Using Beat Saber for Fitness

Three-word review? It’s all right!

I got a PSVR during the Black Friday sales. I added Beat Saber to my PSVR, and have enjoyed the game despite the general low-fidelity fuckery of the PSVR/Move controllers. My back’s been screwed for over a month, but no more! I’ve found Beat Saber loosened me up more than any amount of thoughts and prayers, yoga, or alcohol.

This last was a surprise to me, too.

My rules for using Beat Saber in Richard’s Fitness Mode™:

1. Don’t worry about score, worry about big arm movements. Be flashy. Be large! Be embarrassing.
2. Every time you get an opportunity to squat, do so. It adds a degree of difficulty but also gets your heart working more. Bonus: turn into jump squats, especially for side-to-side lane transitions.
3. Dance, don’t just wiggle yo’ ass. This is fun. Got that, soldier?
4. Play all songs (15), no breaks, on Hard mode or higher. It’s okay to use No Fail (remember rule #1). This will give you about 45 minutes of light saber madness.
5. Extra credit: wear a weight vest. I’ve tried a 20kg one, and it’s quite a neat variation (you feel More Mighty swinging your weapons).

How’s it work for me? It’s what I’d call a light cardio workout. You feel like you’ve done something, but it’s not as strenuous as, say, running or a circuit class. It’s ideal for low-impact days, or in my case, rehab. Try it out! Evidence:

If you’ve no idea what Beat Saber is, this should show you the magic: