Virtual Reality Fitness: How fit am I after 4 weeks of FitXR?

Feb 12 2022 Josef Erl

Image: FitXR / MIXED

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Josef spent a month working out in FitXR with Meta Quest 2. Has his fitness improved after four weeks of VR sports?

Last week, I reported on my struggle with long-term motivation in virtual reality fitness. Today, it's down to the nitty gritty: How have my stats changed after four weeks of beating up flares and virtual dance workouts?

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VR fitness in a long-term test: What’s happened so far

At the turn of the year, I made a startling observation: cramming mass amounts of candy into a middle-aged guy has negative effects on body shape. Various researchers have certainly proven this repeatedly in pretty much every fitness and health magazine. Still, the truth hurts when you look in the mirror.

The HIIT workout in FitXR is really intense - but does it actually improve my fitness level?

Something had to change, and I started my VR Fitness Long-Term Test. I quickly discovered that, unlike the digital images of the fitness trainers in FitXR, the soreness was real. I went into the first training sessions completely over-motivated and was already lying flat after two days with a neck strain. VR fitness can be painful.

After four weeks of VR aerobics, it is now time to compare and review the values from my physical assessment and check how agile an online editor is after a month of exercising in virtual reality.

Body shape, measurements and weight: Arnold, here I come

We remember: At the start, the desired V-shape was only visible when I was standing on my head. At that time, I only developed a certain body width below the chest. After a month of VR fitness training, this is how it looks:

Body region	Before VR Fitness	After four weeks
Chest	95.9 cm	96.3 cm
Abdomen	98.7 cm	95,6 cm
Waist	104,2 cm	102,4 cm
Biceps	26,2 cm	27,8 cm
Thigh	62.3 cm	60 cm

The measurements actually show a slight improvement. Only a few more weeks until I can easily fit into my pre-Christmas clothes again without the buttons bursting. Malicious tongues could now claim that this could have been achieved without sports. Just cut out the sweets and the problem solves itself.

Well, eventually I ran out of cookies, but I didn't change my eating habits much. I still eat a vegetarian diet and regularly stuff myself with pizza. Plus, my goal was not only to get rid of my belly, but also to improve my overall fitness. So exercising was and still is a must. Let's see what the body fat scale says.

Has VR fitness improved my body mass index?

I am still male, 183 centimeters tall and 36 years old. So when it comes to time travel and artificial rejuvenation, VR Sport still has some way to go. The body fat scale shows the following changes after four weeks of VR Fitness:

Value	Before VR Fitness	After four weeks
Weight	81.4 kg	81 kg
Body fat percentage	23.8 percent	20.1 percent
Body water	55.6 percent	58.3 percent
BMI	24.3	24.1
Muscle percentage	41.6 percent	41.7 percent
Bone mass	12.1 percent	12.4 percent

Goodbye body fat - hello increased muscle percentage. Okay, the values are not yet quite as great as I had dreamed. However, a positive trend is emerging. I weigh a little less, although a few hundred grams fluctuation is normal. However, bone mass and muscle percentage have improved and the body fat percentage has dropped by more than three percent.

So the exercise is making a difference. My BMI is moving further away from the borderline of being overweight (greater than 24.9). The body fat percentage is approaching a good value (14 to 19 percent) and the muscle percentage has also increased, albeit only discreetly.

How do I perform in the fitness test after four weeks of FitXR?

In the first endurance test, I was frighteningly out of breath after one minute. Four weeks later, the step test seems easier to me. What actually amazes me a bit is that although FitXR doesn't offer stretching, the mobility of the back of my body has improved. The distance to my toes is now only 14 centimeters. I can get down noticeably easier.

Test	Before VR fitness	After four weeks
Endurance Step Test	Resting pulse 90 / stress pulse 110	Resting pulse 82 / loading pulse 98
Mobility back of body	16.5 cm (Level C)	14 cm (Level C)
Abdominal strength:	52 seconds (best category)	77 seconds (best category)
Leg muscle strength	13 repetitions (worst category)	17 repetitions (worst category)
One-leg stand test (coordination)	One-legged toe stand with eyes closed for 10 seconds (level E - best category)	One-legged toe stand with eyes closed for 10 seconds (level E - best score)
Squats	25 repetitions in 60 sec.	32 repetitions in 60 sec.
Push-ups	14	22
Wall sitting	38.5 seconds	46.7 seconds
Plank	67 seconds	79 seconds

I manage to get up from a seated position four times more often within thirty seconds, although I still end up in the lowest category (less than 19) with 17 repetitions. When I want to start the stopwatch on my Echo Show 8 for the coordination test, Alexa reports over 8,000 hours. Oops, someone must have forgotten to turn off the stopwatch almost a year ago.

However, I was able to improve in every category without exception. I'm particularly proud of the 22 push-ups that I can now do. Of course, these are still beginner values, but the form curve is going up.

Preliminary conclusion after four weeks of VR fitness training with FitXR

My general body feeling has improved a lot, the measurements are pointing upwards. Back and neck pain are history. I am more agile and my body is really asking for its daily VR training session. After four weeks of VR fitness, I'm actually hooked again and exercise regularly. Whether FitXR is really the only true fitness app for VR headsets, you will read in the coming weeks in a detailed review.

This much in advance: Dancing and smashing glowing balls is not enough for me. I want more. As Bill Goldberg used to say during the glory days of wrestling in the nineties: You're Next - Les Mills Bodycombat.