Christophe De bont 
11/01/2018The fusion of fitness and virtual reality is one of the hot new tech trends currently on show at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Those who float near the top of the Space Pirate Trainer leaderboards sure know you can work up quite a sweat in VR. But can you really get more fit playing VR games?
Yes! The living proof of this is Job. J. Stauffer, a PR veteran for Telltale and Rockstar, who lost 37 kilos since he started working out with his VR headsets and improving his diet. In an interview with the BBC, he compares playing Space Pirate Trainer with using a cross-trainer in terms of burned calories.
Stauffer is currently working with the VR Health Institute to develop a PEGI-styled rating system based on the activity levels needed to play the game. He will also be talking during a GDC panel on welness in the games industry, which you can experience first hand should you choose to join Mission San Francisco.
So there’s your excuse for not hitting the gym this week. Or you know, ever again. Just strap on that HTC Vive and start shaking away those calories instead.
Full disclaimer: Stauffer helped Black Box VR with promoting their VR fitness program at CES. Be that as it may: these pictures don’t lie!
