There used to be a time when if you had a medical condition, be it temporary or chronic, you were told to rest. Stay in bed or at least on the couch. Don't move around a lot. Women spent a week in the hospital after delivering a baby. You were supposed to "take it easy" long after recovering after a cold or flu.
But after the fitness awakening in the 1980s, the medical community realized the physical, emotional, and mental benefits of regular exercise. The many studies analyzed since then continue to confirm these realizations. If anything, we are still learning about the long-lasting and valuable effects of exercise. These effects are especially valuable for those with chronic illnesses. And for seniors, there is some evidence that regular exercise may stave off Alzheimer's and other dementia.
However . . . and this is a big however . . . exercise stinks, and I'm not just talking about the sweat.
Most of us hate exercising, and I am right smack in that camp. I never "feel like" exercising and it is hard to get yourself to do something you don't feel like doing. I hate getting sweaty. I hate having to change into exercise clothes and back into regular clothes because I am going to get sweaty. I hate being out of breath. I hate the smell. I dread the utter boredom of it all and it is ALL boring to me. I hate the time it takes out of my day. And I particularly hate that, in order for it to do any good, exercise must be done AT LEAST multiple times a week. (Why can't I do it once and get it over with?)
A classic exercise question is, "What is the best exercise?" The truth is, that question gets asked because we are trying to figure out how to get the most exercise with the least amount of effort. But the classic answer to that question is, "Whatever exercise you will do."
Which means there is not a "best" exercise.
Until Now
About a year ago a family member visited our home. They brought with them a new toy . . . a virtual realty (VR) gaming device. And they were anxious for me to try it out.
I am a dinosaur. I admit it. Don't ask me which one, I just know it is one of the slow ones. I take up technology with the speed of a sloth on tranquilizers.
So I wasn't exactly gung-ho about trying the VR device. It was with a deep, reluctant sigh and hidden eye roll that I placed that funny-looking thing on my head, expecting all the hype I'd heard to be highly and disappointingly over-rated.
On this particular system, you start out in a lobby area and I was immediately shocked by how immersive the surroundings were. Still, I didn't take to it right away. There was a bit of a learning curve and I easily could have said, "Never mind, I'm not doing this."
But I continued. And oh, am I ever so glad I did!
For the next year, when this family member visited, they would bring their VR device with them. Sometimes I used it, sometimes I didn't. But at the last visit, I played a shooting game that, after fifteen minutes, found myself breathing hard and sweating. (Drat the sweat!) The next day I told my husband I had no idea how much exercise you could get playing a video game!
We started talking about exercise. My husband has been trying to get me to exercise for a long time, especially since my colitis hit. I told him that if we had a VR device, I would probably use it everyday and get exercise that way. He said I should buy one. I was joking. He was not.
Now, these things cost a grundle of money, even the least expensive of them. And after you buy one, you are not done spending money. There are the games of course, but they're not too bad, especially if you wait for sales. There are also a number of free games to get you started. But the head strap, at least on the model we bought, is horrible. I used it a week and then promptly bought the head strap accessory that my family member had also purchased and which made a world of difference.
The battery does not last very long so I also bought an extra battery, which I use often (and highly recommend). After a few months I realized I needed a case to safely store and transport the device and accessories, so I bought one of those, too.
A New Toy . . . or a New Piece of Exercise Equipment?
There are, of course, all kinds of games and non-games. The obvious exercise games are the sports games - tennis, baseball, basketball, ping pong, boxing, pickleball, etc. There are also apps that specifically target fitness - running, cycling, general workouts, etc.
My personal preference is the tennis. I quite enjoy it, especially knowing that if I played tennis in the real world, I'd probably collapse in two minutes.
But I was surprised at the workout I get just playing regular games. There is a simple, free game called Bogo that is meant to help new players adjust to virtual reality. You interact with what I call a little dinosaur (though I'm not sure what creature it is) and the creature helps you with two mini-games. Now that I've figured out what I'm supposed to do, it amazes me how much those little games get me huffing and puffing. (The device company announced it is removing Bogo from their devices in March 2024. Sadness!)
There is a wizard game that I love (there are actually LOTS of wizard games) that sends me into a fortress/dungeon to fight what looks like rock robots with my magic (Cool!) Again, I was surprised at the workout the game gives me.
There is a flying game where I destroy rockets. This game is a little disorienting, but is great at helping me with my balance and makes me use my arms in an upward position.
Oh, and the shooting games are intense.
Other APPS
There are other apps in the VR world. There are multiple apps to help with meditation and "mindfulness." There are how-to and learning apps of all kinds. I even ran across an app developed by a physical therapist to assist his shoulder patients with their rehabilitation. There are apps that take you to space, including the International Space Station and going on spacewalks. Some apps let you visit any tourist attraction in the world. There are nature apps where you can just sit in different scenes and watch nature go by.
And new games and apps are constantly in development.
You need some space for the VR games, but not a lot and there are some that can be done sitting down. If you are moving your arms around, you will still get some exercise benefit.
I play the VR games six days a week, for about thirty to forty-five minutes. This
does not mean that I wake up every morning anxious to get in my virtual
reality exercise. Some days I groan at the thought of putting that
thing on my head. But after only a minute or two, I am fully immersed
and quickly forget about my grumblings, forgetting that I am exercising.
My VR device is keeping my weight under control, strengthening my arm, leg, neck, and back muscles, and improving my balance. It gets my heart, lungs, blood, and endorphins pumping. And all I'm doing is PLAYING GAMES! (And I don't have to change clothes.)
(One thing. I do not interact with real people in my VR device. My family talks about doing mini golf or some other activity together. I'll probably do that, but with strangers? No. Some VR users quite enjoy meeting new people through the metaverse, but I do not. If you are new to interacting with strangers through a virtual reality device, just be aware and careful, and absolutely review your settings for personal space options.)
Have I discovered the answer to that long-burning question of the universe, what is the best exercise?
No, but I'm thinking that the VR device and game developers might have.
Exercise and Chronic Disease: Get the Facts
Exercising With Chronic Conditions
© Colitis Senioritis 2023
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