Find the right games
Mr. Long and I share the same obsession: a game called “Beat Saber,” which tasks you with swinging lightsabers through a series of blocks that are flying through the air. Usually set to electronic music, the levels have the same frenetic, beat-centered activity of the classic console games “Dance Dance Revolution” and “Guitar Hero.” The first time I played, it took only a few songs of slashing and ducking before I realized I was sweating — a lot.
Dr. Kern’s lab measures how much energy people expend playing VR games for the Virtual Reality Institute of Health and Exercise. The institute likens working out with “Beat Saber” to playing tennis, and it estimates that players burn 6 to 8 calories per minute. Boxing games, which involve lots of quick jabs and hops, dominate the top categories. They usually burn between 6 and 10 calories a minute.
To pick your first game, find a game description that appeals to you and then check its activity level on the VR Institute’s website. Games that let you play through (and repeat) short levels give you more control over your level and length of activity. I find that whatever game you choose, the key is to commit. It’s easy to pass “Beat Saber” levels by moving as little as possible. But if you commit to dramatic lightsaber swings and leaping around the room to avoid objects instead of simply leaning, you’ll see faster results (and higher scores).
Fun matters
While boxing games are one of the fastest ways to burn calories, I still turn to “Beat Saber” for a quick workout. “Creed: Rise to Glory” just doesn’t hold my attention the way slicing and dicing blocks does.
Matthew Farrow, a health researcher at the University of Bath in the UK, conducted one of several studies that show enjoyment and intensity of exercise increase when someone is playing a game in VR. The game used in Mr. Farrow’s study challenged players to cycle along a road while avoiding trucks and police cars. The game also placed a “ghost” version of the player in the game that indicated their previous performance, allowing them to race against themselves. The study found that players worked 9 percent harder, without their motivation decreasing.
“People need to remember to try and make their exercise fun and not a daily chore,” Mr. Farrow said. “This is one of the reasons why using virtual-reality games to increase exercise enjoyment is so effective. Games also offer the opportunity to set, monitor, and achieve exercise goals, which helps maintain exercise motivation.”
If you’re just starting to get moving, the key is to pick an exercise that can become a routine. Worry less about how many calories you are burning per minute and more about what you enjoy enough to keep doing.