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Never Skip Leg Day Again: Training the Lower Body with Vertical Jumps in a Virtual Reality Exergame

Sebastian Cmentowski, Sukran Karaosmanoglu, Lennart Nacke, Frank Steinicke, Jens Krüger

TL;DR

Five design implications are presented to guide future work: avoid an unintended forward drift, consider technical constraints, address safety concerns in full-body VR exergames, incorporate rhythmic elements with fluent movement patterns, adapt difficulty to players’ fitness progression status.

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) exergames can increase engagement in and motivation for physical activities. Most VR exergames focus on the upper body because many VR setups only track the users' heads and hands. To become a serious alternative to existing exercise programs, VR exergames must provide a balanced workout and train the lower limbs, too. To address this issue, we built a VR exergame focused on vertical jump training to explore full-body exercise applications. To create a safe and effective training, nine domain experts participated in our prototype design. Our mixed-methods study confirms that the jump-centered exercises provided a worthy challenge and positive player experience, indicating long-term retention. Based on our findings, we present five design implications to guide future work: avoid an unintended forward drift, consider technical constraints, address safety concerns in full-body VR exergames, incorporate rhythmic elements with fluent movement patterns, adapt difficulty to players' fitness progression status.

Never Skip Leg Day Again: Training the Lower Body with Vertical Jumps in a Virtual Reality Exergame

TL;DR

Five design implications are presented to guide future work: avoid an unintended forward drift, consider technical constraints, address safety concerns in full-body VR exergames, incorporate rhythmic elements with fluent movement patterns, adapt difficulty to players’ fitness progression status.

Abstract

Virtual Reality (VR) exergames can increase engagement in and motivation for physical activities. Most VR exergames focus on the upper body because many VR setups only track the users' heads and hands. To become a serious alternative to existing exercise programs, VR exergames must provide a balanced workout and train the lower limbs, too. To address this issue, we built a VR exergame focused on vertical jump training to explore full-body exercise applications. To create a safe and effective training, nine domain experts participated in our prototype design. Our mixed-methods study confirms that the jump-centered exercises provided a worthy challenge and positive player experience, indicating long-term retention. Based on our findings, we present five design implications to guide future work: avoid an unintended forward drift, consider technical constraints, address safety concerns in full-body VR exergames, incorporate rhythmic elements with fluent movement patterns, adapt difficulty to players' fitness progression status.
Paper Structure (34 sections, 3 figures, 2 tables)

This paper contains 34 sections, 3 figures, 2 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Related Work
  3. VR Training
  4. Jumping
  5. Composition and Execution of the Vertical Jump
  6. Jump Tests
  7. Jump Training
  8. Jumping in VR and Exergames
  9. Thematic Analysis of Expert Interviews
  10. Theme 1: Jumps are mainly used in sports and have numerous benefits for general health.
  11. Theme 2: Jump training combines reactive and strength exercises. Incorrect executions of maximal jumps leads to injuries.
  12. Theme 3: Jump training should increase gradually and account for individual differences, goals, and improvements.
  13. Theme 4: VR jump training can provide real-time feedback and boost motivation. Yet, safety might be an issue with VR.
  14. Exergame: JumpExTra VR
  15. Rhythmic Levels
  16. ...and 19 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: The design process followed in this research project: We reviewed the literature, conducted semi-structured interviews with multiple experts, analyzed the requirements of our VR jump training application, designed and implemented the VR exergame, and conducted a user study to test JumpExTra VR.
  • Figure 2: Our exergame JumpExTra VR features four sequential levels. In the first level, players tap on colored tiles with their feet. The second level features a hopscotch game. In the third level, players avoid obstacles. In the last level, players train their maximal vertical jump and receive personalized feedback.
  • Figure 3: Although the participants' Total SSQ ratings were not significantly different between pre- and post-time points, post-SSQ-Nausea scores were significantly higher compared to the pre-SSQ-Nausea scores.