Game designers, gym owners, and personal trainers have all noticed the same problem: most people will stop exercising when they feel 'uncomfortable or bored'. Researchers at the University of Bath wanted to investigate ways to make virtual reality exercise more engaging even when it becomes repetitive or challenging. The researchers worked on integrating sensors into exercise games (or exergames) to measure a person's emotional state. These sensors can alter the game's difficulty, making it easier if a player shows fatigue or boredom, increasing the difficulty when they're in their flow or providing more rewards to maintain lagging interest. What's interesting about this research is that it addresses why so many of us struggle to maintain a regular exercise routine, something that isn’t limited to the virtual world. The brain will give up long before the body does. It's hard to find that flow state when our internal narrator tells us that we can stop anytime or we’ve done enough; we’re tired. No one can give 100% at every session. Technology can help us adapt our exercise habits to our mental and physical capabilities in that moment. For many of us, it’s not our performance that’s the issue but rather our perception of that performance. For example, a 5KM run is still a 5KM run, regardless of whether it takes 28 or 38 minutes. Technology can adapt our routines to keep us consistent rather than the zero-sum approach many of us have where if we’re not smashing a workout out of the gate, then we’re failing. We're not all gym lovers. Many people don't find exercising enjoyable; they do it because of how it makes them feel afterwards or because they're training for something, pursuing a specific aesthetic or performance goal. Gamification and incentives can make exercise fun for those who may not traditionally like physical activity. This is why the idea of using virtual reality exercise is important. One study out earlier this year confirmed that VR workouts can be just as effective as real-life ones. This is another big step towards making exercise more attractive to more people. The University of Bath researchers tracked changes using sensors inside VR headsets or wearable fitness trackers. VR headsets are still relatively new, but many of us already use wearable fitness devices and will be familiar with sensors tracking and reporting changes in physical and emotional data. However, according to Science Daily, the biggest challenge has always been accurately tracking someone's emotional state when they're active. For example, it can be difficult to differentiate between whether a person is happy or bored. It isn't just the University of Bath study changing how we adapt our exercise routines into realistic habits. Science is making exercise more accessible. We've recently written that condensing exercise into two days can be as beneficial as spreading it across the week. The 'weekend warrior' approach addresses the time challenges many people face on weekdays with work, family, and social responsibilities. Equally, studies suggest that exercising for just 15 minutes a day unlocks significant health benefits. This shows that exercise can easily be adapted to any lifestyle effectively. Which is why it’s so exciting to see advances in both technology and scientific understanding working to make the benefits of exercise more accessible for everyone. Find out more about the electricity-generating RE:GEN