Physical activity and enjoyment of young adults while playing an active virtual reality game

Abstract

Over the past few decades, there has been an upsurge in the number of adults who do not meet the recommended physical activity levels. One of the factors contributing to the sedentary lifestyle is connected to increased screen time, which could offer a potential solution. Objective: In this study, we tested an active video game in virtual reality (VR) as a potential tool to elicit physical activity. Specifically, this study measured participants' physical activity and enjoyment while playing the VR game Gorilla Tag to observe whether the game can elicit moderate to vigorous physical activity. Methodology: This study enrolled 28 healthy adults aged 18-39 who had not played Gorilla Tag in the last month. Participants completed 5 study sessions. For four sessions, participants played Gorilla Tag for 15 minutes, and for one session, participants rode a stationary bike for 15 minutes. A heart rate (HR) monitor was worn by the participants during game play and cycling to measure their physical activity intensity levels with the measure of percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR). An 8-item physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES) was given to determine the participant's enjoyment level of playing Gorilla Tag and cycling. Results: The analysis revealed that HR increased significantly while participants played Gorilla Tag and rode the stationary cycle. The results also showed that participants had a higher %HRR while riding the stationary bike compared to while playing Gorilla Tag (p’s <.001). Based on %HRR values, Gorilla Tag elicited light to moderate intensity physical activity, while the stationary bike elicited moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. Enjoyment levels did not differ between sessions of Gorilla Tag and cycling. Bivariate correlations indicated that greater intensity of physical activity during Gorilla tag was related to greater enjoyment of gameplay. Conclusion: The active VR game Gorilla Tag is rated as an enjoyable game that elicits light to moderate physical activity during gameplay in healthy younger adults.