Once seen as polar opposites, the worlds of video games and gyms are colliding full force. NY1's Adam Balkin filed the following report.

Throughout modern times the gym and video games have been arch enemies. But through devices like the XDream stationary bike, they are actually finding a way to work together at around 300 gyms around the country like The Sports Center at Chelsea Piers: Not to encourage slacking off, but quite the opposite. Developers insist the game encourages a better workout.

"Everything you do on the bike is mimicked in a virtual reality world," said Patrick Murray of Trixter. "What makes it different is you've got to be fully engaged in what's going on or you'll fall off the bike. So like a real video game you can crash, you can knock other people off, you've got to change gears going up hills and down hills, as you go up a hill the resistance gets greater."

Exercise bikes that weave in video games aren't entirely new. But what makes this one a bit different though is that you can actually compete against the guy or gal next to you for a little added motivation.

"You create a race and people join that race and then the person who created that race hits start and then everybody in that race sees 10, 9, 8, 7 and then it's bam off they go. That's when people get to the point where they start using swear words," Murray said.

You can also compete against virtual bikers and even yourself from a previous race, since they all get saved in there. And developers insist gym rats on the XDream will burn, on average, 55 percent more calories than if they were on a standard bike. The main reason, they say, is something users seem to agree with: The game keeps the focus on the exercise as opposed to a TV that merely serves as a distraction.

"I'm really engaged and not just on a treadmill or on one of these exercise bikes going through the motions. I've got to keep an eye on the course, I've got to make sure I don't crash, fall down, go through a billboard or something so it's just a blast, I'm always having a good time on this," said gym goer John Swist.

If you'd prefer not to hunt down a gym near you with the bikes though, you can buy a couple for your home at just a mere $7,000 apiece.