Supernatural is one of the best virtual reality fitness titles out and was recently named one of TIME’s 2020 Best Inventions. Now it is getting even better. Today, Supernatural announced that in addition to an overhaul of the profile section of the Supernatural Companion App coming out, both goals and streaks are being added. This will allow players to stay motivated while hitting their daily exercise benchmarks.
Players can start by setting a goal for how often they want to work out, meditate, and stretch. Supernatural suggests that beginners start at a goal of working out three times a week, while advanced users are said to begin at four. For best results, you will want to keep hitting your goals for six weeks in order to build a routine.
You will earn a streak for each week that you complete your goal. In doing so, you will earn badges in your profile. The revamped app will also have a ton of statistics showing off just how many minutes you’ve worked out and a four-week calendar showing your progress. Plus, you are able to set up push notifications on your phone so you get reminders to meet your goals.
We sat down with Leanne Pedante and got more details on why Supernatural added these new features and how it will motivate their members to reach their fitness goals.
VRFI: Tell us about Goals and Streaks? What are the key functions and what is it designed to do?
Leanne: Goals and Streaks are two new features we launched to help members set intentions, track their progress, and celebrate their victories! Too often, we can fail to see progress in our fitness journey either because we don’t set specific, actionable goals; or because we don’t track our progress and see how far we’ve truly come. This is our answer to that.
I’m most excited about how the feature encourages people to track their Streak Weeks. This is how many weeks in a row they meet their goals. So many of us bite off more than we can chew when taking on a new routine and end up burning out. By calibrating ourselves to achievable goals on a week to week basis, we can start to make a real shift in lifestyle. It takes persistence, motivation, and belief in yourself to get there, and Streak Weeks are perfectly suited to that.
When getting started with Goals and Streaks, the Supernatural Companion App will ask you to set a goal for how many times a week you want to show up to work out, meditate, or stretch. We’ve also included a ton of new Stats in your Profile that focus on showing you all their progress you’re making in the current 4-week period. And of course, we had to include Badges that tally up achievements over time
VRFI: Who are some of the key expert’s Supernatural consults with when choreographing workouts and making updates to the app? How do you rely on them?
Leanne: Since day 1, we’ve consulted with different consultants to make sure we’re crafting the most rewarding, fun, safe, and healthy experience. These have included physiologists, personal trainers, dancers, expert choreographers, behavioral scientists, and physical therapists – in addition to the fitness, dance, and tech experience we have on staff. The motivation for involving so many is really just to create something that can improve the lives of the most people possible. Every day, we are examining what we’ve made, looking for what we’ve missed, listening to our amazing community, and getting feedback from experts to make Supernatural the best it can be. We know people are turning to us to improve their lives and get healthy and we take that very seriously. Our team of choreographers all have a unique blend of background of being avid fans of VR and dancers.
VRFI: You’re a big part of Supernatural’s Facebook community where it really seems SN welcomes member feedback. Were there any stories from that particular platform that inspired this update?
Leanne: I could write a book on all of the wonderful, awe-inspiring things that happen in our Facebook community! Every day it seems someone is sharing their success story – whether it’s using Supernatural workouts to recover from illness, hitting a weight loss milestone, or having the aerobic endurance to go on a hike with friends for the first time in years. A lot of our members have shared that finding Supernatural was the first time in many years, or maybe in their whole life, that they have consistently worked out for a long period of time. There is something SO powerful about that consistency. When someone sets a goal to workout, and then actually shows up for it – despite their hectic schedule, despite the million valid excuses – that builds trust in yourself, it builds a habit of self-care, and it creates this bank of evidence that you are WORTH it. These things transform lives.
VRFI: Is there one particular feature to the Goals & Streaks update that you’re most excited about?
Leanne: I love the Streak View! I have a habit of being too hard on myself – can anyone else relate?! It can be too easy to get discouraged about what we’re doing (or not doing) on a daily basis. But our bodies don’t know the difference between Wednesday or Friday. Our bodies adapt and respond to consistent work over a span of time. With the Streak View, we can really see that we’re doing the important, longer-term work. I think keeping our eye on the long-view is a way to be kinder to ourselves, which I am always in favor of.
For someone that’s previously struggled to build a fitness routine they look forward to returning to day after day, what’s one thing about Supernatural that you hope will stand out to them?
Leanne: I hope that everyone who uses Supernatural feels like they belong here. I struggled with my health and with exercising until about 10 years ago, and I think a big part of that was because I thought that those things weren’t “for me”. My concept of who “Leanne” was felt at-odds with the type of person I thought you had to be to exercise or to prioritize your health. I was afraid of being a phony or a fraud and I was afraid I wouldn’t be welcomed in “healthy spaces”. I was wrong. Moving joyfully and showing love to ourselves and feeling vibrant and at peace in our bodies is something that every person deserves. I want to help people feel that. And in everything that Supernatural does, I hope that we are making it clear that we are happy to have you (YES, YOU) here with us.
VRFI: When it comes to staying motivated is there any particular trick you rely on?
Leanne: My biggest trick is knowing that I need more than one trick. People talk about motivation as if it’s this static thing; 1 battery that is going to power them forever. And then, when that 1 battery inevitably runs out of juice, they’re totally way-laid. Staying motivated requires a collection of motivation. You have to constantly diversify your portfolio of inspiration! I tell people to make a list of ALL of the reasons they want to exercise, and to include everything from the seemingly-superficial to the soulful and deep. There are going to be days when your motivation to be the best mom you can be is the thing that gets you to your workout. There are also going to be days when your desire to feel good naked is the thing that gets you to your workout. Build an arsenal of motivation, and freshen it up constantly!
VRFI: You’ve been a professional trainer and athlete for a long time, but before Supernatural you had not experienced VR. What’s your favorite thing about working out in virtual reality that you believe no other fitness platform (or routine) can provide?
Leanne: It’s hard to choose one favorite thing! Recently, I’ve been really loving the ability to be immersed in places like The Dolomites in Italy or the Great Wall of China. I am aching to travel to different countries and it really feels like medicine to be able to do that every day in Supernatural.
VRFI: Recently, SN has added guest coaches? Can you tell us just a little bit more about who they are and what they bring to the table?
Leanne: Yes! Dwana Olsen and Mark Harari are two fantastic coaches who joined us this month. Dwana is an incredible, big-hearted, inspirational, mother of four who brings over 12 years of coaching experience with her. I find myself smiling ear-to-ear in her workouts. Mark Harari is a seasoned athlete with a lifelong history with movement. His genuine passion for getting people moving joyfully is totally contagious. If you want to “meet” either of them, check out the Instagram Live interviews I did with them recently.
VRFI: Is Supernatural planning anything special for the Holidays?
Leanne: Of course! We have plenty in store! One that I’m super excited about is that we’ll be launching our longest workout ever the Monday after Thanksgiving. It’s going to be a total monster.
VRFI: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Leanne: Yesterday, we had a meeting of all of the Supernatural coaches. We have these meetings at least once a month. And every single time we gather, we talk about how lucky we are to do this work. We talk about how in love we are with the Supernatural community. We talk about how proud we are of the way our members treat each other with kindness and respect and we marvel at the incredible stories we hear every week. So, to all of our members – we see you, we love you, and we are so proud of you.
Check out a trailer showing off the new feature below:
Supernatural runs on a monthly subscription costing $19 a month or $179 a year. New workouts are available each day, and there’s plenty of music to choose from so it never gets dull. Additional information can be found on its website.
