My Meta Quest VR Limited Mobility Seated Workout

Meta Quest 2 Seated Workout Routine VR Disabled Fitness New

I was blown away by the Meta Quest 2 and the VR seated workout routine I managed to create with it. In this post, I’m gonna share my own physical limitations, my Virtual Reality (VR) workout routine, and why I feel VR fitness could really help others in a similar situation.

If you can’t walk or stand for long periods of time, this might really help.

Of course, I’m just a normal guy sharing his own experience. This is not advice, and you should speak with your doctor if required, before setting out on a new strenuous workout routine like this. Also, please read and follow your device manual. You do these activities at your own risk.

OK, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

  1. Why seated VR Workouts are great for Limited Mobility
  2. Watch the Seated Workout Video
  3. My Physical Limitations…
  4. What Chair do I use for Seated VR Workouts?
  5. My Workout Routine (with Games and Apps)

Why Virtual Reality (VR) Seated Workouts Help with Limited Mobility

I’ve had the Meta Quest 2 for a couple of months now, and to my surprise, it’s enhanced my ability to exercise.

Before I share my routine, and the games/apps I use, I want to explain why VR seated workouts are so productive.

I have physical limitations following an injury, and for a while, upper-body movements were all I could do.

Still, sitting in a chair and punching the air in front of you, tends to get real boring, real quick.

And that’s where the genius of Virtual Reality comes in.

Instead of pointlessly punching the air, you could be in a futuristic hall, with a trainer in your ear, giving you instructions as targets hurtle towards you.

Or, you could be in a ring, surrounded by a screaming crowd, fighting the heavyweight boxing champion!

And more, when you hit the target (or the boxer), you get the real sensation of contact, via the feedback from your hand controllers.

All of a sudden, the workout is real.

You’re no longer stuck in your living room, sitting on a chair, punching the thin air. Now, you’re in a fresh new environment, living out a fully immersive, and invigorating, experience.

And all the while, you’re getting the exercise that you really need.

(…and, if you’re anything like me, -it’s the exercise you really miss.)

My Physical Limitations and why I needed Seated Meta Quest Workouts

I had been suffering from a leg injury which wouldn’t heal properly.

As a result, I was wheelchair-bound for a short period, and later, used crutches to get about.

On top of that, the lack of mobility was causing more problems, as my muscles deteriorated.

It’s been one of the most frustrating times of my life. Exercise has always lifted my spirits, and I was stuck without it.

Over time, I was able to do more and more, until finally, I started making good progress.

By the time I got the Meta Quest 2, I was up and walking about, but still couldn’t stand for prolonged periods of time.

However, I was optimistic about the possibilities of Virtual Reality and quickly started to put together a routine designed to make me sweat.

What Chair do I use for Seated VR Workouts?

The Chair I use for my Meta Quest 2 Seated Workouts
This is the chair I use for my seated workouts

Above is a picture of the chair I used. It’s a mid-priced home office chair. I’ll quickly explain why it worked for me, but as with a lot of this, I am not a fitness coach, just some guy on the internet… So seek professional help if required.

(This chair wasn’t designed with VR workouts in mind!)

Anyway, it works for my seated Meta Quest workouts for a number of reasons:

  1. It has the ability to tilt so I can lean back a bit. Of course, you might need extra back support, so this type of chair might not work for you.
  2. It has low armrests. Allowing me to swing my arms without catching them and hurting myself. You’ll see me throwing some Uppercuts a little later on!

Safety Notes: Sitting in the centre of a couch would be by far the safer option because there are no armrests and the back support is soft.

There are lots of inherent risks involved with Virtual Reality; it’s easy to unwittingly hurt yourself by whacking into the environment around you. So pre-workout checks are important for staying safe.

Make sure you have enough space around you (including behind), and that the equipment you use is suitable for the activity you’re doing. And, always read and follow your device manual!

A Screenshot of a Les Mills gameplay Background
Background Screenshot from Les Mills BodyCombat

My Seated Workout Routine (VR Fitness Games and Apps)

This is my actual seated workout routine and it took about 3 months to build up to.

I’ll go into more detail about the games/apps later, but for now, here’s what it looks like:

Meta Quest Game/AppPriceEst. TimePurpose
Beat Saber£22.998 minutesA light warm-up
Les Mills Bodycombat£22.99Up to 20 minutesWorking out and burning calories!
The Thrill of the Fight£7.99Up to 20 minutesHardcore sweating!
OldCynic.com – Virtual Reality Seated Workouts Meta Quest 2 Games and Apps

As you can see, my workout routine only involves 3 games:

  • Beat Saber,
  • Les Mills Bodycombat, and
  • The Thrill of the Fight

And, while I paid a premium, you might be able to save money by checking out the Daily Deals for a discount, or the Oculus Store for promotions.

As for me? I have no regrets. These Meta Quest games really changed my life.

OK, let’s break down each game and explore how I use them.

Beat Saber (Seated Workout Routine)

Screenshot of Beat Saber gameplay - part of my Meta Quest 2 Seated Workout Routine
Beat Saber for Meta Quest seated workouts – Screenshot

Beat Saber is a music game where you hit targets to the rhythm of the song.

It’s actually a simple concept which is very well executed.

Of all the games I use, this is the one which could make you a bit sickly if you’re not used to Virtual Reality. For more on this topic, check out my full Meta Quest 2 Guide.

Also, try out the DEMO version of Beat Saber first, because that’s a great way to get accustomed to it for FREE. -So, by the time you’re ready to make your purchase, you’ll know for sure that you can handle it!

Can you play Beat Saber Seated?

Beat Saber will automatically adjust the moving targets to travel relative to the height of your Meta Quest headset.

That means you don’t need to change anything to get started with your seated workouts.

If that doesn’t happen, there are a couple of solutions to be found in Player Options and Settings.

The first involves turning off the ‘Automatic Player Height’ tab in Player Options.

You can now try to set the Player Height to your seated height, in the tab below, which will light up once ‘Automatic Player Height’ is turned off:

How to change the height in Beat Saber - Player Options
Beat Saber – Changing the Height for seated workouts (Player Options)

The second solution involves shifting the height of the Floor by using the ‘Y Offset’ tab in Settings. You can increase and decrease this as desired:

How to change the height in Beat Saber - a screenshot
Beat Saber – Changing the Height for seated workouts (Settings)

Hopefully, you won’t need to do any of this, and it will all just work automatically.

For my seated workout, I tend to play about 8 minutes of Beat Saber to warm up.

I’ll play a couple of songs, get the arms moving, and shake off the cobwebs.

Les Mills BodyCombat (Seated Workout Routine)

Screenshot of Les Mills gameplay - part of my Meta Quest 2 Seated Workout Routine
Les Mills for Meta Quest 2 seated workouts – Screenshot

Les Mills BodyCombat is actually a workout app, and it’s awesome.

And they’ve recently added a bunch of new workouts, so there’s even more to choose from.

For the record, there are a couple of movements in Les Mills BodyCombat which might seem difficult for seated users to do:

The Knee Strike and the Squat.

But, I’ve got a couple of workarounds:

With the Knee Strike, simply pull the target down. You don’t actually have to hit it with your knee. -Just pull the target down, and smash it into the bullseye.

With the Squat, you can duck under the wall, or as I do sometimes, completely ignore it and just continue with the rest of the workout.

Can you play Les Mills BodyCombat Seated?

As with Beat Saber, Les Mills BodyCombat should automatically adjust to your height at start-up.

I tend to do a couple of 10-minute workouts. They’re great for building up a sweat and getting your muscles working.

The Thrill Of The Fight (Seated Workout Routine)

The Thrill Of The Fight Screenshot - Disabled VR Workout
The Thrill of the Fight for Meta Quest 2 seated workouts – Screenshot

OK, it’s time for the big boy; The Thrill of the Fight.

This is a crazy, insane, awesome workout for anybody with lower body limitations.

The only caveat I’ll add is, this game really requires a good level of cardio.

If you’re playing it for the first time, take. it. easy!

It’s soooooooo easy to completely exhaust yourself without realizing it.

What is Thrill of the Fight?

It’s a boxing simulator. A Virtual Reality, In-Your-Face, Big hairy men trying to punch your lights out, full-on, boxing simulator.

And there’s nothing that will get you swinging, like the fear of your Virtual Foe knocking you out, cold.

If you’re a competitive soul, you’ll love this game.

Oh, and they’re currently making Thrill of the Fight 2, so watch out for that.

Can you play The Thrill Of The Fight Seated?

Every time you load Thrill of the Fight, you’ll be asked to ‘Weigh In’. Your picture will then be taken. This is just a fun way of checking your height.

To play Thrill of the Fight seated, you’ll need to have your picture taken at your seated height:

The Thrill Of The Fight Screenshot - Weigh in Height check
Height check-in Thrill of the Fight

-Now, all of your opponents will be automatically adjusted to match your height (give or take).

For my workout, I tend to spar with the Training Partner for a round, before going in with one of the top boxers, to really push the workout into high gear.

The number of opponents I face is generally determined by how long the fights last.

If they only go a few rounds, I’ll fight more. If I struggle with someone, I might just call it a day!

Want more Thrill of the Fight? Read my full review!

Seated VR Workouts on the Meta Quest 2

My VR workouts tend to last about 45 minutes, to an hour. And nowadays, I’ll add a little bit of weight training afterwards.

That said, I would really take it slow to begin with because it’s so easy to underestimate just how strenuous VR workouts can be.

I’ve got a growing collection of Meta Quest guides and reviews over here, so please check them out.

Keep Reading? More Meta Quest:

Meta Quest 2 Review
Meta Quest 2 Q&As
Golf+ Meta Quest Review
The Thrill of the Fight Review
Cook-Out Meta Quest Review

Follow me on Facebook: Visit Old Cynic’s page

Wanna see the Web Story for this post? It’s here.

Copyright: oldcynic.com (images and text)
Oculus Quest is owned by Facebook (Meta)

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