How to start working out in VR

VR workouts are easy to start: put on the headset, pick an app and move. A little preparation keeps them safe, clean and comfortable. This guide draws on Meta's Quest 3 health and safety warnings, Meta's facial interface care instructions, the Steam page for The Thrill of the Fight and Holodia's Holofit FAQ.

Before you start

If you have a heart condition, are pregnant, have an injury or any other health condition, check with a doctor before you begin. Meta's own safety warnings say to consult a doctor before starting a new exercise program, and note that vigorous activity carries a risk of injury even for people who seem healthy.

Set up a safe play space

1. Clear the floor of furniture, rugs you could trip on, cables, pets and anything fragile.
2. Check above you. Ceiling fans and low lights are easy to hit with an overhead punch.
3. Leave more room than you think you need. Boxing and combat apps make you step, duck and swing in every direction. The Thrill of the Fight, for example, needs at least 2 x 2 meters (6.5 x 6.5 feet) of clear space.
4. Draw your boundary around the clear area, not up to the walls. On a Quest, follow our guide to setting up your play area and boundary.
5. Stand in the middle of the space before each workout, and redraw the boundary if you move furniture.

On headsets with color passthrough, some fitness apps offer mixed reality modes that let you see your room while you train. Check the app's store listing to see whether yours has one.

Use the wrist straps

Meta's warnings tell you to install and use wrist straps on your controllers. A sweaty hand and a fast punch can send a controller into a wall, a TV or another person. Tighten the strap so it cannot slip over your hand, and do this before every session.

Keep it clean

A headset sits on your face while you sweat, so cleaning is part of the routine.

• Wipe the headset dry of sweat after each use, as Meta recommends.
• For the straps and facial interface, Meta suggests non-abrasive antibacterial wipes. Do not use alcohol or abrasive cleaners.
• For a deeper clean of a fabric facial interface, Meta says to wipe off debris with a dry microfiber cloth, hand wash it in cool water with a mild liquid detergent, avoid submerging it and let it air dry fully before refitting it.
• A wipeable facial interface or cover made for your headset is easier to keep clean than foam or fabric. Follow the cleaning instructions for that accessory.
• Do not share a sweaty facial interface. Give each person their own cover or clean it between users.

Meta also notes that skin conditions such as acne, rosacea and melasma may appear or get worse with use. If your skin reacts, stop and let it recover.

Warm up, drink water and take breaks

• Spend a few minutes on easy movement before a hard session. If your app offers a warm-up workout, use it.
• Keep a water bottle outside your play space and drink between sessions.
• Take regular breaks. Meta suggests more frequent breaks during strenuous activity, and to stop and remove the headset if you feel discomfort.
• Stop straight away if you feel dizzy, faint or in pain.

Manage heat and comfort

• Work out in a cool, well-ventilated room. A fan pointed at you helps.
• If the headset feels hot, Meta's advice is to take it off and let it cool down before you continue.
• Tighten the head strap enough that the headset does not bounce, but not so much that it presses hard on your face.
• Most rhythm and boxing apps keep you in one spot with no artificial movement, which suits people prone to motion sickness. Apps that move you through a world can feel different; check the app's comfort settings.

Pick an app by workout style

Instructor-led classes

• FitXR: a subscription VR gym with instructor-led, beat-synced classes in studios such as Boxing, Combat, HIIT, Dance, Sculpt and Flow.
• Les Mills Bodycombat: martial-arts workouts based on the Les Mills program, with 50 workout plans from beginner to advanced, coached by Les Mills instructors.

Rhythm games

• Beat Saber: slash blocks to the beat with two sabers. Easy levels are relaxed; higher difficulties are a real workout.
• Synth Riders: a freestyle dance rhythm game where you catch notes and ride rails to the music.

Boxing

• The Thrill of the Fight: a realistic boxing game where you move with your own feet and fight a series of opponents. It needs room-scale space and does not support joystick movement.

Cardio machines

• Holofit: a subscription app that turns a rowing machine, exercise bike or elliptical into a trip through virtual worlds. Bikes and ellipticals need an added cadence sensor, and bodyweight modes work without equipment.

If you like being told what to do, start with a class app. If you want a game first and exercise second, start with a rhythm game. If you already own a rower or bike, Holofit uses it.

Build a routine

1. Start short. Begin with brief sessions on easy settings and lengthen them as you get used to the headset and the effort.
2. Set fixed days. Put two or three sessions in your calendar each week instead of waiting until you feel like it.
3. Mix styles. Alternate a high-intensity app such as boxing with a lighter one such as dance or a rhythm game on an easier level.
4. Raise one thing at a time. Increase session length or difficulty, not both at once.
5. Plan rest. Leave days between hard sessions, and listen to sore shoulders and wrists.
6. Finish with a cool-down. End with a few minutes of slower movement and stretching before you take the headset off.