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I’ve revamped my training routines. Here’s how VR fitness apps are helping with my daily workouts.
My VR fitness self-experiment happened quite a while ago. Back then, I achieved impressive results within a month through regular training in virtual reality. Since then, I’ve gone through phases where I do more or less VR fitness.
At the moment, we’re unfortunately in a “less phase,” which is why my summer clothes from last year have become a bit tighter. So I need to lose a few pounds. And how does an XR editor best do that? With VR fitness, of course!
If you want to sweat along with me, you’ll find links at the end of the article where we can share our experiences.
VR Fitness: Where I stand and what I want to achieve
My starting point for this small experiment is similar to last time. I’ve once again accumulated a little padding around my hips, I sit far too much, and my muscle circumference is comparable to that of a pencil.
So the goal is clear: The belly needs to go, my body needs to become more flexible, and in the long term, my current “pear-shaped” body should at least give way to a slight V-shape.
These are the VR fitness apps I’m using
Since I don’t want monthly costs and Meta’s popular fitness app is still not available in the EU, FitXR and Supernatural remain off the table. To achieve my goals, I’ve instead chosen a few other titles from our list of best VR fitness apps for Meta Quest and added a new one.
Warming Up with Synth Riders
Synth Riders remains my absolute favorite app for rhythm and movement. To get into the swing of things, I start my training sessions with four to five songs from my favorites list. Songs I’m familiar with that don’t demand extreme body contortions are best for warming up. The difficulty level is either Expert or Master depending on the song, as I’ve been playing Synth Riders regularly for a long time.
Belly-Busting Training with Les Mills XR Bodycombat
The centerpiece of my current fitness routine is Les Mills XR Bodycombat. The martial arts-based workouts are perfect for both beginners and advanced users alike and help shed pounds quickly. With regularly released DLCs, the VR fitness app gets even better. There are now also monthly challenges that keep motivation high.
Cool Down with Fitness Fables
Fitness Fables takes a playful approach. Similar to Nintendo’s Ring-Fit Adventures, you move through a colorful game world and fight monsters with fitness exercises, cross difficult terrain, or bring locked gates crashing down.
The levels last about 10 to 15 minutes and challenge you alternately with tennis, boxing, rowing, climbing, battle rope, or squats. There are also demanding boss fights. The challenge is adjusted according to your fitness level.
With its cute characters and vibrant game world, Fitness Fables is the perfect VR game to wind down from a strenuous workout.
My training plan for the first four weeks
The app selection is made, now I just need a proper plan to counteract the lack of movement during my office chair daily routine. I want to do the full program three times a week for 60 to 90 minutes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll stay active with various VR games and counter the lack of movement with yoga exercises.
For the first four weeks, I’ll try to stick to the following training rhythm as much as possible. I use the weekend as a recovery phase:
| Time | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| approx. 20 min | Synth Riders (Warm-up) | Synth Riders (Warm-up) | Synth Riders (Warm-up) | ||
| 30 – 40 min | Les Mills XR Bodycombat (Strength/Endurance) | Yoga | Les Mills XR Bodycombat (Strength/Endurance) | Yoga | Les Mills XR Bodycombat (Strength/Endurance) |
| 10 – 20 min | Fitness Fables (Cool-down) | Fitness Fables (Cool-down) | Fitness Fables (Cool-down) |
Join In and Share Your VR Fitness Success with Us
I’m curious to see how long I’ll stick to my plan this time and will of course keep you updated. Since training alone is only half as fun, I’d like to bring you on board again.
Which VR fitness apps do you use, and would you perhaps like to sweat with me together over the next few months? Then hop onto our Discord channel or join the conversation on Facebook or Bluesky. There you’ll find like-minded people and can share your training routines and experiences with VR fitness with me and others.
I look forward to your contributions!
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