Cycling in immersive VR: motivation and affects in post-COVID patients

The present work reports preliminary results in a group of post-COVID patients participating in a pulmonary rehabilitation program with an Immersive Virtual Reality system. 22 participants performed endurance training for 3 weeks, cycling in an Immersive Virtual Park while wearing a Head-Mounted Display. Motivation, positive and negative emotions, and flow status are assessed at the beginning (t0) and end (t1) of the rehabilitation program. All the variables related to motivation (Intrinsic Motivation, Identified Regulation, and External Regulation) obtain higher average scores after the rehabilitation program (respectively, p = 0.003, p = 0.006, p = 0.015), showing that the experience is perceived as fun, motivating, and as a choice and not an obligation. Similarly, the flow state increases with the experience (p = 0.024). At the same time, amotivation decreases during the 3 weeks of treatment (p < 0.001). During the PR program, no difference emerges between positive and negative affects, but positive affects are reported more often than negative ones. These preliminary results suggest that training with the Immersive Virtual Park is perceived as a highly positive experience and can support the patient's motivation for long-term rehabilitation.