Welcome to the Hybrid Gym: Immersive Fitness Meets Mixed Reality

The future of fitness looks more futuristic than ever with the rise of mixed reality (MR) headsets. Smart gyms - hybrid spaces decked out with equipment for exercise fused with cutting edge virtual worlds have been getting good traction, especially in the USA, thanks to MR headsets will this trend take over the fitness world?

Smart gyms aim to provide next level immersion to make workouts more engaging and connected. But unlike virtual reality which fully blocks out the real, mixed reality blends interactive 3D virtual elements into our physical spaces via headsets with transparent displays that allow colour passthrough.

This means users can still see and interact with real world gym equipment and spaces while a layer of digital content transforms everything you see and do. Wearable body sensors that track your movements and locations in order to anchor the virtual overlays accurately within rooms and onto apparatus.

What does a workout powered by mixed reality offer that a normal gym doesn't?

For one thing, more dynamic motivation through augmented experiences like simulated exotic locales and real time dashboards, rather than continually looking down at your smart watch. Coaches and trainers may also appear as holograms to guide and encourage proper form.

Plus, MR makes exercise social even when solo. Virtual teammates can run on treadmills beside you or spot you during lifts, thanks to multiplayer integration. Or stream exercise classes where the instructor and fellow participants appear right alongside as you all follow along.

This helps combat the isolation of solo workouts and makes group fitness accessible from any MR compatible gym (or your home).

The gamification opportunities mixed reality provides also adds a dose of fun and rewards to typically mundane equipment.

While smart gyms are only now just establishing themselves on the scene, could this new approach to interactive fitness motivate more people to invest in both their physical and virtual health? It could just be the catalyst needed.

The guys at BlackBox VR are leading the way in these VR gyms and spaces, so if you're in the USA, be sure to go check them out.

So, why choose between the two worlds when gyms with mixed reality access provide the ultimate environment to propel our bodies and minds into new dimensions?