VR Health and Exercise Apps

[iolaus]

I saw an older thread that segued quickly into "What are some good VR exercise apps?" The only things that got mentioned were Beat Saber, Les Mills Body Combat, and Blade and Sorcery. I added Supernatural to the list, but that's about it for that thread. There's bound to be others, so post up, and try to give a little description of the game and its benefits.

Beat Saber
Les Mills Body Combat
Blade and Sorcery
Supernatural
Pistol Whip

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What really caught my attention was a subscription model app - Supernatural - that IIRC, is $10 a month. I use Beat Saber (arms and shoulders, some ducking and dodging) and Pistol Whip (lots of ducking and dodging) as a warm-up for Supernatural.

I'm sure many people have heard of or played Beat Saber, but for the others, it's standing in place with, for want of a better term, "lightsabers" in your hands. there are blocks coming down a corridor in your virtual environment, and you have to slice through them in the prescribed direction while trying to maintain or increase your life bar. Accuracy and length of travel both contribute to your score, and if you miss enough, you "die." This is all done in time with a music track, and there is lots of music - some included with purchase, and some as add-on packs.

Pistol Whip is another popular game. It's a rail shooter where you have targets who are shooting back at you. The incoming bullets need to be dodged. There are variations and challenges, as well as an arcade mode, so lots of options. The challenges change the requirements, target responses, and available weapons - two-handed vs one-gun, six-shot revolvers, unlimited ammo, even a "just your fists while dodging bullets" scenario. It's a decent workout just on its own!

Supernatural is similar to Beat Saber - hitting balloons with bats instead of slicing blocks with swords - and it has a very wide selection of music and genres, but it's specifically designed as exercise; it even has an option to link in a heart BPM monitor and show you your stats after each round. It includes knee strikes, squats, and lunges to each side built in - though you can disable those - and a variety of "coaches" talking you through and cheering you on. They also have, in addition to that, a separate "boxing" option. There's a seperate phone app with which you can track your stats, and an online community if you're social enough to participate.

 

[Fruitloops]

Any VR Game is exercise aslong as you're standing, all you need care about is to keep being entertained, Supernatural is a pretty meh game imo.

 

[iolaus]

Any VR Game is exercise aslong as you're standing, all you need care about is to keep being entertained, Supernatural is a pretty meh game imo.

Well, to be fair, it's not a "game" designed for entertainment; it's specifically designed to be a cardio workout. If you approach it like you would a morning stretch and run, it's fine.

You can do a half-assed lightweight workout, or you can really put some effort into it; you'll get out of it what you put into it. In the beginning, my legs and glutes were quickly cramping with fatigue, and were stiff and sore a day or two later. By the time I'm done with, say, 30 or 45 minutes of expert level rounds, my shirt is soaked with sweat and I'm beat.

 

[Vayra86]

The real question with any physical activity is whether it sticks and you keep doing it. I doubt VR will provide that, but YMMV

Consistency is key.

 

[Frick]

The real question with any physical activity is whether it sticks and you keep doing it. I doubt VR will provide that, but YMMV

Consistency is key.

It can get you started.

 

[Vayra86]

It can get you started.

Yeah... theoretically. I truly wonder how many people actually got healthier from VR. And whether that start led to anything else. If you needed VR 'to start' .... your motivation sucks hard. It ain't happenin.

Big part of sports is also not looking at a screen for awhile, for example. Clearing your head. And yes, that's very different in a gym, with an actual class. A screen is a screen. Another big part of sports is getting out of the house. People who live active lives already, don't need VR to do sports. People who don't... shouldn't use it for sports. Get out.

 

[Veseleil]

The real question with any physical activity is whether it sticks and you keep doing it. I doubt VR will provide that, but YMMV

Consistency is key.

I'd say willpower is detrimental, but yeah.

Big part of sports is also not looking at a screen for awhile, for example. Clearing your head. And yes, that's very different in a gym

Also not many people are really enjoying public gym environment. I know I never did.
As I've said, a strong will is the most important factor for some workout consistency. So If you're already struggling to get yourself going to a gym for a training session, a lot of other stuff can get on your nerves.
And even if the damn VR environment can get you to any workout regularly, overall it's quite a positive thing.

But I could hardly imagine myself sweating around with some huge ass VR headset strapped on my head. So that's that. I don't even wear a cycling helmet when riding my MTB, can't stand it for many reasons.

 

[Vayra86]

I'd say willpower is detrimental, but yeah.

Also not many people are really enjoying public gym environment. I know I never did.
As I've said, a strong will is the most important factor for some workout consistency. So If you're already struggling to get yourself going to a gym for a training session, a lot of other stuff can get on your nerves.
And even if the damn VR environment can get you to any workout regularly, overall it's quite a positive thing.

But I could hardly imagine myself sweating around with some huge ass VR headset strapped on my head. So that's that. I don't even wear a cycling helmet when riding my MTB, can't stand it for many reasons.

Yeah there are a LOT of shitty gyms too. But there's lots of other places to go to for some activity. Even just by yourself.

Very personal quest, too though, I see that too.

 

[cvaldes]

There's nothing inherently wrong about looking at a video screen while you workout since that's what a lot of people are doing anyhow when they going to the gym, hopping on their fancy Peloton in the basement, or just parking a tablet in front of their cheap stationary bike.

And there have been tons of exercise shows on television, long before VR ever showed up in the consumer home.

Remember that a lot of this stuff goes back to the Eighties and was popularized by actress Jane Fonda with her VHS tape Jane Fonda Workout back in 1982.

If some pixels on a screen can motivate you to get out of your chair, that's good whether it's a VR HMD, something on your smartphone via an app, or a program on your television set.

That said, VR HMDs aren't really comfortable to wear over extended periods of time. There's the lack of air circulation around the eyes, no peripheral vision, perspiration, heat, weight issues. You can't even easily take a drink of water without fumbling around or sipping out of a water bottle through a straw.

VR HMDs are also harder to combine even with simple exercise accessories like dumbbells, resistance bands, balls, blocks, etc. And they are generally meant to be worn with the head straight up and erect, they are pretty unwieldy in many other positions. It's not like one can do tumbling exercises or even a lot of yoga positions with a VR HMD.

And so many exercises have a right and wrong way to do things. If you work out in front of a mirror, it's usually easy to check if your form is correct or not. With a VR HMD, that's nearly impossible. That's why gym walls are usually mirrored.

Ultimately if you want to exercise at home with minimal equipment, you are probably better off watching something on a large screen TV (DVD, Blu-ray, app, YouTube, etc.) with some accessories rather than stumble around with a VR HMD. You'll have a better range of exercises anyhow. VR HMD workouts are almost entirely aerobic, leaving out strength training and flexibility exercises so not well-balanced.

Maybe the best part of VR HMD exercise apps is the gamification aspect for those who are motivated by that. But you could still do some of that with a Nintendo Switch and Ring Fit Adventure.

 

[Steve-007UK]

Might not be a game specific to what is being asked about but i found this fun and it gave me a good all around workout.

All-In-One Sports VR on Steam

13 Sports in 1 Game ! What type of sports acitivities will be safer during the pandemic era? All in One sports VR offers the most safe way to keep you healthy for both physically and mentally with zero contact.

store.steampowered.com

 

[WhiteNoise]

Les Mills Body Combat is awesome for working out and entertaining me. It's free once you buy the game. It's really a great workout!