With its focus on virtual reality (VR) fitness, FitXR for Meta Quest not only offers energetic workouts but also the chance to exercise with professional athletes. Having seen Guinness World Record Holder Zion Clark join earlier in the year, for June FitXR welcomes two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and WBO World Champion, Nicola Adams.
Celebrating Pride month, Adams is a professional boxer and LGBTQ+ advocate and spokesperson, supporting the community by making fitness universally accessible and inclusive. Nicola kicks off FitXR’s Pride celebration with her first Box class, Boxing Gold, running through June. Additionally, Nicola will lead Box and Warm Up Cool Down classes to be released on a monthly basis.
“I’m delighted to call myself a FitXR trainer,” said Adams in a statement. “I’m a big gamer and I obviously love to work out so FitXR brings together two of my personal passions. My hope is that I can inspire people to get more active to build and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I’d also like to help grow confidence and show that fitness can indeed be fun.”
Away from her boxing career, Adams appeared on the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing breaking new ground for the show with the first-ever same sex pairing. Whilst her documentary Lioness: The Nicola Adams Story premiered on Amazon Prime late last year.
“Our mission at FitXR is to offer inclusive fitness for all so we’re proud to support and educate via Pride-themed class content during this important month of acknowledgement and celebration,” said Kelly Cosentino, Director of Fitness at FitXR. “We’re also thrilled to add the amazing and inspirational Nicola Adams to our roster of talented trainers. And it’s wonderful to have Garret back with us, as he was always a FitXR member-favourite. It’s shaping up to be an exciting month and the team at FitXR is here for it!”
In addition to Nicola’s involvement, FitXR will be adding further Pride-themed content. There’s a new Rooftop Pride environment for the Box, HIIT and Dance studios this month, music from LGBTQ+ unsigned artists; FitXR trainers Karma and Frida will host two vogue-inspired dance classes, House of Stylz and House of Passion, and previous FitXR trainer Garret Caillouet returns with HIIT class Powered by Pride.
FitXR is a subscription-based fitness app exclusive to the Meta Quest platform with a 7-day free trial to test it out. After that, it’ll cost you $9.99 USD a month to continue the membership. For continued updates, keep reading gmw3.
Virtual reality (VR) gaming is pure escapism. That ability to put on a headset and be transported to any number of virtual worlds, going on quests, meeting friends, competing for leaderboards positions and much more. VR’s also a great way to warm up those muscles in the morning or destress at the end of the day with some virtual meditation. Here are some of the best ways on Meta Quest to keep your mind and body healthy.
The following apps are a mixture of fitness games to really get the blood pumping alongside those designed to help you unwind. So they’re listed in no particular order, simply some of the ones the gmw3 team like.
Everyone needs a bit of get-up and go in the morning so why not start the day with a rhythm action game. Meta Quest has some excellent ones in the store and one that’s definitely worth a look is Synth Riders.
Originally released with loads of Synthwave, Dubstep and other electronic beats, the videogame has greatly expanded to artists such as Lindsey Stirling, Muse, and Caravan Palace. Equally, Synth Riders has added plenty of new functionality, tracking calories, multiplayer, a 360-degree spin mode and much more. Thus you can always wake up in the morning knowing there’s something different to try.
If you’re after a more tailored workout experience then why not try one of the latest titles to arrive for Meta Quest, Les Mills Bodycombat. Bringing the world-famous workout into VR, you’ll find a perfect blend of fitness and martial arts all in one spot.
Featuring personal trainers that keep you motivated throughout each session, Les Mills Bodycombat has workout plans designed for those just starting their fitness journey and those looking for a more advanced workout. Utilising a full-body workout style, you’ll go from a few light jabs and hooks to squats, hammer fists and uppercuts, pushing that intensity with each session.
If you’re after a more fitness-focused approach to VR rather than a hectic rhythm game then this is a good place to start, and there’s no monthly subscription.
Now let’s switch to a far more chilled VR experience, Tripp. Winner of Best VR Meditation App by Men’s Health, Tripp has over 75 immersive mindfulness techniques to help relax and lift your mood.
Sit down and get comfy as Tripp takes you on an almost psychedelic journey through amazing environments, immersing you in waves of sound whilst encouraging breathing techniques to help enhance that sense of calm. Try the demo and you’ll feel like jelly.
Tripp is one of the few apps to offer a free trial followed by either a one-off purchase of $34.99 for lifetime access or a monthly subscription of $4.99, making access as stress-free as possible.
As an alternate to Tripp there’s always Guided Meditation VR. The name kind of says it all, enjoy a selection of over 30 hours of guided meditation experiences focused on Anxiety, Depression, Maternity, Resilience, Sleep, and Zen.
Set within 40+ beautiful environments, the meditation experience is enhanced with over 200 relaxing audio tracks as well as customisations options. Turn off the music for example or activate a timer for a more regulated experience. Or how about switching on the “Float On” mode, gently floating automatically through the peaceful environments.
Ahh, starting to feel super relaxed already, plus Guided Meditation VR is a one-off purchase.
Time to get back in shape and for that you’ll need the aptly named FitXR. Originally starting out as a boxing-themed experience the videogame has grown to include Dance and HIIT workout studios.
There are a range of classes depending on whether you’re after a 10-minute warm-up or a far more intensive 30-minute sweat fest. All the workouts are designed in-house by professional fitness instructors for a variety of music genres, so you can work out to rock, dance, RnB and more. Plus there’s a multiplayer so six friends can join in, adding a competitive edge as everyone strives for the best score.
Much like a gym membership, FitXR has an initial 7-day trial followed by a monthly membership of $9.99 (£7.99 GBP).
(Note: There’s a similar game called Supernaturalwhich is subscription-based but its region locked to North America so gmw3 hasn’t included it in the main list.)
How about an oldie but a goldie. Available since 2019, Thrill of the Fightputs you slap bang in the middle of the ring. This is one of those titles which doesn’t offer lots of flashy extras, just you and an opponent to punch it out. There are training areas with a speedball, punching bag and more to fine-tune your skills. The fights themselves are some of the best you’ll get in VR, no arms flailing here, you need to be accurate and punch with intention.
Which means one hell of an arm workout. Plus it relies on a lot of room-scale movement and footwork to really get the best out of it so make sure to clear some space.
One of the most unique fitness games available in VR, let alone on Meta Quest, VZfit was originally a cycling experience. And it still is, sort of.
VZfit employs the power of Google Maps so you can cycle the roads of the world, all without leaving your living room. Create your own routes or cycle pre-made ones, switching between radio stations for some tunes or listening to the optional personal trainer. VZfit has really benefited from its addition of a feature called the Exerboard, doing away with the exercise bike so you can step, lunge, squat and wave those arms with no additional equipment.
Again, this is another 7-day trial followed by a monthly membership scheme of $9.99. While the Exerboard portion of VZfit doesn’t require an exercise bike, to really get the most out of the experience you will need one plus a cadence sensor (about £30/$30). Not exactly cheap but if you’ve already got most of the kit then it makes more sense.
From the same team behind Guided Meditation VR is the ancient art of Tai Chi. Rather than sitting on your ass trying to relax why not employ this Chinese martial art that’s been practised for centuries for defence training and meditation. Guided Tai Chi has over 200 Tai Chi inspired workouts to help you find inner peace ranging from 3-minute to 60-minute sessions.
Feel that tension and stress float away with sessions set within scenic natural environments featuring calming music. Tai Chi has plenty of health benefits, strengthening and toning your body whilst aiding mindfulness. Plus, Guided Tai Chi has a few customisation options to suit most players needs.
When it comes to achieving your fitness goals stats can really help keep you motivated and focused, giving you info on where you’re doing well and where improvements can be made. REAKT Performance Trainer is one of those VR fitness apps designed to help in that endeavour, combining fast-paced training with real-time feedback to help monitor your progress.
After completing an exercise designed to improve your reaction time and hand to eye coordination you’ll get a wealth of information that’ll show your exact hand position, your reaction vs your field of view and more.
Oh, and don’t forget about Oculus Move, the built-in app on Quest that provides additional fitness tracking aids.
Want to work out and exercise in VR, but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered with our VR exercise guide.
It’s becoming increasingly common to exercise in VR. What might seem like a gimmick is becoming increasingly legitimate and popular, with more options than ever to tailor a VR workout to your needs.
Here’s our guide on what headset, apps and accessories will work best for you.
[When you purchase items through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission from those sales.]
Which VR Headset For Virtual Workouts?
When it comes to workouts and exercising in VR, the Meta Quest 2 is the best headset for the job, for a couple of reasons.
First of all, it’s standalone, so there’s no other equipment required and it’s a fully portable device. You won’t have to manage any wires or other connections while working out, and you can use it anywhere in a pinch, even while travelling. It’s versatile and the most worry-free headset while in operation, which is what you want if you’re working out.
It also has far and away the best library of VR workout apps and experiences. While some of those apps are also available on other platforms, the Quest platform is becoming the place to be for lifestyle VR users. It’s already attracted more interest from fitness and workout developers than any other headset, and we expect that to continue.
We’ll be focusing on the Quest 2 below for these reasons, but if you already have a PC VR or PSVR headset, some of the info should still apply. Just check which apps and accessories are available for your particular headset.
There are two types of workouts in VR — those that are specifically designed as such, usually featuring sessions with standard workout activities like squats and boxing, and other games or apps that weren’t specifically designed for working out, but can be used in that way regardless.
For workout-specific apps, we’d recommend looking into Supernatural, Les Mills Bodycombat, FitXR, Holofit or VZFit. Each has different advantages, features and workout types, along with different pricing models — one-off payments vs subscription models.
For other games that can be used in a workout capacity, maybe look at experiences like Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, Until You Fall, OhShape or Thrill of the Fight. These aren’t workout apps right off the bat, but you’ll be able to tailor the experience to your needs once you’re familiar with them, providing you with some high-intensity exercise sessions.
While not necessary, there are a few accessories that might help make VR workouts more comfortable.
If you’re still using the standard Quest head strap, something a bit more secure might help with weight distribution and comfort. The official Elite Strap is a good option for this.
Working out with a headset on your face will probably make things quite sweaty — an alternative facial interface or cover, like those available from VRCover, can help slick sweat away and ensure you standard interface doesn’t get gross over time.
Likewise, if you want to minimize sweat and slipperiness when using the Touch controllers, a rubber grip like the ones available from Kiwi or AMVR might be a good option.
Working out in virtual reality (VR) should be an activity that everyone can enjoy, no matter their physical abilities. To highlight this fact, pro athlete, author and motivational speaker, Zion Clark, will be collaborating with the FitXR team on a range of classes that can be played whilst seated.
Zion Clark. Image credit: FitXR
Due to caudal regression syndrome, Clark was born with no legs but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming a Guinness World Record holder as the fastest man on two hands over 20 metres with a time of 4.78 seconds. He’s also aiming to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games – wrestling and seated 100M in track respectively. You’ll also find him on Netflix in a short documentary titled Zion.
Clark will choreograph classes for FitXR’s Box and HIIT studios, with his first Box class “Ready for Anything” debuting today. Over the coming months, additional classes will be added plus his avatar will also appear later this year.
“I believe in the FitXR mission of making fitness fun and inclusive for all,” said Clark in a statement. “I wanted to partner with FitXR to create these workout classes because they understand that fitness is not one-size-fits-all. Together we’re creating content that is accessible to a broad range of people, regardless of their experience, goals or mobility. I hope I can encourage people to look past their limitations – mental or physical – and start being more active. If I can inspire people to commit to living a more balanced lifestyle through routine exercise, that’s a win for me.”
“Since its inception, FitXR has always been about inclusivity and providing fitness options that cater to all,” Sam Cole, Co-Founder & CEO of FitXR adds. “It’s a foundation of our business model and I’m so thrilled to elevate our pledge to fitness inclusivity through our partnership with Zion. We’re excited for him to bring his unique passion and sense of perseverance to FitXR.”
FitXR is a subscription-based fitness app exclusive to the Meta Quest platform with a 7-day free trial to test it out. After that, it’ll cost you $9.99 USD a month to continue the membership. For continued updates, keep reading gmw3.
Fitness app FitXR is adding a bunch of new content to help users achieve their new year fitness goals, including new workout programs, formats and coaches on Quest headsets.
These new changes are available now and should add some variety to the existing programs. One big addition is a new training program called “Find Your Fit”. It’s a four-week, 12-class program that’s “curated by experts to help members discover the class style, coach and music they prefer to help them stay motivated and build more consistent habits to ultimately form healthier lifestyles.”
The new program also includes a partnership with Spinnin’ Records for the accompanying music, which features tracks from artists like Timmy Trumpet, Lucas & Steve and Sam Feldt.
In addition to the new program, there are now new class formats for FitXR’s boxing classes – Vibe, Velocity and Knockout. This will give users more choice, offering experiences that cater to different difficulty levels and styles. Vibe is more about the music, while Velocity is more of a sweaty workout and Knockout focuses on simulating real matches and focuses on technique.
The last new addition to the update is the addition of new coaches with three new trainers joining the FitXR roster.
We all know that the new year tends to be a time where everyone makes a resolution to do something different, usually to get fit and burn off those festive calories. To help with that, FitXR for Meta Quest is adding a whole new range of features and upgrades to aid your 2022 fitness.
First up are the new class formats to the Box workout studio – Vibe, Velocity and Knockout. Each has its own unique style, so Vibe is all about the feel of the music and the flow of the class, whereas Velocity is far more intensive with the music and routine ending in a sweaty high note. As you might have guessed, Knockout simulates a boxing match, keeping with FitXR’s roots when it was known as BoxVR.
“We want to continue to drive our members, encouraging them to advance in their fitness goals,” said Kelly Cosentino, Director of Fitness at FitXR in a statement. “For this reason we’re pumped to create these new Box class formats that will deliver a boutique fitness studio experience and get members further invested in classes from start to finish.”
Next up is the “Find Your Fit” Training Program. This is very much in keeping with those healthy resolutions that only last for one month, as the program is a four week, 12 class workout regimen which launched yesterday. Members can sign up to receive weekly emails with their suggested fitness classes and will also get motivational tips and advice from the FitXR team.
“I’m thrilled to give members structured guidance that will allow them to determine what works best for them individually. Fitness is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and ultimately we want our members to adapt these habits for the long term. The ‘Find Your Fit’ program will help steer members to the coaches, style of classes and music genres that speak to them and keep them coming back,” Cosentino adds.
Lastly, three new coaches have joined the FitXR squad, Elise, Billy and Adam. Each will bring their own expertise to the role as they seek to inspire and motivate FitXR users to achieve their fitness goals.
FitXR is a subscription-based fitness app exclusive to the Meta Quest platform. With a vast array of total body workouts synced to the catchiest tunes, there’s a 7-day free trial to test it out. After that, it’ll cost you $9.99 USD a month to continue the membership. For continued updates, keep reading VRFocus.
VR fitness service FitXR is set to make some changes in response to backlash over its shift to a subscription-based model.
The app, which was rebranded from the original BoxVR game in 2020, introduced a monthly subscription plan alongside Meta’s own support for the feature on Quest in April of this year. The app became free to download and charged $9.99/£7.99 a month for features like daily workouts and new exercise types, like the recent launch of HIIT routines.
FitXR Changes Incoming
But many fans expressed disappointment with the move, which removed the existing structure of premium DLC drops, even if they kept access to the existing content they’d purchased and got a three-month free trial of the subscription. The app’s user rating has since dropped to 3 stars on the Oculus Store, with many users stating that most features are locked out to them.
In an email sent to customers today, FitXR CEO Sam Cole acknowledged that the app’s user experience wasn’t working with many customers and that DLC packs had been an important part of the experience for many.
“We’re really sorry that we didn’t get your feedback originally,” the email reads. “We can’t undo our mistakes, but we can make sure we learn from them. You’ll be involved in our decisions going forward, and your feedback will shape the future of FitXR.”
In response to the backlash, Cole revealed that an update going live today would change the ‘Legacy’ UI so that existing customers only see the content they had access to and not locked workouts that prompt people to subscribe. The app will also rerelease all of its previous DLC packs for free over the course of the next week. Finally, FitXR is committing to a free, full-length class for everyone once a month.
The subscription model will remain, which Cole insisted was the “right” decision for the service.
Do these FitXR changes work for you? Let us know in the comments below.
Every weekend VRFocus gathers together vacancies from across the virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) industry, in locations around the globe to help make finding that ideal job easier. Below is a selection of roles that are currently accepting applications across a number of disciplines, all within departments and companies that focus on immersive entertainment.
Don’t forget, if there wasn’t anything that took your fancy this week there’s always last week’s listings on The VR Job Hubto check as well.
If you are an employer looking for someone to fill an immersive technology related role – regardless of the industry – don’t forget you can send us the lowdown on the position and we’ll be sure to feature it in that following week’s feature. Details should be sent to Peter Graham (pgraham@vrfocus.com).
We’ll see you next week on VRFocus at the usual time of 3PM (UK) for another selection of jobs from around the world.
FitXR is adding new seated workout classes to its release schedule for the rest of the year, with the aim of making VR workouts more accessible for those who may not be able to complete the standing portions of the exercises.
Currently, all classes in the Box Studio provide a seated option, which removes the squat feature. However, these new seated classes aim to expand accessibility options by providing seated classes in the HIIT and Dance studios, which FitXR hopes will “enable users with varying degrees of mobility to enjoy fun, engaging workouts.”
The six classes will gradually release from now through to November, and FitXR says it will continue to add more seated content “on a regular basis” in the future. Here’s a summary of the release schedule for the accessible seated classes over the next few months:
– October 3: Out of Breath (Seated, HIIT Studio, Intermediate, Electronic, 14 minutes)
– October 15: Upper Body Sweat (Seated, Dance Studio, Beginner, Pop, 10 minutes)
– October 21 : Short & Sweaty (Seated, HIIT Studio, Beginner, Rock, 9 minutes)
– October 31: Rock It Out (Seated, HIIT Studio, Intermediate, Rock, 11 minutes)
– November 7: Burnin’ Up (Seated, HIIT Studio, Intermediate, Electronic, 12 minutes)
These new classes come off the back of some big new additions and changes to FitXR over the last year. In April, the app switched to a subscription pricing model, while also adding real-time multiplayer and HIIT workouts (which, as listed above, are now being adapted into seated variations). In July, FitXR partnered with record labels to bring some big name artists, like Calvin Harris and Tiesto, to your virtual workouts.
Subscription-based virtual reality (VR) fitness app FitXR wants to make its workouts as accessible as possible so that any player can participate. To that end, FitXR will be rolling out six new accessibility classes starting this week through to November for subscribers.
FitXR has three core studios Box, HIIT and Dance which you can participate in, each offering a slightly different workout regimen. While the Box Studio already featured classes that could be played seated thanks to disengaging the squat feature, the other two did not. So these new classes address that imbalance.
There will be five new HIIT classes and one for Dance, all designed so that users with varying degrees of mobility can enjoy an engaging workout.
“Our goal at FitXR has always been to deliver an unparalleled VR fitness experience accessible by anyone, from anywhere, fit for the future of fitness,” said Sam Cole, Co-Founder and CEO of FitXR. “We realize that fitness is not one-size-fits-all, so we’re thrilled to continuously create content that is accessible to a broad range of people, regardless of their experience, goals or mobility.”
The six new classes are as follows:
Class Name: Brain Boost – Seated
Studio: HIIT
Level: Beginner
Duration: 9 minutes
Music: Electronic
Release Date: 26th September
Class Name: Out of Breath – Seated
Studio: HIIT
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 14 minutes
Music: Electronic
Release Date: 3rd October
Class Name: Upper Body Sweat – Seated
Studio: Dance
Level: Beginner
Duration: 10 minutes
Music: Pop
Release Date: 15th October
Class Name: Short & Sweaty – Seated
Studio: HIIT
Level: Beginner
Duration: 9 minutes
Music: Rock
Release Date: 21st October
Class Name: Rock It Out – Seated
Studio: HIIT
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 11 minutes
Music: Rock
Release Date: 31st October
Class Name: Burnin’ Up – Seated
Studio: HIIT
Level: Intermediate
Duration: 12 minutes
Music: Electronic
Release Date: 7th November
These are just the first in a planned series of accessible workouts with additional seated content to be regularly made available.
