Virtual Reality Can Reduce Pain and Increase Performance During Exercise

The data showed that after a minute, the VR group had reported a pain intensity that was 10% lower than the non-VR group

University of Kent

virtual-realityThis is a visual of VR exercise environment during testCREDIT: Maria Matsangidou

The research, led by PhD candidate Maria Matsangidou from EDA, set out to determine how using VR while exercising could affect performance by measuring a raft of criteria: heart rate, including pain intensity, perceived exhaustion, time to exhaustion, and private body consciousness.

To do this, they monitored 80 individuals performing an isometric bicep curl set at 20% of the maximum weight they could lift, which they were then asked to hold for as long as possible. Half of the group acted as a control group who did the lift and hold inside a room that had a chair, a table, and yoga mat on the floor.




Results from the study also showed no significant effect of private body consciousness on the positive impact of VR. Private body consciousness is the subjective awareness each of us has to bodily sensations.

Previous research has shown that individuals who have a high private body consciousness tend to better understand their body and as a result perceive higher pain when exercising. However, the study's findings revealed that VR was effective in reducing perceived pain and that private body consciousness did not lessen this effect.

