It turns out that exercising while wearing a VR headset improves efficiency
With many games, such as exercise games and rhythm games, now compatible with VR, users can enjoy activities in a more immersive environment. It has been found that exercising in such a VR environment increases oxygen consumption and happiness compared to regular exercise.
Acute psychological and physiological benefits of exercising with virtual reality | PLOS ONE
Want to get active? Try using Virtual Reality | King's College London
Researchers at King's College London recruited 17 healthy participants, had them wear the VR headset ' Meta Quest 2 ' and exercise using the Meta Quest's dedicated exercise app ' FitXR '. Participants also wore special masks to measure their heart rate and oxygen consumption.
When the data was analysed, it was found that participants consumed more oxygen when wearing the headset than when they were not wearing the headset and just watched the game on a screen, but the participants themselves did not perceive any difference in the amount of exercise they were doing.
Additionally, many people reported that they had more fun wearing a VR headset, and the overall response was positive.
Regarding these reactions, the researchers observed, 'In addition to the tendency shown in previous studies that VR is fun, it is possible that the haptic feedback provided by the controllers the participants held had a positive effect. Stimulating the hands in addition to the eyes and ears may enhance the sense of realism and immersion obtained in a VR environment.'
However, it seems that this was the first time that the participants in this study had worn a VR headset, and the researchers said, 'It is possible that the novelty of the experience made them more likely to experience enjoyment. In future studies, we need to set a longer study period to allow participants to get used to the VR headset and track the results over the long term. In addition, because the participants in this study were relatively young and active, we believe that future studies should also focus on people who do not usually exercise and the elderly.'
Oliver Runswick, one of the researchers who took part in the study, said: 'This study, which used a commercially available VR headset and app, shows that the use of VR can be an effective way to make exercise more enjoyable, and has the added benefit of making people exert themselves more than they would like. Exercise is not everyone's cup of tea. This could have long-term implications for health and well-being, so it's important to find solutions.' He suggested that VR exercise could be used as an alternative to existing exercise.
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