentation at International Conference in Italy - Clarkson University News - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Apple VR glove with finger- and hand-tracking patent hints at companion accessories for the "Reality Pro" headset - Notebookcheck.net - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Virtual reality spectacle of 2010 sockeye run returns to Shuswap Salmon Arm Observer - Salmon Arm Observer - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The virtual reality push brings together Microsoft, Meta and the art of war - Stuff - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality All About? - Oculus VR - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- What Is Virtual Reality? | Tech & Learning - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- 10 Advantages And Disadvantages Of Virtual Reality (2022) - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Insights on the Tactile Virtual Reality Global Market Research Report to 2027 - Growing Advancements in Virtual Reality Products & Rising... - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]