Caleb McConahay

Major: Exercise Science, Pre-Physical Therapy
School of Health and Human Sciences

Virtual reality: Its effect on physical activity intensity and pain sensitivity

Majority of Americans do not meet the requirements to be considered physically active. In younger populations this is even more apparent with the rise of technology and the popularity of video games. An emerging trend in video games is the use of virtual reality (VR). VR consists of a head mounted display and hand held controllers that track full body movements within an area tracked by sensors. Utilizing the popularity of these video games as well as the full body movement required to play them, researchers hope to combine these two things to increase overall levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study is to examine three effects of virtual reality gaming on an individual.