Persistence and pleasure in VR: Enhancing Exercise Endurance and Enjoyment through Virtual Environments

• Published in: Psychology of sport and exercise 2023-11, Vol.69, p.102494-102494, Article 102494
• Main Author: Lemmens, Jeroen S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Exercise; Exergaming; Presence; Sports; Virtual reality
• ISSN: 1469-0292; 1878-5476
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102494

Virtual Reality (VR) provides an enjoyable addition to stationary physical exercise and can improve performance while exercising. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of three interactive virtual environments (i.e., social, relaxing, stressful) on enjoyment and persistence during strength-based exercises. In a within-subjects experiment, 97 healthy young adults completed four consecutive sets of two strength-based exercises. Participants completed one set as baseline and then each participant completed three more sets in three different interactive environments, experienced through a VR headset. Results showed that both the stressful virtual environment, where participants were hanging suspended over a city, and the social virtual environment where participants were audibly encouraged in a stadium, increased participants’ persistence in both exercises, when compared to the relaxing virtual environment. Specifically, the relaxing sunny beach environment caused poorer performances in a dead hang exercise among men (n = 30), and poorer performances in a core exercise among women (n = 66). Somewhat paradoxically, this relaxing virtual beach environment was considered the most enjoyable environment among both male and female participants. The potential of VR in exercise lies in its ability to provide pleasurable and performance-enhancing immersive environments that may be too expensive or dangerous in reality. •Previous studies have shown that VR headsets can increase enjoyment and effectiveness of exercises, but none have examined how these effects may occur.•Interactive VR environments that either promote social facilitation or stress are more effective than a relaxing virtual environment at stimulating persistence during strength-based exercises.•The relaxing environment showed the least persistence, but provided the most enjoyment, which may encourage prolonged use.