Virtual reality is the future of fitness; you’re hearing it here, although this probably isn’t the first or last time you’ll hear it. Recently, we attended a special VIP influencer event for the kinda grand opening of a new VR spot in LA… Dreamscape. While we couldn’t stand a lot of the other influencers that were there (they thought they were really important, and were referring to themselves as influencers), we are very excited to return. They had three different options and we decided to be a part of a mission to save a baby whale. The experience was immersive and although it was less interactive than The Void (we did a Star Wars VR there), it was an amazing experience.
During the experience, you move throughout a room that you can’t really see to engage with the environment. We were in wetsuits underwater, trying to get a sea station to work so we could find water trolleys to save the whale. Even though it wasn’t physically demanding for us, we realized that it might be for some other people. Also, we realized that with some adjustments it could be one of the best workouts, in a few ways. A while ago, we took part in one of our favorite training sessions of all time. 24 Hour Fitness and Les Mills had us take THE TRIP, which was an immersive cycling class. While it wasn’t VR, it shared some similarities and made the workout much more exciting. It was a mega version of those treadmills or cardio bikes that have a screen and show you the road that you’re on at the time.
The thing is, most people don’t want to work out. They don’t enjoy going to the gym, but they like staying at home. There are some similar options at home, such as Wii Fit. Heck, you can even get a PS VR; I haven’t tried it much but I’m sure you could get a workout while trying to avoid and fight zombies in Resident Evil. It gets people more active and keeps them moving. In fact, while we were at Dreamscape, they were talking about the military and professional sports team using VR for training purposes. It might not be the most accessible or economical option available right now, but with technology advancing faster than ever, it is a matter of time before VR is the new way that people who don’t want to be active get more active.
In the meantime, you might want to try some of these options out. The Void provides you with a rifle and you shoot Imperials while on a mission for the Rebellion. They also have a Ghostbusters and Wreck it Ralph option that we haven’t tried yet. Dreamscape is much more cinematic and story-based. We’ll be heading back soon to try their Indiana Jones-based adventure that is more physically demanding than the whale rescue mission. They also have an Alien Zoo that we’ll try at some point. PSVR and even WiiFit are more options for how to be active without even leaving your home. Let us know what VR experiences you’ve tried and if you enjoy them before we live in a world like Ready, Player One. It is bound to happen and keeping up with the progress is a key way to stay hungry and fit!
