OPINION: Even before the pandemic, people were always talking about the calorie burn caused by VR. This is because VR encourages you to be much more active during gameplay in a way that consoles rarely do. But fast forward to today, and that conversation has increased significantly.
When you visit the Meta Quest store, you’ll see an entire section dedicated to games with a fitness-first approach, including standout titles like Les Mills Bodycombat and CleanSheet Football.
Still, even though I saw plenty of testimonials online from people supporting VR fitness routines, I remained skeptical. I have been going to the gym for over 10 years now and had no idea how VR could replace the gym, but when I was given the chance to test it, I decided it was still just as good. Did. Just like when checking if it’s true. After a month and a half of using Meta Quest 3 as a training tool, I’m thoroughly impressed.
First, time spent in virtual reality increased my heart rate to unexpected levels. Les Mills She participated in a 20 minute round of Body Combat and her heart rate reached over 173 BPM, and her average heart rate for the entire session was her 154 BPM. I was so surprised that I couldn’t believe that the training was taking place completely in my living room.
![Metaquest 3 and controller on the table](https://www.trustedreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2023/09/Meta-Quest-3-review-1-1024x576.jpg)
![Metaquest 3 and controller on the table](https://www.trustedreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2023/09/Meta-Quest-3-review-1-1024x576.jpg)
It’s a similar story for games that aren’t explicitly designed around fitness. Another of his 20-minute bouts in Sega’s rhythm game “Samba de Amigo: Party Central,” in which he flings virtual maracas in time to hit songs, spiked his heart rate to an average of 125 BPM and burned far more calories than the PS5. was able to consume. We can hope that the Xbox Series S does too.
However, you may have noticed a recurring theme here: the length of the training. Regardless of how appealing these apps are, the strenuous activity of exercising using head-worn technology could only last him more than 30 minutes at a time. This is the core of VR.
Once you start sweating in earnest, it’s hard to ignore the presence of Meta Quest 3 on your face. So don’t use VR as your only method of exercise. After all, it’s a good idea to commit to an hour of exercise each day, which you can’t do comfortably with just a headset.
Additionally, there’s no getting around the fact that VR can’t provide the same consistent cardiovascular challenge as running or cycling. You can also forget about building muscle definition unless you incorporate resistance bands, which is a disaster waiting to happen. .
These may sound like pretty big red flags, but as we recognize the limitations of VR, we’ve found a great place to incorporate it. For days when you’re pressed for time and can’t make it to the gym, or it’s strictly a rest day and you’re in the mood for some low-impact, active recovery, the Quest 3 provides the perfect solution.
In this context, using VR as an addition to your gym routine is just the ticket to covering all the bases. Also, as someone who’s a bit obsessed with maximizing exercise, realistically he’s about as meta as he can cram into a week. Quest 3 helped us do just that.