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Extended-reality workouts usher in an immersive era of virtual fitness on VR headsets

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Extended-reality workouts usher in an immersive era of virtual fitness on VR headsets
  • Extended reality is bringing immersive, personalized workout experiences to the fitness industry.
  • Leaders at four fitness brands told BI their extended-reality services helped them reach new users.
  • This article is part of “Build IT,” a series about digital tech and innovation trends that are disrupting industries.

In the summer of 2018, Rachel Z., who goes by the alias OtterWorldly online, started streaming herself playing the mixed-reality fitness game “Beat Saber.”

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Videos showcase her virtual saber skills as she slices digital blocks to the beat of songs such as Blackpink’s “Kill This Love.”

The gamified, competitive nature of virtual-reality fitness apps “transformed my workout routine,” she told Business Insider. “They provide variety, motivation, and the ability to track progress, which keeps me engaged and consistent.”


A woman smiles while holding a VR headset above her head

OtterWorldly, a VR content creator.

OtterWorldly



Extended reality is steadily changing exercise and fitness. It involves virtual reality, which immerses users in a computer-generated environment; augmented reality, which overlays digital visuals onto the real world through the use of devices like phones and AR glasses; and mixed reality, which blends real and virtual worlds.

Business Insider spoke with leaders at the fitness brands Puma, Les Mills, FitXR, and Supernatural about leveraging extended reality to provide tech-driven workouts.

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Shifting perceptions of fitness technology

Puma this year partnered with Meta Quest 3 to launch immersive mixed-reality workouts in the metaverse. People with a Meta Quest headset can participate in virtual exercises including boxing and Zumba.

“People can actually try different types of workouts that they might not try in the real world because maybe they don’t have access to it where they are,” Ivan Dashkov, the head of emerging marketing tech at Puma, told BI. “I’ve never boxed in my life, but in VR, boxing workouts are my favorite.”

Some people with so-called gym anxiety or a fear of being secretly recorded and shamed online have leaned into virtual-reality workouts. “People may not think of technology as something you work out in, but VR can break down those barriers,” Dashkov said.


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Ivan Dashkov, the head of emerging marketing tech at Puma.

Kathryn Przybyla



Dashkov acknowledged there’s a learning curve. “I think a fun challenge in the space is that the general Puma audience might not necessarily have adopted some of these new technologies yet,” he said.

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He recalled seeing people’s perceptions of VR workouts change at a launch event for Puma and Meta Quest’s partnership earlier this year. After putting on a headset and working out for about 15 minutes, attendees had an aha moment, Dashkov said. “They didn’t expect to be sweating, because they think it’s like a video game,” he added.

One deterrent, however, is the look and feel of the Meta Quest headset: Its size can make it cumbersome. But Dashkov told BI he expects the headsets to become less bulky and eventually “be like a pair of glasses you’re wearing where things will be projected on top of them.”

Adapting to consumer needs

Les Mills is also using extended reality to create peer-reviewed, research-led exercise routines, such as strength training and yoga. In December, Les Mills launched a virtual-reality fitness game designed to bring holographic dance professionals into a Meta Quest user’s home.

Lisa Edwards, Les Mills’ digital innovation director, said the game’s development required the company to adapt to connect “a global community of fitness enthusiasts.” Three years ago, when Les Mills met with developers, the technology was more rudimentary; putting time and resources into extended-reality services was a risk.


A woman smiles with her arms crossed

Lisa Edwards​​​​, the digital innovation director at Les Mills.

Les Mills

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Edwards said the company read customer reviews and analyzed users’ activity dashboards to inform business decisions and keep up with “the changing needs of our users.”

“We do keep a really close eye on a lot of the data that we get back from both our own developers and Meta,” she added.

Engaging a broader audience

Sam Cole, the cofounder and CEO of FitXR, an extended-reality wellness company, told BI the fitness industry needed to focus on reaching people beyond those who are exceedingly active or don’t have restricted mobility.

Cole said his experience of dealing with an injury to his Achilles tendon a year ago showed him that “you get to a certain age, and you start to realize the importance of balance in terms of physical and general health.”


headshot of a bald man smiling and wearing a charcoal gray sweater.

Sam Cole, the cofounder and CEO of FitXR.

FitXR

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Cole said FitXR’s workouts focus heavily on balance while “taking the core ingredients that make group fitness great” and merging them with “highly immersive, highly engaging visuals” that encourage participation.

Leanne Pedante, the head of fitness at Supernatural, a virtual-reality fitness service, described a person who she said used immersive workouts for mobility.


A woman smiles while sporting a cropped workout top and leggings

Leanne Pedante, the head of fitness at Supernatural.

Lindsey Byrnes



The person, Pedante said, struggled with their weight and used a wheelchair to get around. She said that taking exercise classes on Supernatural’s platform helped them work toward using a walker. “That’s the kind of stuff that’s happening in VR,” she said.

Cole acknowledged that while some people lack enthusiasm for or don’t trust VR because it’s still a relatively new technology, he believes that “the perceived limitations are more problematic than the actual limitations” and people will have to try VR for themselves to find out.

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Fitness

EXCLUSIVE: Lindsay Arnold’s The Movement Club Launches Its First Home Exercise Tool

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EXCLUSIVE: Lindsay Arnold’s The Movement Club Launches Its First Home Exercise Tool

“Dancing With the Stars” alum Lindsay Arnold is expanding her digital fitness universe with the launch of a home exercise tool, The Everything Band.

Out now, the all-in-one, multiloop resistance band is a first-of-its-kind product designed to replace clunky gym equipment such as reformers, leg machines, rowers, kettlebells and more. With 11 loops (five “levels” on each side of the center loop), the portable tool, $35, can assist more than 100 movements, all of which are modeled in Arnold’s four-week, low-impact Tone Program, available on The Movement Club app.

Lindsay Arnold using The Everything Band.

Ambit Creative

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Speaking with WWD, Arnold described the band as a physical manifestation of her need to multitask. “I like to get things done. I like to be efficient with my time. And anything I create is going to be kind of a physical version of that,” she said. “The Movement Club is our digital version of that. It’s accessible movement that people can truly do anywhere. So when we decided to go into the physical product space, I knew I wanted something that’s multifunctional, that is versatile, that is innovative.”

Arnold founded the membership platform in 2020, after her 10-year run as a coach on “Dancing With the Stars.” The idea was born out of a sudden change in her own fitness regimen that occurred when she was pregnant with her first baby. “My body was my tool to perform, but when I stepped away from that career and became a mom, life looked a lot busier. I didn’t have as much time to get back to myself,” she recalled.

“I started looking at fitness in a different way,” she continued. “I felt like there was a missing space in the fitness industry for a program that’s for everyone, not a program that’s only for pregnant women or only for people in the best shape of their life, but truly a program that meets people exactly where they are at in their fitness journey.”

The Everything Band in the new four-week Tone Program.

The Everything Band in the four-week Tone Program.

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Ambit Creative

In 2025, The Movement Club saw a 190 percent increase in revenue, a 226 percent increase in new subscribers and 151 percent growth spike in returning subscribers.

With 12 programs including Full Body, Bridal, Postpartum, Pilates Strength and Self Care, the membership-based platform is, indeed, suitable for beginners, experts and every exercise level in between. Most workouts range from 18 to 30 minutes, with elements of dance woven throughout. “A lot a lot of my classes incorporate ballet, bar movements and also the stretching that I do feel like is a lot more targeted for dancers, which is really, really cool, because it’s all about lengthening and strengthening your muscles while also stretching and keeping your body safe,” Arnold explained.

The Tone Program, which is five days on and two days off, targets arms, glutes, legs and core, with short, high-intensity intervals and three-to-four reps of each exercise. The format, Arnold said, allows members to familiarize themselves with the band, and hopefully, inspire them to use it in their own regimen. “I will continue to add new videos with the band, like I always do, but first, I really wanted to launch with a good program for people to follow along with and track their progress,” she said.

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Can 2 days of exercise make up for a sedentary week? Fitness coach reveals truth about weekend workouts

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Can 2 days of exercise make up for a sedentary week? Fitness coach reveals truth about weekend workouts

The weekend workout trend is taking over the internet, and people are obsessing over it. But with most of us leading sedentary lives, is it too good to be true? HT Lifestyle spoke with Sumit Dubey, fitness expert and the founder of Sumit Dubey Fitness (SDF) centre to understand whether weekend exercise actually works or it is just another passing fad.

Weekend workout trend involves doing exercising only twice a week. (Unsplash)

​Also read | Woman who lost 27 kg shares exactly what to eat before and after a workout for fat loss: ‘Aim for 15-25 g of protein…’

Weekend workout trend

Sumit Dubey said, “These days, life moves quickly. Folks find it tough sticking to regular workouts through the week. So they shift everything to Saturday and Sunday instead.” “Squeezing sweat into just a couple of days has become common lately,” he added.

“When Monday hits, and the chairs stay full again. Two long pushes each weekend. Can those really balance out five lazy ones after? The body keeps score differently, maybe,” said Sumit.

Weekend vs daily exercise

According to Sumit, weekend movement counts more than you might think. Scientists see gains when people hit 150 weekly minutes of solid effort, even if it’s just two days. Hearts respond well, so do blood sugar levels. Long-term illness risks dip slightly, and doing something beats doing nothing – no perfect routine needed.

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Still, some key limits need attention. Sumit highlighted that often moving keeps things running smoother. When you stay seated all day, circulation slows, posture slips, body parts weaken – little by little, they lose their edge. Five inactive days dull the gains from two active ones. A weekly rhythm matters more than weekend effort alone.

Here’s another thing to think about: getting hurt more easily. When exercise gets squeezed into just a few minutes, people tend to go too hard – especially if they haven’t moved much lately, highlighted Sumit. Pushing fast without building up slowly can pull muscles or strain joints. Tiredness shows up quicker when effort spikes out of nowhere. Bodies unprepared for sudden bursts react with soreness or discomfort most times.

“Still, working out on weekends might actually help, as long as it’s done with some thought,” said Sumit. Ease counts more than effort. You can try running, sometimes swimming instead; pair either with strength drills along with quick footwork. Wait until movement feels smooth before adding speed, ease off gradually once finished.

Mornings aren’t the only time motion matters. Getting up to stroll, reach, or shift positions through workdays cuts down the health downsides of too much stillness.

“Just twice a week, moving your body? That still misses what everyday motion offers. Showing up – any way you can – is more crucial than how hard you push. Consistency wins easily when matched against sporadic bursts. Skip perfect routines; choose ones that fit smoothly into life. Progress forms slowly, built by tiny actions done again and again,” said Sumit.

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Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.

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Vernon seniors personal trainer is moving to Anytime Fitness

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Vernon seniors personal trainer is moving to Anytime Fitness

New gym, same exercises

Vernon’s favourite senior’s personal trainer is on the move.

For more than 25 years, Don MacLeod has been leading weight-resistance exercise classes for seniors.

And for the past eight years, MacLeod had taught classes five days a week at Snap Fitness in the Landing Plaza, but on March 31 that gym closed its doors, so MacLeod needed a new venue for his popular classes.

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Enter Anytime Fitness in the Anderson Subdivision.

MacLeod said he is grateful to have reached a deal with the fitness club to carry on his morning exercise classes, and many seniors have already signed up.

While there are other gyms in Vernon that have seniors exercise classes, the certified personal trainer uses weight-resistance training to target all major muscle groups.

He will lead seven classes from Monday to Friday.

“It’s basic strength training,” MacLeod said of the exercises that geared towards the older crowd.

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“We do everything that the bodybuilders and powerlifters do, but in a reasonable manner where we are just going to get our bones, our muscles, our tendons and ligaments stronger.”

MacLeod, 71, has also taken special courses geared specifically towards working with seniors.

Some seniors may feel too intimidated to go to a gym on their own, but MacLeod said seniors can find a common bond when they exercise in a group.

MacLeod said he has heard a few people say “what a waste of space” to hold senior’s classes.

“They really make life difficult for us. They think old people shouldn’t be in the gym, why are they lifting weights: to stay strong and to stay healthy,” MacLeod said. “One day, these guys are going to be old too.”

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MacLeod said he started lifting weights in 1972 and continues to reap the benefits of regular exercise as he enters his 70s.

For more information, contact MacLeod at 250-260-1001.

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