Using VR for Fitness Training – Pilot Study

Abstract

In the digitalized era, we do less and less physical work, which in turn leads to less physical activities. Many different wearables and applications try to motivate us to exercise more but people stop using them after a couple of months. One of the reasons people stop using them is because they serve as a post-activity viewing and not as a motivator. Meanwhile, the gaming industry has spent years of perfecting the art of creating addictive games. One idea is to utilize other technology such as virtual reality (VR) to encourage people to exercise more. VR is a computer-generated world, which tracks users and can give users an illusion of participating in a synthetic environment. This paper aims to introduce a Fitness VR application, which was developed and evaluated. The application contains three exercises and a mindfulness scene, the evaluation focus on how different gamification and interaction techniques can be used to motivate users to exercise more. Initial findings show that the participants find the Fitness VR application fun and motivating.