Lockdown has been wild for all of us. Routines have changed drastically off course as all have to find new ways to carry out our regular schedules. Id had a New Years resolution of hitting the gym three times a week which was going very well; until it wasnt.

Ill admit that I used this new situation we all found ourselves in as a reason to relax my fitness goals. It didnt take long before I started feeling that itch to improve my physical condition. Getting back to getting buff happily coincided with my deep dive into the world of VR and what it could offer me while in lockdown. One of the things I discovered was that I could harness the power of VR too not only play games in a new way but also could be used to get back on my fitness regime.

Box VR has been my go-to for my daily exercise. Its a simple enough premise, punch the orbs choking towards you.

As you progress the dance of combat becomes more intensive and more rewarding.

I wanted to understand a little more about how BoxVR came to be and what makes the use of VR such an effective and engaging way to keep up a routine.

Speaking to the Co-Founder of FitXR, Sam Cole opened up my understanding of the reasoning behind what makes BoxVR unique.

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Where did the inspiration come from to build a fitness app like BoxVR?

With BoxVR, we were really looking to put fun back at the forefront of Fitness, creating a form of exercise for VR platforms that can support people of varying fitness levels, and is enjoyable at the same time.

The inspiration really came from realising that, at its core, many traditional fitness methods simply arent fun, and fun routines are the ones we stick with. This is one of the reasons we believe VR is the future of Fitness.

One of the most exciting things about BoxVR as a form of exercise is that it is adaptable - it can both complement existing training regimes, and provide people with an entry into exercise that is both fun and engaging.

The expertise of our fitness instructors allowed us to design carefully choreographed workouts for users of all abilities at home and Boxing as a platform really lent itself to this

Boxing gets people moving and uses the whole body during a workout this combined with the fact that anyone can play and get fit with BoxVR regardless of experience has been really successful with players

With the barrier to entry previously being cost when it comes to VR, as this technology becomes more mainstream, how do you see yourselves adapting?

The exciting thing about VR as a platform for Fitness, is that the possibilities really are endless. A digital platform such as BoxVR has the ability to add new content, refine in-game processes, and take on feedback from the community in ways that traditional fitness methods simply cant.

Recent circumstances across the world have meant that businesses in all sectors have had to look at how they adapt and change to adjust to a new normal. With VR fitness ability to transport people from the comfort of their own home, weve not had to adapt to the same kind of challenges, and have instead been able to focus on progressing our vision for the future.

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With people spending more of both their work and leisure time at home over the last few months, VR adoption in wider society has really accelerated, and the concept of using VR for Fitness, for work and even social interaction has become a lot more normalised

Our ethos at FitXR is to create a platform for Fitness which is accessible to everyone - so as VR adoption increases and the technology continues to become more mainstream, were in a really good place to welcome more people to the world of VR fitness. We have a number of exciting projects in the pipeline to give people new ways to keep fit with VR.

Its interesting to see how much more thought goes into the reasons behind exercising in VR. My simple thought process was its just another way of getting the blood pumping but being able to utilise all the unique aspects that VR has to offer means that theres more room to experiment than other methods. Ianthe mellors, Head of Fitness at FitXR elaborated on this:

What do you see as the benefits to workouts in VR over something like a lesson conducted by video?

Through a VR workout, you are working on something called proprioception, because you cant physically see your body. This is your awareness of the body, and its position and movements. This is something very unique to VR, and helps to improve balance, coordination, and focus.

The immersive nature of VR and sense of escapism is also something a video workout cant give. Platforms like BoxVR also give live feedback on how well youre doing.

There are also the more social elements of using VR for Fitness which are unique to the platform. There are multiplayer capabilities, which enable the feeling of training with a friend from home. This also brings in competitive elements, allowing people to challenge friends or aim to beat their own score.

What I took away from this was Ive been training like Luke Skywalker, and Im on my way to be a Jedi! Genuinely though, delving into the reasoning behind what makes getting moving in VR more than just a different approach to exercise was eye-opening.

Its not just putting on a headset and seeing something different; its about immersing yourself in a new world and by doing so, getting to know your body better than you did before. Im still desperate to get into the gym until its safe to do so, Im doing just fine in VR!

Go here to read the rest:

VR and the future of virtual reality fitness games at home - Daily Star