VR vs Fitness and Fat – Kickoff Time

VR vs Fitness and Fat – Kickoff Time

Matt’s Thoughts – Day 1

So the challenge has kicked off and I have some exciting news, Hope is joining me for the journey. This is going to be great for two reasons. Firstly, we will get to look at this whole experiment through a couple of sets of eyes, which is great and makes it more helpful for anyone reading. Second, it means I am not doing this alone, which gives me that added motivation to not throw in the towel.

So really, the question is why am I doing this? Weight, it’s a bitch right? I am a big guy naturally, even during my Rugby League playing days I was 115-120kgs, so weight is always an issue for me. The second issue is doing something about that weight. I have always been fascinated with the idea of “gamifying” weight loss, adding appeal to an otherwise difficult and unappealing activity. This is where this challenge comes in. Adding scores, goals and bonuses may be just the kicker to get me into that regular routine that weight loss requires. I am also curious to see if it can actually work, can these VR games be a legitimate substitute for hitting the gym or running 10km a day?

So kicking this off I am quite heavy and view myself with quite a bit of self-loathing. Even starting this has improved my thoughts about myself so that can only be a good thing right? I have also been having trouble sleeping recently and due to the many injuries I have suffered during my sporting years, I have been diagnosed with osteoarthritis. Both of these conditions are only made worse due to the fact that I am carrying excess weight. So here I am, diving head first into something that I hope will help me make a change for the better.

I dived into my first workout with BoxVR and instantly my heart rate jumped. This was tough and perhaps I tackled a workout that was a touch beyond my ability. But I persisted and completed the 30mins of virtual boxing the challenge required. I tell you what, the way my arms felt after that, I don’t think I could have even lifted them to scratch my nose. I have also realised that I am going to have to get myself some of those Dettol wipes for my VR unit, because the sweat coming out of me resembled the Niagra falls and nobody wants a PSVR unit soaked in in that.

So that is the story so far, during the week I am going to be mixing it up with some Beat Saber and Creed (Thanks to Sony Australia) so I might do the serious workout of BoxVR every second night, with the fun stuff in between to break it up. Wish me luck!

Hope’s Thoughts – Day 1

Unlike Matthew, I’m no stranger to VR and swinging my arms violently. I have been playing Beat Saber for around 6 months now and when I manage to do it consistently I absolutely notice benefits to my health. I even wrote about it for Junkee

When our editor and chief broke the news of his project to the rest of us at Player 2 I wanted in. I already know that doing this regular chunk of exercise will definitely make me feel fitter but I want to measure it and also have some accountability. I also want a reason to eat better than the absolute trash goblin I seem to naturally be.

So for the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be doing my best to not eat completely terribly… She says after eating both chocolate and a leftover Rooster Roll today. But more importantly I’m going to be using VR as my exercise, for a minimum of thirty minutes a day, every day, no excuses, you fat lazy pig faced ugly ass flabby piece of… no excuses.

Weight loss for me is a bit of a problem. Currently, I’m about as heavy as I ever really get. I’ve been here before and lost it but gained it back. Thankfully, I haven’t ever tipped much higher than the mid 80kgs. Being my upper limits this feels really big for me and what I’m used to and what I expect from my body.

The real issue though is I find it difficult to maintain. My weight can fluctuate wildly seemingly without much cause. I have some slight hormone problems (as currently evidenced by the breakouts on my face) and I deal with chronic pain so there’s a lot working against me with these things. While I’m not asthmatic, I’ve always been the kid who was crap at sports and couldn’t run without gasping for air. I am also naturally pretty large chested which doesn’t change regardless of my overall weight or health.

Another thing to keep in mind with any of the numbers I put in here is I have a somewhat abnormal heart rate. It’s not a medical issue or anything to worry about, it’s more that I can get my heart rate up quite high without that much effort. I’ve been to doctors, I’m fine. Don’t stress if you see anything I record where my ticker is pushing 200 because that’s just how I am. Gotta go fast.

I loaded up Beat Saber today for my first go and managed to play for close to 50 minutes. I noticed high-intensity songs could get my heart rate much higher while I was tracking and tried to limit how long my breaks were in between. I would consider this a pretty good workout for someone as lazy as me and I think it’s a good start.

My arms are a little sore and at the time I was pretty worn out and sweaty. I still have that weird tired feeling of having moved my body so I know I worked out. The good news is if my phone is anything to go by (and I’d wager it’s not) I did enough to negate that previously mentioned chocolate.

Watch [AUS] trying the new songs [expert] from hope_corrigan on www.twitch.tv