Exergaming Platforms Patient Views

I’ve heard great things about Rock Steady boxing, but it’s awesome that you found a VR alternative with FITXR that works for you. Beat Saber is a blast too! Have you noticed any improvements in your symptoms or overall fitness since starting with the VR exercises?

Click here to read about a study that found Parkinson’s patients benefited from an “exergaming” program that can be performed at home with remote supervision.

What do you think of ‘exergaming’? Would you like to try it?

in the process of going to one vr pt experience is really quite an experience it makes the excursive like playing a game

So I have purchased a “wii” game system. It has boxing games and fitness games with yoga. May look into getting the dance mat for the dance games. I am hoping that this will jumpstart my getting more active and hope slow down the progression. Anyone else using the wii?

That’s fascinating! I’ve heard about the potential benefits of virtual reality for PD exercise, but I haven’t tried it myself. It’s great that you’ve been using Beat Saber as part of your exercises and got a positive response from the article’s author. The combination of precise upper body movements, balance, and cognitive tasks sounds like a great way to challenge and improve motor-cognitive skills.

Thought I would chime-in with what I do. I ride a stationary bike to get heart rate up, a couple games with VR to move different muscles and get heart rate up, use weights, core, and others to work on moving different muscles. Pilates and others may be good like rock steady boxing. I have found getting my heart rate up several times a week to be very helpful in reducing my issues, including better sleep. If I do not exercise a few days in a row I have more tightness, sleep problems, and slowness among other issues I have.

I was working with a Phys Therapist who had trained to do boxing similar to Rock Steady. Unfortunately we moved and I was without that therapy being available. I found a VR substitute using the Oculus headset called FITXR and it has boxing as well as other exercises, quite fun and gets you moving. I also like Beat Saber and find it involves less cardio but more eye hand coordination. Both are excellent in my opinion.

I recently came across an article published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation dealing with virtual reality and PD patients. (URL below)

https://jneuroengrehab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12984-024-01399-6

I have been using the VR game “Beat Saber” as a component of my exercises. But, I had not come across anyone who could confirm that Beat Saber is an ideal exercise for PD patients, so I wrote to the authors of the article. Below is their reply:

“Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of any scientific research that has studied the effects of Beat Saber on Parkinson’s Disease. However, I am well-acquainted with the game, having tried it personally. I believe it is an excellent choice for the rehabilitation of complex motor-cognitive situations, as it requires precise upper body movements combined with balance and dodging mechanics, all while performing an attentive cognitive task. It is also an entertaining and motivational training modality, which is well-suited to Parkinsons Disease rehabilitation. So, even though no scientific research has been conducted (to my knowledge) on the specific effects Beat Saber may have on the rehabilitation of Dual Tasking in Parkinsons Disease, I personally believe it meets all the criteria necessary for effective technological rehabilitation in this context.

I hope I have addressed your concerns regarding this topic.

Kind regards, Pere Bosch-Barceló

As more patients become familiar with virtual reality, this information might turn out to be valuable. If any of you have been using Beat Saber as part of your exercises, how has it been going for you?

I recently came across an article published in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation dealing with virtual reality and PD patients. (URL below)

https://jneuroengrehab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12984-024-01399-6

I have been using the VR game “Beat Saber” as a component of my exercises. But, I had not come across anyone who could confirm that Beat Saber is an ideal exercise for PD patients, so I wrote to the authors of the article. Below is their reply:

“Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of any scientific research that has studied the effects of Beat Saber on Parkinson’s Disease. However, I am well-acquainted with the game, having tried it personally. I believe it is an excellent choice for the rehabilitation of complex motor-cognitive situations, as it requires precise upper body movements combined with balance and dodging mechanics, all while performing an attentive cognitive task. It is also an entertaining and motivational training modality, which is well-suited to Parkinsons Disease rehabilitation. So, even though no scientific research has been conducted (to my knowledge) on the specific effects Beat Saber may have on the rehabilitation of Dual Tasking in Parkinsons Disease, I personally believe it meets all the criteria necessary for effective technological rehabilitation in this context.

I hope I have addressed your concerns regarding this topic.

Kind regards,

Pere Bosch-Barceló

As more patients become familiar with virtual reality, this information might turn out to be valuable. If any of you have been using Beat Saber as part of your exercises, how has it been going for you?

I have been using a virtual reality headset with the Super Natural fitness app. You can either box, use a baton to swat things, or meditate. All kinds of different levels and hundreds of workouts in the app. Go as long or as short time as you like. You are not actually boxing a caricature but emojis coming at you. There are other apps available where you box a person but I haven’t tried them. Quite a learning curve to use the headset but I did it. Great cardio and cognitive workout I think. Using this in between a quarterly boxing class.