Exercise equipment pros, Life Fitness has partnered with VirZOOM, a VR and vSports content development company. The partnership between Life Fitness and VirZOOM is the first of its type, mixing virtual reality and gym equipment together to create an all-in-one immersive exercise experience.
Changing Perspective
Video Credit to: VirZOOM
Gym equipment like the stationary bike is simple to use, just hop on and go. Yet, as simple as it is, it can be an intimidating challenge for new gym attendees, or may not look like much of a challenge to fitter individuals. The partnership between Life Fitness and VirZOOM is changing the way we look at exercising at the gym by incorporating technology into fitness.
“There are more than 2 million workouts on Life Fitness cardio equipment every day and we’re always innovating to make more immersive, engaging and enjoyable workouts on our equipment,” stated Jason Worthy, Vice President of Digital Solutions and Innovation at Life Fitness. “Whether you’re competitive or simply want to challenge yourself with a new workout, VirZOOM virtual reality is an exciting new way to connect people to fitness.”
Motivating To Use
VR is motivating and fun to use regardless of level. Exercisers who use VirZOOM on Life Fitness Upright and Recumbent stationary bikes use it on average 38 minutes per workout session and use it 3.25 days out of the week. Gyms already equipped with Life Fitness stationary bikes will be fitted with Discover SE3 and SE3HD consoles, so users will be able to play VirZOOM’s virtual arcade games and exercise at the same time.
Commercial and private gyms, personal trainers, and fitness experts looking to bring in more clients with innovative gym equipment have a viable solution. Get infrequent members to transform their resistance to working out into a genuinely exciting and immersive experience they’ll get excited to do daily.
Fitness Data
Exercisers of all levels will appreciate that VirZOOM products will monitor their exercise intensity level, calories burned, heart rate and other helpful fitness and gaming stats to keep clients on track towards their fitness goals.
Spencer Honeyman, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at VirZOOM stated, “VirZOOM motivates exercisers with fun and immersive virtual reality exercise content. Exercisers can not only set calorie goals and track workout stats, but they can also compete online against friends around the world and enjoy a VR workout. As the leader in commercial fitness equipment and exercise solutions, Life Fitness is the ideal partner for VirZOOM to bring VR workouts to commercial facilities.”
Challenge Yourself and Others
Playing VirZOOM games to workout will take the user places they’ve never been before by strapping into a mobile VR headset like the Samsung Gear, and a tethered VR headset like the Acer Windows Mixed Reality. Set calorie burning goals for clients and then watch them beat them by having them pedal the bike to move as quickly as they can while using buttons to select or shoot things.
Motivate clients by suggesting different games that make them into a rider on horseback, a flying Pegasus, a cyclist on the streets, or a tank that blows things up. Or, offer to have them challenge other gym members to virtual workout sessions and see who can claim the top spot on the virtual scoreboard.
Local and International Success
Life Fitness and VirZOOM have had a successful round of national and international implementation in YMCA branches across the U.S. and Australia, and at Pure Fitness in Asia. Nathan Maehren, Senior Vice President of Digital for the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities, a leading nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, announced, “We’re excited to be among the first to offer VirZOOM to our Y members, and we’re especially enthusiastic that VirZOOM content is designed for the whole family.”
In a world full of fast food and sedentary lifestyles, Life Fitness and VirZOOM’s partnership have tapped into an overflowing public need to keep ourselves and our families healthy and happy. Maehren explains the motivation behind the YMCA’s implementation of Life Fitness and VirZOOM bikes, “We’re always looking for new ways to help our members stay engaged, active and healthy. With VR applications like this, our members can achieve all three [youth development, healthy living and social responsibility], and some even forget that they are working out!”
Adults won’t feel pressured to count the time they’ve been pushing themselves because of the immersive nature of virtual worlds, motivating them to come back time and again for the exhilarating and rewarding experience. But, the VR gym life isn’t only for adults, children who are active throughout their youth, have access to physical play, or have an active parent as a role model for fitness, have a greater chance of staying active as adults.
VR Fitness Future
The partnership between Life Fitness and VirZOOM is helping to transform gyms the world over and is changing how clients view exercise and VR. Exciting virtual workouts are replacing the grey landscape of exercise machinery in a new era of fitness possibilities. Will you be a part of it?