How to stop Pistol Whip from destroying your frail human form

I'm a reasonably athletic guy with a fairly consistent gym schedule, but 45 minutes playing the new Oculus Quest game Pistol Whip completely destroyed me. My arms are on fire. My legs ache. I'm pretty sure I felt something crack in my spine and it's a little sore now as well.

Don't get me wrong, this is a damn good game. It's like John Wick and Beat Saber had a kid, and I will absolutely be returning to it as soon as I can get out of this chair again.

However, you don't want to be like me. There are some things you can do to keep yourself from total collapse.

Use the Weaver Stance when playing

From what I've seen in videos of people playing Pistol Whip, not many know how to stand in order to play effectively. Lots of people want to spread their legs and bend their knees a little, with their firing hand outstretched. This lets you duck and weave, but keeps your arm out and unsupported for a long time.

Instead, use what firearms experts call the Weaver Position. Instead of your legs being parallel, rotate your hips and pivot your foot so one is behind the other. With your knees bent you have the same range of movement for dodging, but the shift in weight makes it easier to hold your dominant arm closer to your body while still being comfortable.

Support your firing hand

You only really need one hand while playing Pistol Whip. You can set the second controller down entirely and use that hand to support the one holding the controller you use for shooting.

Your arm will tire much slower, and you'll have a more steady hand for those precision shots you'll need when multiple enemies come running at you in this frenetic game.

Stretch beforehand

Your thighs, calves, and biceps are going to get a workout during this game. It's unavoidable, but the pain you might feel after so much rapid movement is. Stretch a little beforehand and it'll make a big difference.

Hydrate or Diedrate

This one is pretty simple. Even if you don't break into a sweat playing this game, keep a water bottle nearby. You'll be much happier that you did when you're done a few levels on the next difficulty.

And if you don't have a water bottle, fix that.

Joking aside, Pistol Whip is one of the best games to be released in VR for quite some time, and that's coming from someone who doesn't really dig too many VR shooting games. This is an entirely unique experience with a killer soundtrack, and it is so easy to accidentally play for way longer than you'd initially intended.

So, you know, be safe in there.