My hands were slick with sweat as I clutched the Wii controller, limbs flailing wildly as I struggled to keep up with the “Womanizer” routine on Just Dance.
It was the late aughts, and I detested almost all forms of physical activity. But when my family became one of the first on the block to get the interactive gaming system, something shifted.
At age 10, newly aware of my butterball physique, I figured that busting a move to “Pump Up the Jam” in my parents’ living room was a better way to slim down than enduring the horrors of team sports.
Fifteen years later, so-called “exergaming” has exploded into the mainstream — and the industry has come a long way since I was shimmying in front of a clunky TV.
From screens to sweat
Today, the market is packed with apps, consoles and gadgets that make exercise feel like a video game — and, crucially, something people might be more likely to stick with.
“The future of gamified fitness is incredibly exciting,” Dr. Dominic King, director of the Esports Medicine Program at the Cleveland Clinic, told The Post. “We are heading to a place where your watch, your phone and your headset can work together to adjust difficulty in real time, reward healthy habits and make exercise feel less like a prescription and more like an adventure.”
That’s no small thing. Only 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 adolescents meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly recommendations for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.
Yet gaming is deeply embedded in US life, with 61% of Americans ages 5 to 90 reporting they play video games for at least an hour each week. And while it’s long been criticized as a sedentary pastime, experts say video games can be a surprisingly effective way to get people moving.
“Mobile games that get you out walking or exploring, like Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom and Jurassic World Alive, turn the real world into a playing field,” said King, a sports medicine physician. “You are suddenly chasing steps, distance and discovery instead of just scrolling.”
High-tech fitness companies are taking that concept even further by integrating gaming elements into their equipment.
The Ergatta Luxe rowing machine, for example, turns workouts into missions, letting users navigate 3D worlds on a built-in screen while challenging them to hit targets based on power and speed.
Indoor cycling apps like Rouvy and Zwift take a similar approach, with riders pedaling through virtual courses inspired by real and imagined locations as their stationary bikes automatically adjust the resistance to the shifting digital terrain.
“[Virtual reality] headsets like Meta Quest take ‘exergaming’ to another level because your whole body becomes the controller,” King said.
“Whether you are slashing targets in rhythm games or throwing punches in a boxing or fitness app, you are ducking, lunging and reaching in ways that can deliver a surprisingly solid workout, especially for people who hate the feel of a traditional gym,” he continued.
But these devices have their drawbacks.
Most VR fitness systems require a large, open space to move, something many small homes don’t have. Wearing a headset also makes it easy to lose track of your surroundings, increasing the risk of colliding with walls, furniture or fragile items.
Gaming meets full-body fitness
That’s where the Omni One comes in.
Priced at $3,495, the full-body VR gaming system from Virtuix pairs a headset and controllers with an omnidirectional treadmill, allowing users to move naturally in any direction while staying in place.
“We call it the Peloton for gamers,” said Jan Goetgeluk, the founder and CEO of Virtuix.
Users told The Post it is one of the best VR devices they’ve tried and delivers a surprisingly intense workout.
“My calves were always a huge problem. I could never get them big … now, my calves are ripped.”
Brian Canfield, an Omni One user
“Don’t forget your towel,” said David Peterson, 35, who uses the Omni One as his main form of exercise. “Even if you’re not trying, you’re most likely going to break a sweat.”
The device rests on a concave, octagonal base and features special overshoes that make your feet slide backward as you step or run forward, automatically centering you. A vest-style harness on a stabilizing arm keeps you secure, eliminating the need for open space and preventing falls.
Even after a few minutes on the Omni One Virtuix let us try out, my heart rate was up.
“The way that bowl is shaped, it’s almost like you’re on a StairMaster because you’re always constantly walking uphill,” said Brian Canfield, 44, an Omni One user from southeast Michigan.
“When I first got it, I could be on it for 10 minutes, maybe 15, before I was toast. My calves were screaming. I was pouring sweat,” he continued. “Now, I routinely get on it for 2 to 2 1/2 hours at a time.”
Calories, cardio and real results
The Omni One game store offers over 30 titles designed specifically for the device, and you can also connect it to your PC to play games through SteamVR.
With my headset on, I was blown away by the unit’s immersive graphics. In Virtuix’s game “Treks,” I strolled through the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, a mosque in Saudi Arabia and Times Square — all recreated from 360-degree, real-world footage.
Trackers attached to the special overshoes recorded my steps as I explored, and multiple muscle groups were engaged. Canfield holds the Omni One’s step record, logging over 1.25 million in just 10 months.
“My calves were always a huge problem. I could never get them big,” the software developer said. “Now, my calves are ripped.”
The Omni One also tracks calories burned, with research showing users can torch up to 700 an hour depending on the intensity of their gameplay.
In fact, one user credits the VR system with helping him break through a weight-loss plateau, shedding 40 pounds in just four months.
Exergaming for all ages
In September, the Omni One became eligible for purchase through health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts via Truemed, allowing qualified buyers to use pre-tax funds to buy or lease the device.
“It’s certainly a gaming system first — designed for full immersion in games and virtual worlds,” Goetgeluk said. “But the fact that you can burn calories while gaming is very appealing to many people, including parents looking to get their kids off the couch.”
In 2020, Virtuix studied the effects of the Omni Pro, its first omnidirectional treadmill, with obese children ages 8 to 12. Participants played two 15-minute VR sessions while researchers tracked their heart rates, perceived exertion and enjoyment.
All the participants recorded an intense workout, and two-thirds said active VR gaming was more appealing than traditional exercise, such as sports, running, biking or swimming.
I got a taste of this myself while playing Virtuix’s survival game “Dead Zone.” Armed with machine guns and swords, I ran through a postapocalyptic landscape, ducking, jumping and taking out hordes of zombies.
I found myself elated and fully engaged — something I’ve never experienced while running on traditional gym equipment — despite not being a gamer. Stepping off the platform 45 minutes later, my shirt was soaked and my legs ached, but I had a blast.
Fun with a few hurdles
Still, the Omni One isn’t perfect.
The learning curve for walking on the platform is steep, with several Post staffers giving up after a few minutes. Goetgeluk said most people need about an hour to get used to the sensation, which feels a bit like ice skating.
Subtle maneuvers, like backing up or moving side to side, also proved tricky at times. Two of my colleagues experienced motion sickness while wearing the headset, though Virtuix engineer David Hernandez noted this is common with VR systems.
Even so, hardcore gamers in the office loved it, and newbies also said they’d consider buying an Omni One as a fun, engaging way to stay active at home.
After all, users point out that it’s more exciting than simply running on a treadmill.
“You get the dopamine from playing a video game, and then the endorphins from the fitness,” Canfield said. “It feels like a combination of two different happy chemicals hitting my brain at the same time.”
