Project Overview

Physical exercise is known to improve longevity and cognitive status, but most people get insufficient exercise and this problem worsens with age. Lack of exercise can lead to frailty, falls, and cognitive impairment. VR (virtual reality) has been used to promote exercise, in contexts where it occurs naturally as part of an immersive experience (e.g., rowing). However, VR solutions tend to focus on the upper body and there is an urgent need for products that can motivate people to exercise their legs as well as arms. We will create two products that motivate people to pedal in order to move through engaging travel videos. The first product (“Forever Young” or more simply 4VRYoung) will require people to pedal in order to move through engaging 360 degree travel videos (e.g., a helicopter ride over Manhattan) presented either immersively in VR goggles, or else on large screens. The second product (2RaceWithMe) motivates hand and/or foot exercise using engaging video courses. People can pedal alone on these courses or race against others in their care home, or with people in remote locations. These products should revolutionize exercise programming for older people by making exercise meaningful and an integral part of scenic travel experiences.