Virtual Reality is not just about gaming.
There are things that you can do in VR that
not everyone might be aware of, and we want
to change that with our videos.
Today, we are touching on a normally very
boring job but turns into an incredibly fun
one with VR.
We are talking about working out.
Nowadays, studies have proven that exercising
in VR can burn more calories per minute than
most dedicated workout equipment at the gym.
Apps dedicated to VR gaming are now available
that can track your calories more accurately.
Even Apple believes in it so much that they
added a Fitness Gaming work out type on their
watches!
Everything points to VR being the future of
exercising.
But it's not only in the future; it is already
in the present.
So in this video, I'll tell you about working
out in VR and give you tips and tricks on
how to get started yourself.
Hey everyone!
Cas here, and I welcome you to another DIVE
INTO VR episode.
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like this one and check out this playlist
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So, everyone needs to work out, at least that's
what the doctors say, but I'm usually very
demotivated to actually dress up and go to
the gym after work.
Because I think going to the gym is boring
and timeconsuming.
And I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks
that.
Most of my friends around me work out, but
don't find it the most fun job to do.
They feel great after, but actually going
can sometimes be… difficult.
But now, I am using VR as my workout, and
it feels great.
I don't have much trouble getting started
because I actually enjoy it.
But don't just take my word on it.
Let's check out some success stories.
For example, in this article by VR Scout,
they talk about Robert, who developed a daily
30-min work out routine using just Beat Saber
and lost 138 pounds in only two months.
If you don't know Beat Saber, you might be
living under a rock, or maybe I'm just living
in a VR bubble.
But Beat Saber is one of the most popular
VR rhythm games where you use lightsabers
to slash boxes that come at you at the beat
of the music.
It's a ton of fun, but I can assure you, once
you learn how to play on an Expert-level or
higher, doing it for 30 minutes can really
tire you out.
Robert says that it worked for him because
it drew his inner child, so he was able to
give it his all and have fun doing it.
Here's another success story from Reddit user
/u/geoffbowman.
He says he has been on a six month VR fitness
journey using Beat Saber to determine the
results one can get from only adding VR cardio
to an otherwise unchanged lifestyle and diet.
He shows a picture of the results and says
that he is 30 pounds down.
And it looks good!
These success stories are in line with a research
study by the VR Institute of Health & Exercise
that says five minutes of working out in an
active VR game burns more calories than making
love.
For example, five minutes of Audio Trip, which
is another rhythm VR game, burns 3.47 times
more calories than a night of passion.
I think the best thing about working out in
VR is that it doesn't feel like a boring session
in a gym.
It just feels like I'm playing a game, and
that makes it enjoyable for me.
Because of that, it's much easier to keep
motivated.
This is why I wanted to make this video.
I want to inspire you to start doing this,
too, if you haven't yet.
And if you have friends who don't like gaming,
they might like getting a VR headset just
for this.
So please do share my video with your friends
and give it a thumbs up if you found it interesting
so far.
If you want to get started too, the two basic
things you will need are a VR headset and
some VR games.
If you don't have a headset yet, I recommend
getting an Oculus Quest because its standalone,
and wireless.
You can get one for 400 US dollars.
Now, you don't need the following two things,
but I do prefer using it — a calorie tracker
with a heart monitor.
I use these to track my VR work out more accurately.
However, you could also use a smartwatch like
the Fitness Gaming work out type on the Apple
Watch that I talked about before.
But since VR is still a pretty new industry,
normal calorie trackers might not give you
accurate data.
So I recommend using a calorie tracker that
is dedicated to VR gaming.
I have found two that I like; the YUR FIT
app and the app by the VR Institute of Health
& Exercise themselves.
Both apps are free.
But the one I prefer using is YUR Fit.
It's currently in Early Access.
You can download the desktop app on Steam
or sideload the app on the Oculus Quest.
If you don't know how to sideload, I've made
a guide on it in a previous video which I'll
link it in the description.
I like the YUR Fit app because it shows an
overlay during my VR gaming sessions.
The overlay shows data on your workout, like
how many calories you've burned, how long
you have been working out, your current heart-rate,
and even how many times you've squatted.
The heart-rate is only available if you connect
a heart monitor.
Here's a list of all monitors that are supported
by the YUR app.
I am using a Wahoo TICKR, and I'm pretty satisfied
with it.
I will put a link below in case you are looking
for one too.
After a VR workout session, you can view your
historical data to see how you performed.
This only works if you have an account though.
It's all synchronized in the cloud, too, so
you can log in anywhere to view the data.
I've tried using YUR on my PC, and afterward
I went to my Quest, and both sessions are
combined in my account.
I also have the app on my phone, which I think
is even handier.
But another thing I like about the YUR Fit
app is that it uses extra gamification to
motivate you.
You can level up by burning calories.
The more calories you burn, the more points
you get for your level.
There's a leaderboard too, which can help
if competition is something that motivates
you.
Then there is the app by the VR Institute
of Health and Exercise.
This is an institute that studies the impact
of virtual reality exercise on the human body.
Their app is available on the Apple App Store
and the Google Play store.
In their app, you can also connect a heart
monitor, but it seems to support fewer heart
monitors because I could not get it working
with my Wahoo TICKR.
But what I like about this app is that it
shows a list of many different games, and
it tells you how many calories you will burn
per minute.
They've rated those games by doing the tests
themselves, and they are transparent about
how they do these tests.
If you want to know what their methods were,
it's all on their website.
VR game developers can submit their game for
rating if they think it could be used as a
workout.
Not only can you use this app as a tracker,
but you can also use it to find games that
you can add to your VR workout routine.
We're almost at the end of this video, so
I wanted to share some of my VR game recommendations
that I like using for my workout.
First of all, Beat Saber is one of my favorites.
With Beat Saber, I do feel like I'm only training
my arms, though.
So I usually combine this game with other
games.
I also like Audio Trip.
This game is great for a full-body workout.
Here, triangles and lines fly at you that
you have to follow with your arms.
What makes this game different is that it
has a great flow that makes your whole body
move.
A choreographer stands in front of you that
shows you dance moves that you can mirror.
The game makes you feel like you are dancing.
Whether it actually look like dancing in real
life, I don't know 😉
Plus Audio Trip has some very catchy songs
like Satisfaction from Benny Benassi.
Lastly, I've been playing a lot of Pistol
Whip, which trains your legs as well as you
will squat a lot while dodging bullets.
This is especially noticeable when you play
on harder difficulties.
Here, you enter an autorunning level that
looks like an action scene from a movie.
Targets will start shooting at you, and you
have to defend yourself by shooting back while
dodging the bullets.
The beautiful level designs are all on the
beat of the music; even when you dodge a bullet,
you can hear the bullet fly past you.
The game just gives you energy.
It's great and, at the moment, one of my favorite
VR workout games.
I've named a lot of music games as my favorites
but you can also play VR games of other genres
as a workout.
There's, for example, Until You Fall, a procedurally
generated sword fighting game that can be
an intense activity too.
If you want more tips, check out the ratings
in the app by the VR Institute of Health & Exercise.
Now, I know gaming in VR might not work for
everyone.
What motivates me might not be the same for
you.
For example, I get motivated by these gamification
elements.
If I can see my progress, and I can level
up with my calorie points, then I feel more
motivated to keep on doing it.
Plus I like games.
So if you are anything like me, then I do
think it's worth giving it a try.
Let us know if you are going to get started
now and if you already exercise in VR, what
games do you recommend playing?
Put ' em down below so everyone can get some
more suggestions.
Again, thanks for watching!
You are amazing!
I hope to see you all in the next video.
A special thanks goes to our Right-Hand Patrons.
Big thanks to artArmin's for his long-term
support!
Check out artArmin's YouTube page!
Another shout out goes to BaxornVR and his
VR YouTube channel!
As always
VR on!
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