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READY-SET-GO: VIRTUAL REALITY GAMING VERSUS TRADITIONAL CARDIO TO IMPROVE PSYCHOLOGICAL STATES FOLLOWING ACUTE EXERCISE

Abstract

Daniel R. Greene, Mervin Jijika, Kenneth S. Anderson, Jonathan J. Ruiz-Ramie. Augusta University, Augusta, GA.

With the advancement of technology, individuals are getting less and less physical activity throughout daily life. However, what if that same technology was used to encourage exercise participation? PURPOSE: Compare affective states before (Pre), immediately after (Post0), and 20-minutes after (Post20) a bout of traditional cardio exercise and virtual reality boxing. METHODS: Participants [N= 14, 7 females; age (M ± SD); 27.1 ± 7.7 yrs; BMI (M ± SD); 27.3 ± 5.9] completed a 30-min moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise (MICE) bout and a 30-min virtual reality boxing workout (VR). Each exercise session consisted of a 5-min warm-up, 20-min exercise bout, and 5-min cool-down. Energy, tiredness, tension, calmness, and state anxiety were assessed via the Activation-Deactivation Checklist (AD-ACL; Thayer 1986) at Pre, Post0, and Post20; exercise enjoyment was assessed at Post0 via The Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES; Kendzierski & DeCarlo, 1991). Results: Participants reported increased energy [all P’s < .001] from Pre to Post0 in both conditions, but energy at Post20 was elevated following VR only [P = .04; Cohen’s d = 0.72]. Additionally, tiredness was decreased from Pre to Post0 following both conditions [all P’s .44]. Additionally, state anxiety was not different from baseline following MICE [all P’s >.38] but was significantly reduced by Post20 relative to Pre VR [P = .03; Cohen’s d = 0.72]. Finally, post-exercise enjoyment was significantly greater following VR relative to MICE [(Mdiff ± SD); 31.3 ± 5.7; P < .001; Cohen’s d = 1.93]. CONCLUSION: While both VR and MICE resulted in improved psychological states, it appears these beneficial effects were larger and more sustainable following VR. Interestingly, none of these improved psychological states were present Post20 MICE but did remain Post20 VR. Coupled with the notion that VR resulted in significantly greater enjoyment, this study highlights the potential psychological benefits of virtual reality exercise.

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