epending on where you are locked down right now, working on your weekly fitness regime has suddenly become a lot more challenging, especially with so many gyms around the world being closed. But don’t worry! There is a new way for you to get fit without having to leave the house – introducing Virtual Reality Fitness.
In some countries, like Spain, outdoor exercise has been completely prohibited. Many other countries have the same or slightly more relaxed measures in place
Wherever you are, life is almost certainly not how it was before and we are all having to adapt. Luckily for fitness fanatics, the power of the internet and virtual reality can provide some respite.
The Virtual Reality Route
Virtual reality fitness is perhaps the coolest way to keep fit while living under lockdown.
The beauty of this is that if you have a stationary bike set up somewhere at home, you can easily adapt it to VR. As long as you’ve got a bit of spare cash, of course.
For those who are struggling without the release that a long run or bike ride can bring, virtual reality is the next best thing.
Get The Gear!
As well as a stationary bike, you will need a little bit of hardware to get back out onto the virtual open road.
A VZFit package from VirZoom will only set you back around $99 but this needs to be connected to an Oculus VR headset which will cost at least $200 more.
The VZFit set-up was developed by the same people who brought the world some classics such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and one of the men behind it, Eric Janszen, is a keen cyclist himself.
According to Janszen, once you’ve got all of the kit in place, turning your regular stationary bike into a virtual one is pretty simple. A sensor goes on the crank arm of the bike and a button is attached to the handlebars, and then you’re all set to get out and about.
The Virtual Reality Fitness Cycling Experience
Once you’re all hooked up, plugged in, and logged in, the only thing left to do is peddle! The big difference that instead of seeing your basement, you’ll now be cycling along virtual country roads, a bright Southwestern US canyon, or a river valley.
And it’s not only the scenery that comes alive. You can race AI avatars or with other users. You can even talk to your friends if they are logged in with you.
According to Janszen, the VR experience is just like a real-world one.
“THE BIKE BECOMES AN EXTENSION OF YOUR BODY, AND YOUR ACTIVITY IN VR IS SO ENGAGING THAT YOU CAN EASILY LOSE TRACK OF HOW MUCH TIME YOU ARE THERE. AS THE MINUTE’S TICK BY, YOU ARE BURNING SERIOUS CALORIES.”Eric Janszen
Alternative Lockdown Options for Fitness
The virtual reality fitness cycling experience sounds like a great one but it’s not accessible for most people. Having the space to have a stationary bike at home in the first place is one thing. Adding all of the VR gear is another.
A little bit like the super popular Peloton bikes that come with screens that allow you to interact with other riders all over the world, these home exercising options are for people with plenty of disposable income.
Luckily, in times of global lockdown, there are many ways that you can stay fit without leaving the confines of your own home.
There are millions of videos on YouTube that are more than sufficient to keep you in tip-top shape. And a lot of suddenly out of work fitness instructors have even been offering classes to people free of charge via live Instagram stories.
In trying times where motivation is hard to find, there are a lot of people out there who can offer you some assistance.
