Research

We now know that GripVR is an effective way to address and change bad habits. But GripVR also has some hidden aspects that have many benefits in themselves. For example, the VR intervention always starts with a so-called High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) led by Irene Schouten. The former Olympic and world champion in speed skating helps you in the game to really raise your heart rate.

To see if such a VR-HIIT is effective, UMCG and the University of Groningen studied whether the Grip-VR-HIIT works as well as regular HIIT. Well, it turns out that ‘the intensity of the VR HIIT was comparable to that of a non-VR HIIT.

What are the specific benefits of such high-intensity interval training?

It’s a safe training method, even for the elderly, and even if they are ill.

  • HIIT takes much less time but provides the same health benefits as much longer training sessions.

  • For young people, it has many benefits: better learning results, improved attention, better spatial awareness, better verbal skills, improved reasoning, more self-confidence, better psychological resilience, and mood.

  • Cognitive benefits are also seen in older adults.

  • It decreases the chance of cardiovascular problems and heart diseases.

  • HIIT helps increase energy at the cellular level, which is crucial as mitochondrial issues are linked to many modern non-communicable diseases.

  • HIIT is good for your brain as it stimulates the production of BDNF, which supports nerve cell growth and improves cognitive functions like thinking, concentration, and memory.

  • In fact, ‘HIIT is the best training modality for acutely increasing peripheral BDNF levels in adults.

This article discusses research into a new intervention method aimed at reducing unhealthy habits and reinforcing healthy ones. It highlights that many habits are performed unconsciously and can have either positive or negative impacts on health. The goal is to find ways to change automatic behaviors for better health outcomes.

Traditional methods, such as the Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT), were previously used to address habits. In this method, participants view images associated with healthy or unhealthy habits and use a joystick to approach or avoid them. However, this approach has been found to be ineffective at times and can feel boring, leading people to disengage.

The research investigates a new VR intervention called GripVR, designed to overcome the limitations of traditional methods. GripVR tailors the intervention to the individual's habits and makes it engaging through a playful approach. Participants are placed in a virtual environment where they practice adjusting automatic reactions to images of healthy and unhealthy habits.

The study addresses two main questions:

  1. Does GripVR reduce unhealthy habits and increase healthy ones?

  2. How do participants experience the VR intervention?

The study involved 12 participants who completed six training sessions with GripVR. Results showed that GripVR effectively reduced unhealthy habits, both immediately after the training and two weeks later. However, the increase in healthy habits wasn't significant, as it varied based on participants' initial healthy habits. Those with fewer healthy habits showed significant progress, while those already maintaining many healthy habits showed no change. Participants reported positive experiences, finding the intervention rewarding and its design appealing.

GripVR shows promising results as a new method to reduce unhealthy habits. VR can be an attractive and effective way to help people make lifestyle changes. Further research is needed to confirm the effects of GripVR in specific target groups.

The Master’s thesis from Leiden University explores GripVR, a virtual reality-based intervention designed to change approach biases towards unhealthy lifestyle habits. It focuses on how VR can modify automatic behaviors, making it easier for people to adopt healthier habits. The study reveals that GripVR successfully reduces unhealthy habit strength but shows mixed results in increasing healthy habits, depending on participants' initial behaviors. The participants appreciated the intervention's design and rewarding nature.

VR training helps to increase physical activity

This study focuses on the effect of virtual reality (VR) on motivation to exercise. Researchers wanted to see if a single VR training session with "approach-avoidance training" (ABM) could encourage people to be more active. Despite GripXR, the company behind the VR training, emphasizing that a single session has limited effectiveness and that at least six sessions are required for a positive outcome, the study was done on just one session. The trend analysis still shows a positive result, especially for individuals who are less active, the hardest-to-reach group.

Participants and Method

60 people participated and were divided into three groups:

  1. VR-ABM: VR training with exercises to stimulate motivation for exercise.

  2. VR Control: VR training with exercises that do not affect exercise motivation.

  3. Non-VR Control: Walking outdoors (same intensity and duration as VR training).

Before and after the training, researchers measured participants' reaction speed to images of exercise and inactivity to gauge motivation. Participants also wore a device for a week to track their physical activity.

Results

GripVR may be beneficial for people who exercise little:

Participants who were previously less active showed increased motivation to exercise after the VR-ABM training. The relationship between baseline activity and the effectiveness of VR-ABM training is still unclear and requires further research.

Key Points

VR-ABM training may be useful for encouraging people who exercise little. The trend analysis shows a positive result.

Future research is needed to determine the long-term effectiveness of VR-ABM.

The master thesis from Leiden University explores the effectiveness of GripVR, a virtual-reality-based intervention designed to modify automatic biases toward unhealthy lifestyle habits. The study focuses on whether VR can reduce unhealthy habits while promoting healthier alternatives. The research aims to determine how VR can change behavior through an engaging, personalized approach, leveraging insights from behavioral science to assist individuals in making sustainable lifestyle changes. The intervention focuses on altering automatic responses to lifestyle-related images.