Comparison of Virtual Vs. Traditional Cycling Exercise on Perceived Duration and Exercise Enjoyment: A Pilot Study

Participating in regular physical activity has been shown to increases one's quality of life. Individuals may choose not to participate in regular physical activity because of a perceived lack of time and enjoyment. With the potential of these barriers to decrease exercise adherence, the purpose of this study was to compare perceived exercise duration and enjoyment between a virtually interactive stationary bike and a clamped workload on a standard non-interactive stationary bike. Thirteen active participants completed a VO₂ peak test and four counterbalanced trials (two 20-min, two 40-min) with one trial at each duration on the interactive Expresso^TM bike (EXP) and a workload matched trial on a Velotron (VEL). Metabolic data (VO₂), rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and heart rate (HR) was recorded every 5 minutes throughout the trial. Perceived duration and exercise enjoyment (measured by the PACES questionnaire) was assessed 15-minutes after the trial concluded. No significant differences were found for perceived duration (min) between EXP and VEL trials at both short and long duration. For the long duration Expresso^TM (LDE) trial, RPE-overall (RPE-O) was significantly lower at the 25-, 35-, and 40-min mark and RPE-legs (RPE-L) was significantly lower at the 25 min mark compared to the long duration Velotron (LDV) trial. Exercise enjoyment was significantly higher on both EXP trials (vs. VEL). Despite matched intensities, participants perceived the LDE trial more enjoyable and easier (based on RPE) at timepoints beyond 25-min. Virtually interactive cycling could lead to longer exercise durations and/or greater intensities vs. traditional cycling.