Acute Affective Responses and Perceived Exertion during a Single Bout of Virtual Reality Exercise

Virtual reality (VR) exercise has emerged as a promising modality for promoting physical activity engagement, yet its acute psychological effects remain incompletely characterized. This study examined pre-to-post changes in positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA), as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), following a single bout of exercise in VR in a community sample (N = 58 total enrolled; n = 52 exercise group, n = 6 passive VR control; ages 16 and older). Participants also rated perceived exertion (RPE) on a 1-10 scale following the exercise session. Paired-samples t-tests revealed that VR exercise produced significant improvements in both PA (t(51) = 3.66, p < .001, d = 0.51) and NA (t(51) = -5.63, p < .001, d = -0.78). These effects were not moderated by RPE: both low-RPE (RPE < 6) and high-RPE (RPE ≥ 6) groups demonstrated significant within-group improvements, and RPE was not significantly correlated with PA or NA change scores. Comparison with the passive VR control group suggested that the physical exercise component-rather than VR immersion per se-was the primary driver of PA enhancement, while the shared VR environment may have contributed to NA reduction in both conditions. Exploratory analyses of gender and age subgroups revealed no statistically significant between-group differences on any PANAS measure, RPE, or affect change score, although these comparisons were limited by small subgroup sample sizes. These findings indicate that a single bout of exercise in VR produces robust acute improvements in affective state across diverse levels of perceived exertion, supporting VR exercise as an accessible modality for eliciting psychological benefit. Future research should employ larger and more balanced samples, objective intensity measures, and adequately powered control designs to further elucidate the independent contributions of VR immersion and exercise to affective outcomes.