Virtual reality fitness training at its finest
The straps on my Oculus Quest virtual reality goggles have stretched out over time. So I find myself perpetually adjusting them on the fly, which can really take away from whatever immersive app I’m using. That’s especially inconvenient right now, as I’m trying out the FitXR VR fitness app that has quickly become a popular choice for people wanting to work out in a fun and engaging way.
I do cardio exercise five or six times a week, so I think I’m in decent shape. But I rarely work out my upper body because, well, I’m lazy. What’s nice about FitXR is it offers a variety of workouts in five “studios” that include boxing, dance, sculpt, combat and HIIT (high intensity interval training). Each workout strives to be challenging, which is great. My first workout, a beginner-level HIIT, wiped me out in four minutes the first time. The second one I lasted the entire 12 minutes, although I didn’t score workout points very well. Technique is apparently not my forte. But I found them both fun and colorful. And I like a good challenge, so I’ll stick around and see how I can progress from here. There are also a lot of male and female instructors to choose from in FitXR. You can also see avatars of other people working out with you – I’m not sure if they’re truly working out live from wherever they are in the real world, or if FitXR just places them there so you don’t feel alone.
Essentially, you can pick one of several background settings for your workout. Which is actually a nice touch that made me feel more at ease. Then you just mimic the instructor in front of you. All the while, you see color-coded messages pop up offering encouragement and feedback. I like that.
The workouts are also set to high-energy music, which enhances the overall experience. All the while, the app tracks your progress via stats, calories burned, workout duration, and your heart rate. This information is displayed in real-time, which lets you see how you’re doing. You can always adjust, as needed. If you’re into competing with others – which I’m not, when it comes to this – there are challenges and leaderboards, as well.
The boxing workouts require you to punch virtual targets that appear in front of you. It tracks the accuracy and speed of each punch, which helps you improve technique over time. The dance workouts require you to follow along with virtual dancers, which can be a fun way to learn new dance moves.
Although I think it’s a cool and very immersive way to work out, I really find the Quest headset to impede with the overall FitXR experience. I hope that someday the clunky headset just becomes a simple pair of glasses that doesn’t need straps or lens focus adjustments. Not to mention, the battery seems to constantly need charging.
But I think this app is great for people like me who would most likely be insecure in a real workout room at the local fitness club, or someone who doesn’t want to fork out for a gym membership. I love the variety of workouts within the app. And who knows, maybe I can build up a little upper body strength, too — at least enough to tighten the stubborn headset straps.
