The Virtual Reality “Flow” workout on Supernatural lets you wield one or two batons at fast moving … [+] targets in hyper-realistic immerisve 360 settings.
Supernatural
Imagine a home gym. Now take away the treadmill, the bike, the weights, all that pricy and bulky gear. What do you have left? Room for a virtual reality workout.
A friend of mine who is a medical doctor in Texas was the first one who told me how much he loved VR workouts, and how he had ditched everything else in his home gym for it, so I wanted to see what it was all about. After all, who would I take health advice from if not an actual doctor?
I’m not saying we should abolish conventional fitness gear anytime soon, and I’m keeping my Peloton bike and my elliptical and my weights, but for the past few months I’ve also been doing workouts with one of the most popular virtual reality (VR) fitness apps on the market, Supernatural, and boy do you get an intense workout—if you want. One of the great things about it is that the workouts are very self-selective, with no other classmates to judge you, and so many levels of intensity that you can dial it in very precisely to your fitness level, goals and motivation.
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This is what Boxing looks like in your home.
Supernatural
One big appeal of the VR workout is that it takes no equipment except the headset, no special dedicated space, and it’s highly portable, perfect for working out on the road in hotel rooms or second homes. You can even do it outside if you have a backyard or similar. But another big part of the appeal is that it can be really fun, a word not often associated with most home gym workouts. It’s not for everyone, but if you skew towards video games or cinematic experiences, it might just be for you.
With the holiday season coming, and the inevitable New Year’s resolutions, a VR headset fitness bundle also can make a fantastic holiday gift for the person on your list who wants or needs to spice up their fitness routine.
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This is what Boxing looks like in the Supernatural VR app.
Supernatural
NPR just did a story on the rising popularity of VR workouts, noting that as many as two million people do them regularly, and a key takeaway was that a 20-minute workout can burn the same number of calories as a bike class routine of the same length. They picked Supernatural, the app I’ve been using, as one of the 5 Best on the market, and noted that it is so popular that Meta bought its developer for over $400 million. NPR said, “it’s a polished experience with beautiful locations from around the world, popular music you’ll recognize, and exuberant trainers with two main workout types—Boxing and Flow.”
Polished to say the least. The big appeal is the environments which are so immersive and realistic it is hard to imagine until you try it, moving you to locates such as Iceland’s famous Blue Lagoon, mountain tops, and you’ll do workouts while floating on platforms in crazy gorgeous lakes. There are a lot of things about Supernatural that remind me of the incredibly popular Star Wars movies, and that’s one of them. The music is also notable, and like Peloton, Supernatural uses hit songs by top artists, something many programs can’t afford in terms of royalties.
Respected technology site TechRadar.com sung the praises of VR workouts and how they finally let the senior writer, Hamish Hector, stick to his fitness goal. “My VR fitness experiment began on January 28 and finished on February 29. True to my intention, I exercised in VR for at least 15 minutes every single day. (Okay, I skipped four days due to a handful of (valid) excuses.) For the remaining 29 days, I used a selection of VR apps that either involve a lot of movement—Beat Saber, Pistol Whip, and OhShape—or dedicated VR workout experiences to get into shape. By far my favorite was Supernatural, which is an excellent VR fitness package.”
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The display inside the MetaQuest 3 headset upon entering the Supernatural app
Supernatural
Hector added that in addition to the quality of the workouts themselves, there were several other advantages to VR. “You can set your goals to whatever level you’re comfortable with without worrying about people watching and judging you—you’re free to give it a go to the best of your ability…VR workouts are certainly fun and accessible, and I’m sticking with them longer than more traditional exercise.”
After much preliminary research, Supernatural was my choice as well, paired with the MetaQuest 3 headset. In that research I discovered it is hard to find a bad review of Supernatural. The Today Show said: “I tried Supernatural and was surprised at how much fun a workout could be,” and “The premise sounds basic, but it is so addicting once you get started.” AthletetchNews.com said “Those looking to add a little magic to their workouts should look no further than Supernatural.” Business Insider: “Supernatural is like Peloton but for the metaverse—here’s why the VR fitness app is my new favorite way to work out.”
The two main high intensity workouts are Boxing and Flow, which are similar. In Boxing objects come at you and you have to hit them with your fists (it’s not a conventional boxing match against an opponent) and you also have to duck and move, and it quickly gets really intense. Flow is similar but you use a virtual baton, which sort of reminded me of the Jedi training sequence in the original Star Wars (Episode 4) with the lightsaber and the remote flying ball.
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Guided stretching is a good post-workout cool down.
Supernatural
I preferred the boxing, which is very arm intensive, and afterwards I often felt like I did when I lift weights. But it is mostly aerobic, you’ll sweat, and it very much engages the core and lower body, especially with the frequent ducking/squatting.
For each activity there are multiple coaches and multiple settings to choose from and the realism, immersion and incredible clarity of the virtual settings is mind boggling. You really can’t appreciate how detailed and colorful and lively these settings are until you put the headset on yourself.
In addition to Boxing and Flow, Supernatural offers Meditation, which gets rave reviews but simply is not my thing, and Recover, which is sort of yoga light plus stretching and cool down, guided by coaches just like the more intense classes.
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Besides the workouts, there are a lot of other things to love about the technology and the programming, including the music, excellent coaches presented in a way that makes it feel so personal it is like private training even though they are pre-recorded, and the 360-degree settings, both imagined and real, from the Pyramids of Giza to Machu Picchu.
It’s also very encouraging, and there seems to be a specific ethos to the instruction and language that makes the whole experience less competitive and more supportive than many other exercise platforms I’ve tried. I love my Peloton universe, but many of the instructors have a “push through” aesthetic, forcing those last reps “because this is where the gain is” or a “don’t quit now” approach. The Supernatural vibe is much more “be the best you possible” in way that feels genuine, not forced, and it may be the reason why so many critics who have problems sticking with other routines kept coming back. I think it is an especially good choice for those who are not into fitness, and view a workout as something they need to do for health rather than something they want to do.
The most recenlty added feature is Supernatural Together, which lets you work out with friends or … [+] training partners together in real time.
Supernatural
The newest wrinkle is an extension of the platform called Supernatural Together that lets you work out and connect with your friends in real-time in virtual reality, where you can see, interact and chat with each other. If you don’t have friends using it, you can use their Quick Match tool to find a new workout partner.
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This is quite a departure, as one big appeal of Supernatural is that you are on your own, without judgment or pressure or the person next to you in a class setting, and for those who want that, it’s still the core of the app. But there are also many people who can only commit to workouts that are scheduled, in a class, time and day setting where they have to show up, and for them there is the new feature. The concept is called “Workout Accountability,” and the company cites studies showing that those who exercise with a friend are 32% more likely to reach sufficient physical activity.
A couple of caveats. I do not have trouble sticking with other routines, and my interest is more than general wellness and overall fitness. I am more focused on performance, and because Ido a lot of outdoor cycling, so I want to cycle inside because that’s the best training, and the same goes for runners and treadmills. Supernatural is more like a gym aerobics class in that it’s a great workout but not aimed at sport-specific results. There are still a lot of benefits to weight training you won’t get by moving your arms in boxing maneuvers. For me it’s a great part of a bigger fitness program, alongside other workout modalities. but for those who are just going to do one thing, it’s the perfect solution. With the four options, the offerings are limited, and I’d love to see something you could do on a bike, more serious yoga classes, or more alternatives, period. That being said, it is excellent at what it does, there were no real flaws or weaknesses with the platform, it’s very well executed, and the price is absolutely right.
A subscription to the Supernatural app is just $9.99 a month, or less than a quarter of what I pay each month for my Peloton membership. Many gyms charge $25-$50 to take a single class. And that’s the high-priced way to join. You can pay annually, $99.99 or just over eight bucks a month. They also sell two headset bundles that include a full year of Supernatural, along with the Meta Quest 3 for $550 and the new Meta Quest 3S for $350.
Supernatural is a great post-pandemic product, especially for those who have gone to remote work from home, it’s truly an escape in the most literal sense of the word, for 20 or 40 or 60 minutes a day, without leaving, even in a small apartment (you need at least a 6-foot circle of empty floor space, and more is better). It is especially good for people who need more exercise and are not getting it through gym membership, classes or self-motivation, and for many it can be the primary form of exercise. But it can also be part of more comprehensive routine, which it is for me, not a daily session but an alternative to biking, running or hiking, adding to the mix, varying muscle groups and movements, and definitely burning calories. It’s also great for rainy days and travel.
The Washington Post’s review, written by a tester who “detests” fitness classes and says that “fitness instruction unsettles me in a way I can’t fully describe,” hit the nail on the head: “What sets Supernatural apart from other fitness classes and apps, to me, is how it is calibrated. Its goal isn’t to work users into sweat puddles. It isn’t trying to turn users into Olympians, beauty pageant contestants or other paragons of fitness and fabulous physiques. There’s no focus on dropping pounds. The goal is to achieve an incrementally fitter version of you. So all of that encouragement hits me differently from the approach of some boot camp commandant. It feels attainable — and, more important, it keeps me coming back.”
After a period of inactivity, getting your fitness back can feel like a tough slog.
Jason Smith, a personal trainer, nutritional advisor and founder of Fit in Midlife, knows this from personal experience. He got fit again at 50 after years of inactivity, then started training people of a similar age, helping them to do the same.
One type of client that Smith often works with is the ex-athlete—someone who was sporty in their teens or 20s, but became less active with age.
These people are often ready to jump back in at the deep end: running long distances or lifting heavy weights, but find their brain is writing checks their body can’t cash.
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“Your brain still thinks that you can do the things that you used to do,” says Smith.
“Your body has had the longest rest period it’s ever going to have and during that period of time, your muscles have gone into atrophy, your cardiovascular system has diminished and you won’t be as capable as you were when you were in your 20s. This is just an unfortunate fact of life.”
“It can be really demotivating because you don’t feel capable,” adds Smith. “You don’t feel as though you’re actually able to do anything. But of course, the truth is very different.”
Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.
And in Smith’s experience, there are two things that will help you overcome the dejection that can come when expectations meet reality.
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1. Find something you enjoy
Smith tells me that the first run he went on after deciding to move more turned into a walk. “Once I’d run about 300 meters, I realised it was much harder than I thought it would be,” he says.
Instead of stopping, Smith decided he was going to do the distance he planned, but by walking, breaking into a jog now and then.
“Despite not being able to do what I intended to do when I left the house, I enjoyed being out in the fresh air, moving my body and being active,” he says.
Now he runs because he loves experiencing beautiful places.
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“You don’t have to set a personal best every time that you go for a run,” he says.
“It doesn’t hurt to enjoy the environment while you’re out there,” says Smith. “If you see something that you want to stop and look at, stop and look at it.
“You are still doing the run. You are still improving your cardiovascular fitness. You are still burning calories. You are still getting your heart rate up.”
2. Be consistent and add small challenges
Because he enjoyed his first outing, Smith tried again, and crucially, he tried to do a little more running than last time.
“The next time I went, I was able to run a little bit further and walk a little bit less,” he says. “And I went again. Over time, walks turned into proper runs.”
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“By being consistent, you will build up the strength, endurance and stamina that make you more capable,” says Smith. “Start easy and gradually increase the challenge.
“Go to that next lamppost if you’re running, or an additional repetition on each of your sets if you’re weight training.”
“These things add up and make all the difference.”
Three weeks later, he ran up his nearest hill without stopping at all. “It was such a great feeling,” he says.
And that’s how Smith advises formerly athletic midlifers to return to exercise. Find a form of movement they enjoy and aim for achievable, consistent progress. These two simple things will set you up for success in the future.
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“You will feel stronger. You will feel fitter. You will have probably lost a little bit of weight as well,” says Smith. “This will also mean you’ll feel a little lighter and more energized. Then you will feel good about the progress that you’ve made.”
You don’t need a gym to exercise. Here’s how to work out at home.
ProblemSolved, USA TODAY
Whether you’re focused on building muscle, improving your balance or working on your ability to complete longer, sustained workouts, one thing’s for sure: you’ll need to take small, actionable steps to reach your fitness goals.
Remember, you don’t need to drastically overhaul your life on January 1. In fact, before making any major changes to your dietary pattern and exercise routine, it’s best to have a conversation with your doctor first, especially if you live with any chronic conditions. In the long run, you’ll most benefit from taking small, actionable steps to help achieve your fitness and nutrition goals, the experts say.
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We asked fitness experts to break down their top tips to help you kick off 2026 stronger than ever.
How to fit exercise into a busy schedule
If you’re hitting the reset button on your fitness routine, start small and choose an exercise you enjoy, says Dr. Kimberly Burbank, a primary care sports medicine fellow and team physician at UCLA Athletics. You don’t necessarily need to do the movements traditionally associated with exercise to get a good workout in, either. “I really encourage people to choose (a movement) they actually enjoy doing, because they will probably stick with it more,” she says.
To help set attainable fitness goals, one route is to use the SMART framework of goal setting, recommends Dr. Brandee L. Waite, a professor and vice chair of Wellness & Community Engagement Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at UC Davis School of Medicine, the medical director of the UC Davis Health Sports Medicine Clinic and the director of Lifestyle & Longevity Medicine Innovation.
The SMART acronym stands for goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound, and what’s great about using this framework in an exercise context is that you’re able to approach fitness as you would any other appointment — if it’s scheduled on your calendar, there’s a greater likelihood you’ll honor it, Waite says.
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We all know physical fitness is crucial. But how many days weekly should you work out?
When it comes to fitting exercise into a busy schedule, “I try to encourage consistency over perfection,” Burbank says. Often, her patients will express frustration that they’ve missed a week of exercise — and therefore their entire workout schedule has been thrown off. While it’s important to “be as consistent as you can, (understand) that you don’t have to be perfect to still make a meaningful difference,” she says.
If you’re someone who prefers to exercise in the morning, try to make it easy for yourself when you wake up. “It’s so easy when that alarm goes off to just ignore it and move on. But if you have laid out your clothes the night before, have your coffee prepped (and) have your bag packed, then there’s so many (fewer) variables and barriers,” Burbank says.
How often should you exercise?
There’s no perfect cadence as to how often you should exercise. “What works really well for one person, will not work at all for another person. So, it does need to be personalized and realistic,” says Waite. However, there is something to be said about shorter, more frequent workouts. There’s a lower risk of injury, and they’re faster to complete and generally easier to stay consistent with, Burbank says.
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Ultimately, what’s most important is to meet a certain number of goal minutes every week, says Dr. Julia L. Iafrate, a sports medicine physician at NYU Langone Health and a team physician for the U.S. Ski Team. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend adults participate in 150-to-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a week. While this might sound intimidating, that breaks down to only 30 minutes of exercise a day over the course of five days, and could consist of a mix of pilates, yoga or brisk walking.
More: What were the popular workout classes of 2025? See ClassPass report
If you prefer vigorous-intensity aerobic exercises (like HIIT or running), it’s recommended you complete at least 75 minutes a week, which evens out to a little more than 20 minutes of exercise a day over the course of three days. On top of these exercises, the organizations suggest adults should partake in muscle-strengthening workouts at least two days a week.
What are the most beginner-friendly exercises?
There are a few forms of exercise that should be a central focus of your workouts: cardio, muscle strengthening and balance work. Practicing each type of exercise can help improve your ability to do the others and also reduce your risk of injury, Iafrate says.
Cardio. Incorporating aerobic exercises that get your heart rate up (such as running, swimming or cycling) is key to improving endurance, supports heart and lung health, and lowers your risk for a number of chronic diseases, Iafrate says.
Muscle strengthening. Resistance training with weights stimulates two types of muscle contractions: eccentric loading and concentric loading. When you perform a bicep curl with a dumbbell in hand, that’s considered a concentric motion. As you lower the dumbbell and your arm straightens, that is an eccentric motion, Iafrate says. Both movements are important for strength building, tendon health and bone mineral density, she explains.
Balance work. Functional movement training, including tai chi and yoga, is especially beneficial for maintaining flexibility, stabilizing your body and limiting the likelihood of falls down the line, Iafrate says.
Weight-bearing exercise. “Walking, especially for beginners, is super underrated,” Burbank says. Getting your step count up to 7,000 steps a day offers immense benefits for health, including lowering your risk for cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, according to a 2025 study published in Lancet Public Health.
If you’re relatively new to exercise and don’t know what is helpful or harmful, Waite recommends having at least two-to-three sessions with a physical therapist to develop the right type of exercise program. For instance, if someone has a medical condition like hip arthritis, a professional can provide “modifications for a regular fitness training program that won’t further exacerbate the problem that is currently bothering them,” Waite says.
How can nutrition support fitness goals?
“Nutrition and exercise have such a symbiotic relationship,” Burbank says. Throughout your week, prioritize whole, fiber-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Americans aren’t consuming nearly enough protein, which is essential to muscle building, muscle recovery and satiety, Burbank notes. Your minimum daily intake of protein should hover between 0.8 grams to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To increase your protein intake, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommends incorporating more lean meats, poultry, eggs, seafood, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy into your diet.
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More: Functional strength training provides many health benefits. But you need to be careful.
Hydration is particularly important, especially prior to working out. “When you’re dehydrated, (it will) increase your likelihood for fatigue and poor peak performance,” Iafrate says. Ideally, we should be drinking between 2.5 to 3 liters of water a day, Burbank says.
More: Consider these 4 doctor-approved tips to help maintain strong, healthy bones
A new year usually brings new fitness goals, fueling spikes in gym memberships and social media feeds filled with workout selfies. Yet, just as quickly as this wave of motivation appears, it usually recedes.
Why does this cycle repeat itself year after year? Well-meaning individuals often start with intense, all-or-nothing approaches that are difficult to sustain, fitness experts say. Life gets in the way, motivation wanes, and the pressure to see immediate results leads to burnout.
A commitment to fitness is a common challenge, and finding a solution is crucial for long-term success, according to Steven Hale, M.D., a primary care sports medicine physician with Baptist Health Orthopedic Care.To get expert advice on this topic, award-winning journalist Johanna Gomez hosted a new Baptist Healthtalk podcast featuring Dr. Hale.
He emphasizes that the most effective plan is one that fits into one’s life seamlessly.
“If it’s in your schedule every day, then you’re going to have to do something active,” Dr. Hale explains. “Whether that’s mobility, maybe you only have 20 or 15 minutes to stretch. Maybe you have an hour this one day because you got off work early. Now you can do some more strength training and maybe some increased cardio.”
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This approach shifts the focus from overwhelming daily workouts to simply incorporating movement into your daily schedule. Building on this foundation of practical advice, Dr. Hale answered some of the most common questions about starting a new fitness routine.
I haven’t worked out in a long time. What’s a good way to start without getting overwhelmed or injured?
Dr. Hale: It really depends on your previous activity level and experience with exercise. Someone who was a college athlete or has a lot of experience can probably go back to the gym, start with lighter weights, and build from there. For someone who is less experienced or doesn’t enjoy the gym environment, I often recommend starting at home. You can look up fun follow-along exercise videos on platforms like YouTube.
Classes can also be a great option for those new to exercise, as they provide guidance from instructors. Personal trainers are another fantastic resource if they fit your budget. The key is to start slow to minimize your risk of injury. Don’t go too hard in the beginning. The first few workouts might not feel great as you get back in shape, so making it fun and enjoyable will help you stick with it longer.
Diet and exercise are both important, but which one should I focus on more if I want to see results?
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Dr. Hale: As a doctor, I have to say they go hand-in-hand; I can’t recommend one without the other. Diet is just as important, if not more important, than exercise when it comes to seeing results quickly. In the short term, diet probably has a slight edge. We often talk about creating a calorie deficit for weight loss, which means the calories you consume should be less than the calories you burn.
It’s much easier to consume calories than it is to burn them. A single high-calorie meal can easily undo the effort of an hour-long workout. However, for long-term health, diet and exercise are equally important. What you put into your body for nutrients is just as vital as staying active. Instead of overhauling your entire diet at once, which is hard to stick to, try making one small, manageable change each week. For example, cut out one specific snack food or fast-food meal. This slow progression helps you build sustainable habits.
How do I know the difference between normal muscle soreness and an actual injury?
Dr. Hale: It’s a great question because many people enjoy the feeling of being sore after a good workout — it’s like a victory. Soreness is typically a dull ache that you feel after exercise, and it usually goes away within a few days. Pain that should concern you is more severe. On a pain scale of one to ten, anything greater than a three is something to pay attention to.
Concerning pain might also be sharp, or you might have felt a ‘popping’ sensation during your workout. Other warning signs include mechanical symptoms like a joint feeling unstable or locking up. These are more serious symptoms that indicate you should probably see an orthopedic specialist. It’s important to listen to your body and not push through sharp or worsening pain.
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The phrase “no pain, no gain” is very popular. Is it true that I need to push through pain to make progress?
Dr. Hale: That is one of the first myths I address in my practice. The “no pain, no gain” philosophy is not a good approach for orthopedic health. If you feel pain, it’s a sign that there is inflammation in that area. Pushing through that pain will only worsen the inflammation and delay your recovery.
Instead of pushing through it, pain is a signal from your body to rest or modify your activities. Give the affected area time to heal and for the inflammation to calm down before you return to that specific exercise. If you continue to push through pain, you risk causing the issue to last longer or become more severe. You can likely push through discomfort that is less than a three out of ten on the pain scale, but anything more than that requires attention.
I want to stay consistent, but I’ve heard working out every day is bad. How often should I be exercising?
Dr. Hale: This depends on how you define ‘workout.’ If you’re doing intense strength training where you are really stressing your muscles, those muscles need time to recover. Overtraining can lead to inflammation, pain, and a higher risk of injury. In that case, you need to build recovery days into your schedule.
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However, you can and should do something active every day. I recommend having something in your schedule daily because it makes it harder to use excuses and push it off. We can think of these as ‘mobility days’ versus ‘strength days.’ A mobility day could be stretching, yoga, or going for a walk. A strength day involves more intense activity like lifting weights or jogging. For example, a good plan could be three or four strength training days per week with active recovery like walking on the other days. This way, you are moving your body every day while still giving your muscles time to recover. Any activity is beneficial.
