For some, exercise comes naturally. You crave the exhaustion and the ensuing endorphin rush of your body saying, “Hey, nice job today,” like a supportive coach in a ’90s sports film.
The rest of us need a bit more coaxing. Luckily, VR exists. And while our first port of call for VR fitness is dedicated fitness apps like Supernatural and FitXR, you can get a surprising amount of exercise “by accident” with a bunch of the games below. If you’ve ever thought you’d be better at aerobics if there were swords involved or wished the rowing machine might plunge you into a stealthy spec ops mission, then this list is for you.
And if you’re playing on Oculus Quest or Quest 2, keep an eye out for our system-level fitness tracker, Oculus Move, which lets players set daily fitness goals and track the calories they’re burning across all VR apps—from Pistol Whip to Phantom: Covert Ops to Supernatural and more.
SUPERNATURAL
While plenty of people develop an ad hoc VR fitness regimen, Supernatural offers an alternative. A $19 month (or $179 a year) subscription gets you a new workout every day—new movement sequences, a new environment, new music, and a coach to cheer you on through the entire regimen. It’s like signing up for an aerobics class, but your local gym is located in a remote part of Iceland.
Sweeping arm movements are interspersed with plenty of squats and lunges, for full-body workouts that will have you sweating in no time. Supernatural workouts are rhythm mapped to hundreds of popular music tracks from the very best artists. And with a new workout added every day to a library of over 500 workouts, meditations, and stretch sessions, there’s plenty of variety to keep you moving.
Exercise: Full-body, Aerobic
Developer: Within Unlimited, Inc.
Available On: Quest Platform
FITXR
FitXR began as BoxVR but has grown and evolved. The company added a Dance Studio in July of 2020 and introduced its HIIT Studio (High-Intensity Interval Training) in May of this year. An unparalleled virtual fitness club, FitXR is dedicated to making fitness more fun and accessible for everyone. Available for $9.99 a month, the FitXR membership delivers total body workouts designed by top fitness experts and offers new classes each day, and engaging multiplayer features, and fresh music to keep workouts exciting.
Exercise: Full-body, Aerobic
Developer: FitXR
Available On: Quest Platform // Rift Platform
VZFIT
There are more than four million miles of road in the United States of America—and now you can bike every single one of them without leaving your house. VZfit, the latest app from veteran VR fitness company VirZOOM, pairs exercise with Google Street View so you can exercise all around the world. The best part is VZfit now supports up to five players per ride, so grab your friends and go explore!
Ride through the streets of Tokyo, follow the Tour de France’s route through the Pyrenees, or explore the Grand Canyon without the heat. VZfit works with your existing exercise equipment, or you can opt for a full-body “exerboard” workout created by a professional trainer. Get started with a seven-day free trial, after which you can subscribe and keep riding for $9.99/month.
Exercise: Full-body, Aerobic, Equipment Supported
Developer: VirZOOM, Inc.
Available On: Quest Platform
HOLOFIT
Can you sweat in Antarctica? Answer this burning question and more with HOLOFIT. Available on the Quest Platform, HOLOFIT pairs with any rowing machine (either via Bluetooth or through headset-tracking) and any bicycle or elliptical with an additional cadence sensor. If you don’t have any home exercise equipment, HOLOFIT Freestyle lets you simulate (via bodyweight exercises) running, rowing, skiing, and cycling through a variety of unique VR worlds.
Paddle through Antarctica, bike through San Francisco, or even fulfill those childhood dreams and exercise in outer space. You can explore at your own pace, or go for a guided HIIT workout if you want to crank up the intensity. Get started with a seven-day free trial, after which a subscription is $12/month or $130/year.
Exercise: Full-body, Aerobic, Equipment Supported
Developer: Holodia
Available On: Quest Platform
BEAT SABER
Beat Saber is one of the most popular VR games—and one of the most popular for fitness, too. Armed with a pair of laser sabers, your goal is to slash through incoming blocks to the beat of the music, and avoid walls either by ducking under them or moving to the side. Simple enough, but even at low difficulty levels it’s supremely satisfying slicing and dicing through the fray. Developer Beat Games also continues to expand on Beat Saber with new music packs, and the latest BTS Music Pack is great if you’re looking to add some high-energy positivity to your daily workouts.
Exercise: Full-body, Aerobic
Developer: Beat Games
Available On: Quest Platform // Rift Platform
And many more…..
