Unexpected Benefits of VR for Exercise Unveiled at UVic
Virtual reality, or VR, has long been thought to be mostly helpful for gaming. But according to new research, VR technology is great for working out.
Together with the tech behemoth Meta, the University of Victoria in Canada (UVic) carried out a research to assess how much energy was used during exercises on Meta’s VR fitness platform Supernatural.
Supernatural Flow is a full-body aerobic exercise that individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 participated in. The research was directed by Dr. Ryan Rhodes at UVic with co-authors Dr. Yoah Sui and Tabitha Craig. It was shown that Supernatural Flow had comparable cardiovascular effects as jogging.
On the one hand, this is probably Meta’s obvious attempt to advertise its product and show, with evidence from science, that their technology improves human health.
However, it’s possible that using VR technology in conjunction with exercise makes it as fun as well as advantageous and successful. Exercise is a tiresome boredom for many people. Thanks to VR, that’s not necessary anymore.
Users may benefit from improved virtual reality for yoga and general wellness sessions in addition to exercising. The news that popular online movement and mindfulness platform Alo Moves is developing a mixed reality yoga software for the Meta Quest 3 is sure to excite many customers. This app is the first of its kind to utilise virtual teachers for completely immersive at-home yoga sessions.
With the main distinction being that the coach will be in their house instead of a virtual setting, the technology allows users to workout or practice yoga with a distinctive virtual reality experience.
There are advantages to the real physical side of adopting VR for this purpose, in addition to the experience. There is an infinite selection of sports available to users, including tennis and boxing. Users are attracted into a virtual reality experience by playing these games, which keeps them engaged longer than they would have otherwise exercised. Establishing a target, like winning a round of boxing or tennis, provides individuals with something to strive for and facilitates the completion of a more fruitful and prolonged exercise session.
Conversely, studies have shown that doing out in virtual reality for a shorter amount of time has the same health benefits as working out for a longer amount of time without using VR.
A recent research looking at the impact of VR-based exercise on mental health reveals that individuals may reduce the quantity of intense exercise they undertake each week and still get the advantages of improved mood. Even if VR fitness is more beneficial psychologically than fitness without VR, other research has confirmed this.
The advantages of virtual reality (VR) for both physical and mental health appear apparent, but most people don’t seem to be aware of this. VR may help individuals exercise.
Eighty percent of Americans do not consistently exercise using engaging games and fitness routines, according to Athletech. VR firms want to alter this, drawing in more prospective customers to an activity that was previously thought to be too difficult.
Tech firms might persuade millions more people to take an interest in VR-enhanced aerobics, yoga, meditation, and fitness if they can show that these activities are not only more enjoyable and amusing but also have psychological and physical benefits.
This is your chance if you’ve never enjoyed working out or practicing yoga. Invest in a virtual reality headset to fully submerge your mind, body, and spirit in an engaging and entertaining environment.
