Not so long-ago gaming was frowned upon, and considered to have allowed people to neglect a fitness routine. Gaming, especially VR (Virtual Reality) gaming is making progress as a tool for better health.
Curious? Well, so were we to know about 8 Things To Know About VR Fitness Gaming
To satiate our unending thirst for knowledge, we spoke to some fitness enthusiasts, promoters, and developers to have a chat. Fact check, Job Stauffer lost 22 kilograms in 5 months playing his favourite VR game, Soundboxing.
Their responses were overwhelming and reflected that VR Fitness Gaming is the present, not the future!
8 Things To Know About VR Fitness Gaming
Without further ado, we recapitulate on 8 things we bet you didn’t know about VR fitness gaming. We also suggest the Best VR Workout Games for 2020 for our readers.
1. They Help You Find Inspiration
VR does exactly the opposite of contemporary AV gaming. It encourages you as a user to find inspiration in immersive environments like- our natural love for physical activities, movies, sports, music, etc.
VR fitness games like Sprint Vector, Powerbeats VR game, Echo VR, etc. are helping people to find the motivation to keep an active lifestyle through gaming. Well, in all honesty, it’s more engrossing than plain exercises, even for those leading a sedentary lifestyle.
A gamer and Twitch streamer, Dan Flotz who has a love for the movie Creed, was inspired to play the VR game- Creed: Rise to Glory as a part of his 2019 exercise routine.
2. It Pushes You Beyond Your Limits
VR fitness game Beat Saber, which is also the best PS4 VR fitness game of 2020, is hailed as a game-changer due to the number of movements that are required. The high-intensity movements and endurance make the heart race.
The increased heartbeat during these movements also means more calories burned and isn’t that exactly what we want? Sprint Vector is a must-play fitness game that is deemed to be the next big thing this year.
May we suggest finding VR fitness games that inspire you to play them on a regular basis, require more movements, and increase your basal body activity.
3. More Than A Supplementary Physical Workout
Superhot VR is a VR Fitness game that is physically intense, but the progressive difficulty setting keeps things fun. With these games, before you know it, every muscle in your body is engaged and is more than a supplement for regular exercising.
Popular academic research shows that the amount of effort that you think you put or the ‘rating perceived exertion’ is actually much lower than the output.
That’s why fitness VR Gaming seems so effortless–a fun game environment that lets you exercise more than you actually notice.
4. Fitter Bodies, and A Healthy Mind Too
Does that mean that VR fitness gaming ‘exercises’ your brain muscles too? Well, definitely yes! Not only does your body workout, but it does that with a smile on your face instead of the usual grimace.
The reaction time required to perceive an action, and then to execute that action on time means that your perception-reaction time reduces from the normal 2.4 seconds for an average individual.
Better hand-eye-mind (HEM) coordination is a benefit of VR exergaming (gaming involving physical exertion) that can’t be neglected.
5. Switches Your body Up
Do you think that VR fitness gaming is all about movements that feel effortless, then think again. Play a couple of hours of archery games like In Death, and be prepared for some seriously sore arms the next day.
The routine of using different muscle groups via different games can be related to having a gym routine that follows a similar approach.
Some people actually use ankle weights, wrists weights, and weighted vests to augment their VR fitness routine. Even though we’d highly suggest you go just as beyond as weighted vests.
6. Flexes Those Mental Muscles
Fitness enthusiasts use VR games as an activity that encourages both physical fitness and mental fitness. Our experts believe that Beat Saber forces you to perform ‘mental-gymnastics’ like no other games.
You keep your mind free-flowing as you have to focus on the task in hand- that’s largely the goal of the game. A lapse in concentration results in the rhythm and flow in the game being altered.
7. VR Fitness Games Help You Relax
Although mental stimulation and physical activity are of primal importance, it’s always important to know when to relax. With VR Fitness Games, it’s good to have an intense cardio session, weight loss, or general fitness, but their purpose is to unwind your body.
Satori Sounds and other daily meditation VR games are great for mental relaxation which is a key part of whole-body fitness.
The feeling of total immersion in a VR game allows you to get past your own internal dialogue much quicker than without it. In many experts’ opinion, a deep meditation through VR games is more valuable than a power-nap or regular meditation.
8. The Future of VR Fitness Gaming
Leading gyms and commercial gym equipment providers have stocked their inventories with VR-capable equipment. Gyms and studios are using VR-powered exercise bikes (like VirZoom) that let you compete with others too.
Another interesting concept- ‘The Trip’ is on the rise in the Field of 24-hour Fitness Centres. This VR concept has 3D wall-to-wall screens that surround the rider or runner. They bring the user into anything from a densely forested park to a vast mountain range.
Companies like Black Box VR, Fitness VR, Icaros, and YUR (Why You Are) are shaping the future of fitness VR games as we sit and discuss this today.
In Summary
VR has revolutionized fitness and getting fit doesn’t mean waking up at 5:00 am for a morning run in the freezing cold. You can use VR as a healthy, more engrossing roadway to better mental well-being, and physical fitness.
A lot of the innovation seems like it’s promoting ‘at-home workout’ rather than a gym or fitness studio. But the future comes fast and is here now, that’s why gyms and studios have responded by adopting the new Technology.
