New Method of Self-Competition in Virtual Reality Exergaming for Cyclists

Impact of Sedentary Lifestyle

A sedentary lifestyle negatively affects both physical and mental health, contributing to serious health issues, obesity, and premature mortality. To promote a healthy lifestyle, experts recommend engaging in moderate physical activity for at least thirty minutes daily. Despite these guidelines, approximately 30% of adults and 80% of young individuals do not meet the recommended physical activity levels. The primary barriers to physical activity include a lack of intrinsic motivation—where individuals engage in activities for their own satisfaction—and time limitations.

Challenges of Traditional Competition

For physically inactive individuals, competing against others can diminish intrinsic motivation due to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Furthermore, those who are unfit or uncompetitive often do not experience a state of flow, which is characterized by full immersion and fulfillment in an activity. Athletes frequently experience feelings of flow, enjoyment, and achievement during races, underscoring the necessity of fostering intrinsic motivation to combat immobility and sedentary behavior.

Study Overview and Goals

A recent study published in the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems examined the benefits of self-competition in racing exergames compared to solitary cycling on player performance and intrinsic motivation. Conducted over four weeks by researchers at the REal and Virtual Environments Augmentation Labs (REVEAL) at the University of Bath, UK, the study employed a novel approach aimed at making positive racing experiences attainable for non-athletes.

Methodology

Twenty-three participants engaged in a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) protocol, alternating between low- and high-intensity cycling. The researchers created an immersive virtual environment using head-mounted displays (HMDs) to enhance the experience. Gameplay was recorded, and power output was measured during five-minute sprints where players raced against ‘ghosts’ of their past performances, allowing them to visualize their individual fitness journeys. Each game also featured a ‘future ghost’ representing a player’s best performance projected with a 5% improvement. Participants completed questionnaires after each session to evaluate their flow and intrinsic motivation.

Findings

The study revealed that participants improved their fitness levels twice as quickly in a multi-ghost racing scenario compared to cycling alone. Power output increased significantly, with participants racing against their historical performances achieving a 16% increase, while those in non-competitive scenarios only saw an 8% improvement. Additionally, self-competition was linked to elevated heart rates, enhanced intrinsic motivation, greater sensations of flow, and improved perceived competence. This personalization of the experience made it more achievable for players to succeed and attain future performance goals.

Expert Insights

Dr. Christof Lutteroth, who led the research, commented on the findings, stating, “People get a richer racing experience by playing against both their performance history and a model of their future performance. They are motivated to push themselves harder in order to beat all of their ghosts.”

Significance of the Study

This research represents the first design of a virtual reality bicycle-racing game, showing promise for non-competitive individuals by emphasizing self-improvement rather than the stress of competing against others. Such innovative approaches are essential to motivate regular exercise and address the high dropout rates (50%) observed in many exercise programs. Dr. Lutteroth remarked, “By making exercise intrinsically more fun and motivating, we’re taking an important step towards tackling the global epidemic of sedentary behavior.”

References

1. Michael, A. and Lutteroth, C. (2020). Race yourselves: A longitudinal exploration of self-competition between past, present, and future performances in a VR exergame. CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
2. Self-isolating? Get fit faster with multi-ghost racing (May 19, 2020). Retrieved from: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/uob-sgf051920.php

Image by Zienith from Pixabay.