Pain can be reduced during exercise by using virtual reality (VR) headsets, according to researchers from the University of Kent. A study showed that people exercising using VR technology had a 10% lower pain intensity than those doing conventional fitness routines. As such, the improvements shown by the VR group suggest that it could be a possible way to encourage less active people to exercise by reducing the perceived pain that exercise can cause and improving performance, regardless of private body consciousness. The study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, found that participants who used VR for at least 30 minutes per day experienced less muscle soreness and more improvement in their overall physical health compared with those not The findings could have "major implications" for everyone, from casual gym-goers to full-time athletes, said lead researcher, Maria Matsangidou.
Pain can be reduced during exercise by using virtual reality (VR) headsets, according to researchers from the University of Kent. A study showed that people exercising using VR technology had a 10% lower pain intensity than those doing conventional fitness routines. The study, published in the Journal of Sports Medicine, found that participants who used VR for at least 30 minutes per day experienced less muscle soreness and more improvement in their overall physical health compared with those not The findings could have "major implications" for everyone, from casual gym-goers to full-time athletes, said lead researcher, Maria Matsangidou.