The effects of a home-based virtual reality exercise intervention on community adults' well-being, depression, anxiety, and executive function: a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Background: Virtual reality (VR) exercise is an alternative mode of physical activity with potential mental health benefits. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a VR exercise program for improving community adults' well-being (ie, subjective vitality), depression, anxiety, and executive functioning.

Methods: A 2-arm, parallel, single-blinded randomized controlled trial design was conducted to compare a 10-week home-based commercially available VR exercise program (Supernatural Fitness Application) (n = 73) with a waitlist control (WLC) condition (n = 81). Primary (well-being) and secondary (depression, anxiety, executive functioning) outcomes were self-reported at baseline, week 5, and week 10 of the study. Participants were enrolled between March 19, 2024, and March 18, 2025. Analyses were conducted using mixed-effects regression models.

Results: The VR exercise program resulted in statistically significant improvements (P < .01) in subjective vitality and decreases in depression and anxiety symptoms relative to the WLC condition across the 10-week study. At week 10, the VR exercise condition reported greater subjective vitality (d = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.17 to 0.81) and less depression (d = -0.42; 95% CI, -0.74 to -0.10) and anxiety (d = -0.22; 95% CI, -0.54 to 0.10) than the WLC condition. There were no statistically significant effects for executive functioning.

Discussion: Home-based commercially available VR exercise has similar effects on well-being and mental health compared to traditional modes of physical activity. Practitioners can recommend commercially available VR exercise to individuals as an alternative mode of physical activity to support mental health.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06367439 on April 11, 2024.