I’ve recently started to try and make an effort to go to the gym and work out. When I say make a effort, I mean I end up on the treadmill for a light jog every now and again. And that’s only after being slightly motivated by the prospects of improving my heath and increasing my chances with the opposite gender. I suspect that I’m not alone in this state of mind, either. I’m not criticising people who love fitness, it’s just that the premise of watching gym dwellers effortlessly lift stacks of weights while I struggle with even figuring out how to position myself on the machine isn’t quite the encouragement I need to work up a sweat.

Half-assers rejoice, German Design Company HYVE have just released a first look into what may be the way to train in the future. The ICAROS is fitness equipment merged with a virtual reality simulator. While the design for it currently looks like a mix between a dentist’s chair and a zero gravity training machine–and you are probably going to look like a total loser exercising on it–I must admit it also looks pretty fucking fun. It would be exactly the sort of fad tech that would keep me interested in exercising for a while. Besides, who wouldn’t be interested in getting fit while you discover space or explore the Amazon? Our only cause for hesitation is the module’s name, ICAROS, which is reminiscent of the tragic Greek mythical figure Icarus. The last thing we want is to push this machine to its limits and metaphorically fly too close to the sun.

While the current design and bulky virtual reality headset mean that this project may just be a distant idea for now, it’s definitely something that would pique my interest in physical self-improvement.

[Via.]

Luke Karakas

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