I’ve mentioned a couple of times that I’ve primarily switched my exercise mode to VR. I traditionally had been walking, but I’ve had some lingering injuries which have made it difficult to do that consistently. So using my Oculus Quest 2 headset has allowed me to still get my heart pumping without putting the strain on my body from “hitting the pavement.”
I know that there are various apps/programs out there for exercise. A number of years ago I actually had the opportunity to try out the game Beat Saber at a friend’s house. I found it to be enjoyable enough and it was definitely something that got my heart beating. I didn’t actually become fully interested in using VR for exercise until I saw an ad for Supernatural. I decided to go ahead and give the free version a try and see if it was not only something that I felt was something I could use to stay active, but also to see if it would be something that would maintain my interest.
First, let me give an overview of what people can expect with Supernatural. Supernatural’s primary purpose is that of fun physical exertion although it also has stretching and meditation videos that you can do. When I was struggling with some back soreness during my walks, it was actually one of the stretching videos that helped me get over that hump. The primary exercise modes are split into three intensities (low, medium, and high). Each level gives a corresponding amount of targets with the higher levels increasing the number and complexity (thereby increasing the speed and accuracy you need to have). You’re given two “bats” which are obviously tied to the hand held controllers. One bat is black and the other is white which ties to the color of the targets you’re meant to hit. Targets come at you from a specified location (which can rotate a full 360°) and point the direction you should be swinging your bats to hit them.
So after using this app for the past 3 months or so, let me give you my pros and cons. All of the screenshots included below are from the Supernatural gaming app as I have experienced it through my headset.
PROS
Music: One of the things I have enjoyed most about the Supernatural app is the variety of music that it comes with. While I haven’t experienced the other apps as much, I have read that the Supernatural musical library seems to be much more extensive. I have only had one song that I’ve seen so far on two different exercises, and they were different intensity levels so the targets were much different. Here are some examples of the music types that I have seen: Pop, Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Classical, and Country. I’ve seen playlists for the Four Seasons, musicals, and most decades music. Another cool thing they’ve been doing is uploading playlists that focus on the different celebrations such as Asian and Pacific Islanders Month, Pride Month, Black History Month, Girl Power and more. I don’t honestly know how long it would take me to get through all of the many playlists that are already uploaded and they are daily uploading new playlists. I also know that they recently made a deal to bring even more songs to the platform, so dullness won’t ever be an issue. Also as someone who doesn’t care for profanity in music, I’ll say that I haven’t yet come across any songs with those types of lyrics. Doesn’t mean they aren’t there, but I haven’t seen them yet which means there’s at least a large selection without them.
Coaching: Another cool thing that this platform does is pair you with a coach for the platform. Obviously this isn’t a live person in the moment, but it’s someone who has done the workout and is looking to help motivate you and give you reminders throughout to help you push yourself. A nice feature that have is being able to sort by the coaches in case you find one or two who you prefer to the others. I’ve definitely found times where I’m pushing myself in my movements based on the advice and encouragement of the coaches.
Locations: One of the unique benefits of VR is the opportunity to “go” to locations you otherwise would not be able to see. Supernatural not only gives you great workouts, but allows you to do so at locations of stunning scenery. Places I have “seen” include Crater Lake – Oregon, Easter Island, White Sands – NM, The great pyramids, The Atacama Desert – Chile, Snæfellsjökull Volcano – Iceland, Ilulissat Icefjord – Greenland, Cape of Good Hope – Africa, The Great Wall of China and many others. Mind you, these aren’t just a 2D picture in front of you, but rather dropping you into the middle of 360° landscape. Generally it’s a little difficult to enjoy the scenery right away as the targets start flying at you, but after the workout I like to pause and take a look around.
You Get Out What You Put In: As with any type of exercise, you determine how hard you’re going and what you’ll get out. Supernatural combines upper body movements with squats and lunges while encouraging you to engage your core. You, as the exercising, determine how much power you’ll put into your strikes and what type of range of motion you’re using. As strength, endurance, and your general fitness level increases, you can continue to work on your form to give yourself an even better workout. But it’s also nice to know for those of us out there who aren’t in the world’s greatest shape that this is still a platform we can use and feel successful. One of the other benefits that fits under here is that you can pick workouts from as low as 5 minutes up to an hour. I can say that I sweat much more profusely from a 20-30 minute workout using this app than I ever did going on 5 mile walks at a brisk pace. I would equate it to the exercise I would get from participating in an actual sport like basketball (except my arms are much more tired after the workout).
All From the Comfort… I think one of the most appealing things for me with VR Exercising in general is that I can do it from the comfort of my bedroom. It’s fun, and I don’t need to be self conscious about working out in front of someone else. The spacing requirements really are only about however far you can extend your arms in a circle (though I like to add a couple more feet just to be on the safe side). This has cut down a lot on the excuses I can make for myself to not go and exercise. I can’t tell myself that I don’t want to have to get dressed and go drive to a gym or walk around my neighborhood. For someone who never feels super confident about their appearance, this is a big selling point.
CONS
Cost: This con really will depend on the person. If you are starting with nothing, then the cost of getting a VR Headset and the Supernatural app can be a bit restrictive. Honestly, it depends on how much value you put on the above listed pros. The headset would set you back a few hundred dollars. The Supernatural app itself comes in two different payment methods. There’s a month to month option which is about $20/mo. Or you can choose a yearly license which is about $180 (or a slightly discounted $15/mo). For me, this was an investment I decided I wanted to make. It fits my lifestyle needs currently and will also be of great use during the winter when outdoor activities are even more difficult to convince myself to do.
Playlists: This one isn’t as much of a negative, but the playlists are put together for you. I’d love it if in the future they had individual songs you could choose from to create your own playlist, even if it meant switching the coaches from song to song.
Verdict
Overall, I’ve had a great time using this workout app on my VR headset. It’s engaging, fun, effective, and fairly easy to use. Even on the days when I don’t feel that motivated to exercise, that lasts only as long as it takes for me to log-in and start up the first song.
If you have any questions/comments that you’d like me to answer about my experience, please put them in the comments! I had taken some videos from the headset, but I didn’t post them because of the music copyrights! If anyone would like me to individually send them a video, you can reach out to me! Below here I have also included a video from youtube that Supernatural put out.