If you’re at all plugged into the technology scene, you’ll know that virtual reality is becoming a big deal. All the big tech companies — Google, Samsung, Microsoft, Apple, and more — are invested in VR in some way, though some are much further along than others. In fact, you can get a taste of VR right now through products like the HTC Vive and Samsung Gear VR. But, as exciting as VR is in general, it’s especially exciting for the ways it could change fitness as we know it.

Physical Activity, Whether You Like It or Not

The idea of VR has been around for years and years, but the technology has only gotten good enough for the first serious attempts to occur. Right now, you can try it out for yourself, though you might have to pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to nearly a thousand bucks for your own headset. That said, when you do get the chance to try it, you’ll be surprised at just how active you might be. Games that require standing, ducking, and shooting can be quite the workout — and they’re not even meant for fitness!

Virtual Fitness Trainers

The internet has helped make fitness education more accessible than ever; a lesson on any type of exercise or fitness routine is available at the click of a button. If you like watching fitness videos on YouTube, you’re going to be excited for the future of VR. Imagine being able to step into the frame of the instructional video. Not only will you feel like you’re there, but you’ll also be free to walk around the fitness trainer, able to see the correct form up close and from any angle you like. And that’s not even to mention of the motivation of having a lifelike virtual trainer there to cheer you on!

Working Out in Exotic Locales

Aerobic exercises, like spinning and running, aren’t the most fun to do when they’re on a stationary bike or treadmill. But what if instead of sweating it out in a gym, you were biking through a dense forest? What if you were running on the moon? VR still has some ways to go when it comes to moving around comfortably while you’re using it, but it’s only a matter of time until such issues are sorted out. The feeling of immersion in a good VR system is hard to describe until you try it out for yourself. Wouldn’t you be more likely to get to your workout if you were transported to somewhere amazing when you did?

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