Virtual Reality (VR) is taking the world by storm in many areas, including fitness. VR is revolutionizing people’s workout routines by adding an element of excitement to their mundane physical activities, making them more enthusiastic about exercising. VR can make your fitness regimen more intuitive and engaging, motivating you to exercise for longer and more consistently. In this blog post, we’ll give you an unbiased comparison of how VR can be incorporated into your workout routine, including the benefits and ways of incorporating it.
The Benefits of VR in Your Workout Routine
Incorporating VR into your workout routine can bring many advantages, such as:
Enhanced Focus and Engagement
With VR, you can add new elements to your workouts, making them more immersive and engaging. It enhances your focus on your exercise while keeping your mind off the fact that you're working out, making the run, push-up or dumbbell lift much more enjoyable than before.
Burning More Calories
Virtual reality can increase the intensity of your workouts as you are engaging multiple senses at once. A 2018 study by the University of Florida found that incorporating VR had helped people burn 36% more calories during stationary cycling than they did when cycling without VR. Also, astronauts have been using VR since 2003 to increase their workouts' intensity in space.
Personalized Experience
VR devices sometimes come with multiple fitness apps and personalized workout routines customized to suit your preferences, fitness level or workout goals. Since virtual reality tracks users' movements, users will receive feedback and guidance specific to their performance, making it a more personalized experience.
Makes It More Accessible
Most of the expense related to fitness programs lie in the cost of equipment and gym memberships. However, investing in a VR headset can provide a more budget-friendly alternative in the long run.
Different Ways of Incorporating VR into Your Workouts
Now that we've covered some of the benefits of adding VR to your workout routine, let's dive into the different ways you can use VR for fitness.
VR for Running, Cycling, or Jogging
With VR, you can simulate outdoor environments for indoor workouts. Applications like FITXR and BoxVR engage users in cardio-heavy simulated boxing sessions, while others, like Zwift, create immersive running, cycling, and jogging simulations.
VR Game-based Workouts
VR headsets allow users to use data gloves or handheld controllers to interact with virtual objects for an outstanding workout experience. Games like Beat Saber, The Climb, and Creed: Rise to Glory, require movements that engage the upper body, making for a full-body workout.
Meditation and Yoga
In contrast to the strenuous physical exercises, incorporating VR for meditation and yoga can be a more relaxing experience. VR programs like Guided Meditation and Superscape VR create serene and lush virtual sceneries, heightening the importance of mindfulness practice.
Conclusion
VR has significant potential in revolutionizing fitness as we know it. It can make fitness more engaging, personalized, and accessible. In this blog post, we discussed the benefits of adding VR to your workout regimen and the different ways you can use it. Hopefully, this post has helped you understand how VR can be an invaluable addition to your fitness program.
References
- "The Effects of Virtual Reality on Exercise Adherence, Enjoyment, and Caloric Expenditure in College-Age Women." PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6003921/
- "Using Virtual Reality to Increase Exercise Adherence in Cardiac Rehabilitation." PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5800214/
- "American Council on Exercise (ACE)." Acefitness. https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6604/virtual-reality-s-role-in-fitness/
Flare Compare team makes no representation regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information provided in this blog post and will not be liable for any omission, error or inaccuracies, or any consequences arising therefrom. This blog post is not intended to substitute in any way for professional consultations or advice.