From Running to VR Fitness: How the Pandemic Changed the Way I Stay Active
I’m a volleyball enthusiast who started playing this game on the beach when I moved to California in 2013. I have previously been playing indoor in Italy since I was 13. My very first post on Medium was actually about beach volleyball!
Sport has always been my outlet, being active and play competitively is an important part of both my physical and mental well-being. When the pandemic hit in 2020, I found myself pretty lost, so in case you’re in a similar position or you’re simply looking for alternatives, I’m sharing some knowledge related to the not-so-immediate art of running and the trending-but-unknown realm of virtual reality fitness. I hope this will be helpful, and feel free to jump to the sections that interest you the most.
Crawl, Walk, RUN!
Back to January 2020 I didn’t have any fitness equipment at all apart from a yoga mat, some elastic bands and a pull-up bar. That didn’t last long, I felt like I was in need of something else to add, definitely more cardio. Not much choice, there wasn’t anything to buy or anywhere to go, except from… running.
Now, to be completely honest, I’ve never been a fan of running but it was the easiest (and only) choice:
- No particular gear needed, and I already had a pair of Nike Flyknit One+ (Volt) for my gym & treadmill sessions
- Relatively short time effort, I was planning to start with 15–20 min to also make it pretty manageable during the day as a lunch break
- Weather is generally nice in California, so I knew I could have practiced with some consistency to see improvements
When it comes to sport gear and branding, Nike has always been my favorite, so I dusted off my Nike Run Club app and I was ready to go, my firs outside run was on 3/12/2020. My last? 7/30/2021. Before I tell you why, these are the things I learned, together with some stats from the app:
0- It’s not as easy as you think
Yes, zero. Even before you start. You might think running is a relatively simple sport. Well, in some way it is, but don’t underestimate it. Take it easy when you go for your first runs and build core and stamina: there’s a risk to make yourself more prone to knee pain, shin splints and stress fractures if you don’t acquire a decent form. I’m not saying this to scare you, but make sure you don’t do “too much too soon” and that you use proper running shoes.
1- You Will Improve Quickly but Consistency is the Key
Especially if just run on a treadmill, you’ll see how free run makes you feel better. Start with a distance / time goal that is moderately challenging and keep going to track how your pace improves. I recommend you also set up a routine you want to keep: aim to run at least 2–3 times a week, or it’s not going to work.
2- Your Mind is the Most Difficult Limit to Overcome
Improvement takes practice, and also builds muscle memory. But that comes with a drawback: routine. When you get used to your route, your mind adapts too. When you feel tired it’s because you know it’s the last mile / km, and your brain is subconsciously sending you that message. Hence, make sure you shuffle your playlist and change your location, or at least the route sense.
Another example of how powerful our mind is comes from my fastest 5K run ever: that day was when I put my Nike Joyride on for the very first time! Sure, that month in July 2020 is when I recorded my best performances (see stats below), but I remember the feeling of putting my new gear on, pumped, and just flying!
3- Don’t Trust Your Instinct, It’s Probably Wrong
Your mind is deceiving: while inspirational moments might lift you up, your perception might be horribly wrong. Many times I found myself thinking “I’m feeling so slow and tired” or, just the opposite “It was so easy today”. Guess what? Probably your time and pace wouldn’t be so far from your average! Always track your performance because is the only objective, unbiased way to see what is going on, giving you the ability to separate one-time events from trends.
VIRTUAL Challenges for Real Improvement
Fast forward to July 2021, when everything changed for me. I’ve been playing with the Quest 2 for a while, and I decided to give a shot to this new application called ‘Supernatural’. To describe you what it is, I’m going to borrow the following description from the Washington Post:
The app essentially functions as a rhythm game in which the primary modes prompt users to swat or punch floating orbs hurled at them from a portal. The exercise is paired with music that you will actually recognize — Billie Eilish, Bob Marley, Dua Lipa, the Jackson 5 — which is a rarity, given the associated music licensing fees. The workouts also take advantage of one of virtual reality’s best traits, zooming users to normally unreachable locations like the caldera of a volcano, the surface of the moon, the top of China’s Great Wall or the steps of pyramids in Egypt, providing a gorgeous, 360-degree environment far more scenic than your local Orange theory gym.
Full disclosure, at the time I’m writing this article I’ve been working for an year and a half at Meta, former Facebook, the company that produces Oculus Quest. I have absolutely zero endorsement from or affiliation with the product. This section is the genuine evolution of my fitness journey. So much so, that my initial thought as I were to try Supernatural for the first time was:
I already know I’m not gonna like it, it’s gonna be a bluff or super easy!
-Me, before trying the first time
Well, my opinion changed extremely quickly as I fell in love with this new way of staying active, let me explain you why…
1- A Full Body Workout, Extremely Functional for My Needs
Running is great: for your cardio, for your legs and core. But it didn’t serve my purpose of maintain or improve my explosiveness. If I wanted to increase my vertical I’d focus on activities that increase my vertical. Running a mile would have been counter-productive in the long run because it would have caused me to be more fatigued than I need to be, thus limiting my training for jumping higher. Also, I could have got more than enough conditioning just from performing jump training at a very high level. Supernatural obviously trains all the upper body, improving my range of motion and quickness while also strengthening my back & core. Plus, in terms of explosiveness, legs are fairly solicited by all the squats and lunges. Since day 1, I had a feeling that it would have been a much more functional training for me.
2- Excuse-proof as It Requires Zero Preparation
I live in California so weather is good all year, I don’t have to face cold or rain, so this would be particularly relevant for all of you living in a place with freezing autumns and winters. There’s no need to get out, just 30–45 minutes to dedicate to virtual reality. This means that I basically don’t have any excuses not-to-train everyday. And I said above, consistency is the key.
3- A Stress-relief That is Also a Lot of Fun
Running has always been kind of boring for me. I’m not the person who gets in a state of meditation or deep thinking while at it, and I tried practically everything to “get in the zone”: music, podcasts, Clubhouse rooms… It has always been ok, but I was never thrilled by the idea of going out for a run. With Supernatural that drastically changed: slicing & hitting targets while listening to a motivational coach is actually a great way to relieve the tension of an intense working day. Plus, choosing session type, length and coach adds to the fun as I can personalize them to my daily preferences. Icing on the cake, every song projects you in a new, breathtaking venue. I didn’t have all this variability when running.
4- It’s Even Better Together
This one year can be very subjective, but I do have my crew of Italian friends living in the US I train with, and this has been another game changer. From NYC to Washington DC, from Minneapolis to LA, we “assemble” almost every late afternoon motivating each other together with a good amount of laugh and banter. We simply open up a party (that’s the name for group calls in Oculus) and we make sure we click start at the same time after we selected our session. I’m aware that my performance might be worst because talking while in an high-intensity-interval-training is not recommended, but overall the social dimension so entertaining that I almost never practice alone anymore. Obviously, this won’t apply for the non-social-butterflies out there.
5- Sense of Community and Positive Approach Make the Secret Sauce
Lastly, I am very surprised by the incredibly supportive Community officially moderated by Within, the company behind Supernatural. The vibe is incredibly positive and really inclusive. Sure, some posts are a bit cringy or filled with excessive drama but hey, that’s how internet works! Overall, the Supernatural vibe is about showing up and do your best, doesn’t matter who you are. All the right gamification elements are there: points, leaderboards, strikes, followers… but they don’t really matter that much. The great majority of Supernatural users are positive thinkers who want to improve their performance and how they feel. If you ask me, I believe this is the real secret sauce: in a world where fitness it’s all about competitiveness and appearance, Supernatural philosophy focuses on dedicating time and space for your physical and mental well-being, and it shows both through the in-app and community experiences.
Conclusions
Overall, I’m incredibly happy I could experience these two different workouts, and now I’m getting to the ultimate step, finally blending in beach volleyball games and VR sessions. I would highly encourage you to test the convenience of virtual reality for the fitness use case, as it’s one of the most interesting and fastest segments, expected to register a growth of 30.1% CAGR by 2026. Read additional articles below.
The ecosystem is getting reacher and more variegated everyday, I am myself experimenting new concepts every time I can. Right now I’ve found my balance with Supernatural, but there are a lot of products in this space that I invite you to explore:
