Virtual reality—computer-generated environments that make users feel as
though they are actually experiencing what is being simulated—has been
around
since the 1950s. But the technology was not widely utilized
until the 1990s,
when video games and personal computers became big
business. Hardware
manufacturers released VR headsets and glasses,
while pundits promised that
virtual reality would soon affect every
facet of our culture, from movies to
television to dentistry.
Fast-forward 10 years, and we are still waiting. Sure,
virtual reality
is still an important technology for pilots, soldiers and
hardcore
gamers, but it is not in every living room. A spate of new exercise
equipment being released may change that.
Right: SpineForce by LPG One uses
virtual reality to strengthen core muscles. Below: SportsArt Fitness’ X Trainer.
Duane Clemons is one of the early
adopters of virtual exercise
equipment. A defensive end for the Cincinnati
Bengals, he has been
injured several times over his decade-long career. As a
result, he is
very familiar with traditional rehabilitation, something he says
is
effective but does not strengthen core muscles or improve balance.
Last
August, he started working with a new piece of equipment called
SpineForce,
designed to speed his conditioning. Manufactured by
Miami-based LPG One,
SpineForce is not your typical exercise machine.
The device resembles a giant
doctor’s scale with small ladders on
either side, and employs virtual reality to
help users hit their
marks—both literally and figuratively. Exercisers grasp
different rungs
of the ladders, while the platform rotates. The workout comes
from
using the spinal and core muscles to keep a visual cue steady; you know you
are doing it right when you can keep a small bull’s-eye in the green
zone.
“If the bull’s-eye is lit up, you know you’re on track,”
says Clemons. “You
could probably use the machine without the
bull’s-eye, but it wouldn’t be as
productive. Since I’ve been using the
equipment, I’ve definitely seen an
increase in proprioception, balance,
body control and endurance. I’m 31 years
old and playing better now
than when I started, and I know it’s because of this
equipment.”
Brian Thomason, fitness director for Bay Club Bank of America
Center in San Francisco, recently installed two Expresso Fitness Spark
stationary cycles for his clients. The cycle, which connects to the
Internet, is
top-of-the-line. It has a 17-inch LCD display, different
built-in music channels
and a TV tuner. Most impressive, though, is the
Spark’s 18 virtual reality bike
courses.
Left: With Cybex’s Trazer simulator, characters
on-screen mimic your moves.
Below: Expresso Fitness’ Spark stationary
bike.
“We’ve got one course that’s on the California coastline.
Another
is through the Peruvian mountains. Another is a ride through space,”
explains Sandy Ballinghoff, vice president of business development for
Expresso
Fitness, based in Sunnyvale, Calif. “People have been
exercising for years and,
quite frankly, are getting bored. Now you can
get the feel of being outside when
you’re inside, and you can even
compete against others who are riding the
Spark.”
The
Spark courses show all the detail of the actual locations they
are
modeled after. Anyone who has been to the Lexington Reservoir in Santa Clara
will recognize the ride on the Spark. The virtual reality version looks
just
like the real thing—complete with other hard-core riders. It feels
like the real
thing, too. Pedaling varies in difficulty as the course
moves through the
mountains and down into the valleys.
The
appeal of virtual reality is
obvious. It is the immersion factor.
Instead of just sitting on a bike or
running on a treadmill by
yourself, you actually feel like you are moving along
a path or down a
ravine. Simply put: You have something other than your aching
muscles
to concentrate on. Research supports this. Thomason says people who ride
the Spark spend more time exercising than those who use other
stationary bikes.
“People are doing longer sessions. We’re hearing it’s
more enjoyable and that
the rides seem to go much faster,” he says.
“You also feel the ride more, so
it’s more
challenging.”
Fitness researcher Jim Annesi conducted a field
study on the effects of virtual reality–enhanced exercise equipment.
The
results: People who used virtual reality–enabled stationary bikes
were more
likely to work out and stick with their
program.
As products grow more
sophisticated, experiences
become even more engrossing. Exercise equipment
manufacturer Cybex
International recently announced a product called the Trazer
simulator,
which takes virtual reality a step further. Instead of just watching
a
simulation, Trazer users become part of the experience. Cybex designed the
system using optical sensors. The user wears a belt that has a square
plastic
beacon attached. As you move in front of the machine, your
movements are
mimicked by an on-screen avatar. Games such as Trap
Attack ask users to jump,
move and run.
The next step,
which Expresso Fitness has already taken, is
combining virtual reality
with head-to-head play. Today, people who are using
the Spark bike in
the same health club can ride against each other. Later this
year, the
company will add similar networking functionality for home users.
SportsArt Fitness, an exercise equipment manufacturer based in
Woodinville,
Wash., expects to launch its own networked exercise
equipment. Due for release
at the end of next year, SportsArt Fitness
will introduce cardio equipment that
lets users listen to satellite
radio and watch TV and movies, as well as surf
the Internet and connect
to their own personal trainer—whenever they want.
Pamela
Kufahl, editor of Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro, a trade
magazine that caters to the health club industry, says the virtual
reality push
is happening because there is finally technology available
to facilitate it.
“Not everyone is going to want to have all these
high-end options, but for those
who do, the technology advancements are
finally there. The quality of equipment
is there,” she says.
Expresso’s Ballinghoff says virtual reality exercise
equipment
is just an offshoot of video games such as Konami Corp.’s Dance Dance
Revolution, which asks players to copy the dance moves of onscreen
players to
rack up a high score. “Interactivity is everywhere in our
life, and it’s finally
creeping into the gym,” Ballinghoff says. “If
you look at how charged-up people
get when they use virtual reality
machines, you see it: People forget that they
are exercising and just
think about the fact that they are having fun.”
Cybex International
508.533.4300,
www.cybexinternational.comExpresso
Fitness Corp.408.746.9122,
www.expressofitness.comLPG One
305.379.8800,
www.lpgone.comSportsArt
Fitness
800.709.1400,
www.sportsartfitness.com