Yes, you read that headline right. It does say VR workout, as in virtual reality sweat fest. I am in love with this innovative exercise routine, but I was definitely skeptical at first. Admittedly, I am not on the new tech wave like others — I still have an iPhone 10 — and I don’t always trust the latest innovations. (A few stacks of CDs still sit tucked in the corner of my hall closet because you never know when the cloud is going to act up.)
My experiences with VR, or interactive experiences like it, have included almost throwing up in the movie theater during the first 10 minutes of Avatar after slipping on those 3-D glasses and almost smacking a passing barista at a coffee shop while viewing an interactive short film a friend suggested I watch through Google Cardboard, a VR construct that lets users block out all other visuals except what’s on their device’s screen.
So when I was introduced to WITHIN’s VR fitness app Supernatural I wondered if I’d need to be out in an open field while supervised. Luckily, this wasn’t the case.
What is this workout all about?
Supernatural is a VR workout that is accessed via an Oculus Quest headset, which can be purchased for about $299. (You get a headset and two handheld controllers.) Plenty of apps can be used on the Oculus, not just Supernatural, which is a perk when thinking of adding this device to your budget.
Once I slipped on the headset, I was able to make my experience personal — and ensure I wasn’t going to bump into anything or fall over. The device allows you to track the workout space you have — 8 feet by 8 feet is best — and keeps you from moving beyond that perimeter.
I was happy to find there was a tutorial to get me acquainted with the workout so I could gauge if this was gonna make me dizzy or feel totally off. After moving around a bit, I found that the experience wasn't jarring at all. The workouts consist heavily of swatting at and smashing objects that are flying toward you, and squatting, ducking, and doing lunges through triangles that are also rushing at you.
I also found myself breathing heavily and workin’ up a sweat pretty quickly. But I wanted to smack the hell out of those targets, so I found my adrenaline totally outweighed my exhaustion when I got going. (It was weird to not have the ability to freely towel off the sweat on my face without taking the headset off, but I've gotten used to it.)
This is the kind of exercise you get lost in.
It’s easy to do a 30- to 45-minute Supernatural cardio workout and feel like it’s only been about 15 minutes. Part of what captivates the user is the sick selection of music and the motivating trainers, such as Dwana Olsen, who admits she had questions about the VR workout experience before she dove in. But once she did, she was hooked.
“It completely envelops your entire gaze,” Dwana tells CafeMom of the headset experience. “So you don't have peripheral vision. There's nothing that is outside of what you see in the Oculus. My advice for anyone who's maybe a little bit intimidated: You'll never know unless you give it a shot!”
A Supernatural membership starts at $15 per month. New workouts are added daily, and you can track your stats. And so can your family, because four profiles can be set up per membership.
Additionally, the locations where these workouts take place — like on a glacier in Iceland or atop a volcano in Ethiopia — are beyond. Add to that the fact that Supernatural also offers meditation sessions in exotic settings, and it’s easy to see how platforms like these are growing more popular and changing the workout game.
Are these workouts effective?
Fellow moms, I know you feel me when I say I need a workout that is going to help target those key postpartum problem areas, such as my arms, thighs, and lower belly. Supernatural hits all of these.
“Encompassing so much of the lower body exercises into the workout is such a great way to improve your cardiovascular fitness and increase your caloric expenditure for the day, which is a great way to reduce overall body fat,” says Dwana.
However, the mother of four adds it’s key to not only pay attention to the physical benefits of exercise but to also give ourselves moments to “get our mental health in check for the day.” If that means setting aside 10 minutes to check in with our body or doing a Supernatural extended stretch session instead of a cardio workout, then great, Dwana explains. “Have pockets of time that you dedicate to yourself and surround yourself with serenity so you can walk away feeling ready to take on whatever life brings."
As a busy mom who works from home and has had to find pockets of time and pockets of the house to turn into a gym while navigating this health crisis, the notion of being able to escape and feel like I am somewhere else other than under my own roof is amazing. Though the world is opening back up, I don’t see myself stepping back into a hot yoga class or peddling shoulder to shoulder next to a stranger in a spin class anytime soon. That time, the “me time” out of the house was needed. It's nice to feel like I’m getting a bit of that back.
We all know finding ways to stay motivated can be difficult.
To keep it real, the newness of this workout — and that I feel like I’m traveling somewhere else when I have that headset on — has kept me excited. I’ve tried many variations of HIIT workouts, and I’ve been going to spin, yoga, barre, and Pilates classes since I was in my early 20s.
But the experience of this workout is unmatched. It’s a totally fresh approach to exercise that I am absolutely here for.
