Abstract
The aim of the study is to assess the enjoyment and intensity of physical exercise while practicing physical activity (PA) in immersive virtual reality (IVR) using innovative training devices (omni-directional Omni treadmill and Icaros Pro flight simulator). The study also contains the results of subjective research on the usefulness of such a form of PA in the opinion of users. In total, 61 adults (10 women and 51 men) took part in the study. To assess the enjoyment level (EL) Interest/Enjoyment subscale of Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI) was used. Exercise intensity was assessed during 10-min sessions of active video games (AVGs) in IVR based on heart rate (HR). The average enjoyment level during physical exercise in IVR on the tested training devices was high (Omni 5.74 points, Icaros 5.60 points on a 1–7 Likert scale) and differed significantly in favor of PA on Omni. In the opinion of the majority of participants, AVGs in IVR on the tested devices constitute a sufficiently useful form of PA to meet the needs of leisure time activities, and they can even replace some forms of physical effort performed in a classic way. The intensity of PA during games on training devices was at the level recommended for health benefits for 80.55% (Omni) and 50.77% (Icaros Pro) of its duration. Based on the conducted research, it can be assumed that AVGs in IVR using a multi-directional treadmill and a flight simulator can be an effective tool for increasing participation in health-oriented PA.
Highlights
The lack of movement is the main cause of the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, causing 71% of all deaths per year, including as much as 40% of premature deaths [1]
A similar statistically significant relationship was found analyzing the average percentage of maximum heart rate (% HRmax)
The results of this study showed that the average enjoyment level during physical activity in virtual reality (VR)
Summary
The lack of movement (hypokinesia) is the main cause of the incidence of chronic non-communicable diseases, causing 71% of all deaths per year, including as much as 40% of premature deaths [1]. Health promotion activities are currently focused on searching for tools popularizing modern physical activity (PA), attractive for people, tailored to their interests, fitness abilities, and leisure time budgets. The development of modern technology is considered to be one of the reasons for the decreasing. Due to the fact that they constitute an inseparable element of the development of civilization in recent years, technological innovations have been used to popularize PA among the public. The first manifestation of this action was the creation of active video games (AVGs) in which the player controls the course of the game with movements of his/her body, becoming its active participant and not a passive player. Public Health 2019, 16, 3673; doi:10.3390/ijerph16193673 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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