In a groundbreaking study - four times larger than any previous research of its kind - we can say with confidence that FitXR delivers an effective and joyful workout for both body and mind. These conclusions are drawn from a new randomized controlled trial accepted by the leading Games for Health Journal. The study was conducted by Professors Felipe Schuch and Brendon Stubbs, both ranked among the world’s top 20 exercise researchers, alongside Julia Teixeira and Eduarda Bittencourt, researchers on Professor Schuch’s team.
In a randomized study, researchers enrolled 83 young adults to test whether 15 minutes of exercise in FitXR was as effective as completing the same exercise in the physical world. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: half exercised with FitXR first, while the other half completed the equivalent workout in the physical world. The groups then crossed over, allowing all participants to experience both conditions.
What did the research show? Measures of energy expenditure, fitness, perceived effort, enjoyment, and mental health were all significantly higher when participants exercised in FitXR compared with performing the exact same workout outside the VR environment.
Professor Brendon Stubbs said: “For the first time in a robust study, we can say with confidence that FitXR is an evidence-based way to experience many physical and mental health benefits whilst having more fun. The results are really exciting and really demonstrate the value of incorporating FitXR to lift people’s mood and work people’s hearts.”
Professor Stubbs also noted that, until now, robust research in VR fitness has been lacking. He said: “If VR fitness is going to translate into real world impact and have any credibility, robust research has been urgently needed. The field cannot make claims about any program working with small studies with less than 40 people. Therefore, bringing the first adequately powered randomised study is an important milestone for the field and the findings are exciting. It could really help us tackle the physical inactivity epidemic”.
Senior author Professor Felipe Schuch explained that this study design provides “robust evidence of how the VR environment can shape the user experience, promoting enjoyable physical activity while exercising at moderate and even vigorous intensities.” He added that the findings “suggest VR-based exercise may offer a fun and accessible alternative for people who struggle to exercise at higher intensities.”
Abstract:
Virtual reality (VR) exercise aims to offer positive affective and sensory experiences through an immersive experience rich in audiovisual stimuli. Notwithstanding, there is a paucity of large sample size studies comparing the acute effects of VR exercise compared to a matched exercise performed in a non-VR environment. The study compared the acute effects of a VR exercise session versus a matched non-VR exercise session in affect, pleasure, enjoyment, perceived exertion and heart rate. This is a crossover randomized clinical trial. The time, difficulty and exercise type of the non-VR exercise were matched to VR exercise. Before and immediately after each session, participants responded to the Borg’s Perceived Exertion Scale, the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale, and the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES). The analyses were conducted with Generalized Linear Models, Wilcoxon’s and T-test for paired samples.
A total of 83 adults (40 females) aged 35.46 years were included in the study. Participants in the VR condition had a greater increase in affect (mean change difference=0.95, 95%CI=0.83-1.06, p<0.001), arousal (mean change difference=0.37, 95%CI=0.23-9.50, p<0.001). The pleasure and enjoyment median after the VR session was higher. In conclusion, the immersive VR exercise was more strenuous, but resulted in a better affective response, greater pleasure and enjoyment
