RUNNING Virtual

Recent studies reveal that virtual reality (VR) workouts can burn as many calories as real-life sessions, while making you forget you're even exercising. Is this the option for you?

- Glynis Horning

Virtual reality may still seem like science fiction to many of us, but it’s been a part of our world for 50 years – starting with VR devices for medical and flight simulation in the 1970s, automobile design and military training, and commercial headsets which have been around since the 1990s.

The Covid-19 pandemic was a major driver towards utilising VR’s capabilities for health and fitness when lockdowns closed gyms and restricted group exercise. If you’ve been slow to adapt, maybe now is the time, with a flood of apps offering the chance to work out in virtual settings – from idyllic beaches to misty mountains and fantasy terrains we could once only dream of.

What's it all about?

VR fitness apps are simply software programmes that use technology to provide virtual scenarios and sensations to give you an immersive, amazingly realistic workout experience. You need a VR headset and sometimes a hand-held device that communicates with the gaming platform, then you simply download the games or exercise apps. (Some may require special gloves, a vest or a directional treadmill.)