The VR group showed a 42% reduction in vasomotor symptoms, improved sleep quality by 35%, and increased exercise adherence to 85% compared to the control group.
Does a VR-based personalized exercise prescription system improve physiological and psychological symptoms in perimenopausal women?
A VR-based personalized exercise prescription system significantly improves exercise adherence, vasomotor symptoms, and physiological markers in perimenopausal women compared to conventional guidance.
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Perimenopausal women (aged 45–54) frequently experience climacteric symptoms such as vasomotor disturbances, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular risks due to declining ovarian function and estrogen levels. Approximately 75% of women report varying degrees of discomfort, with 80% exhibiting at least one symptom (e.g., sleep disorders, mood fluctuations). Conventional exercise prescriptions often lack specificity to address individual health disparities and comorbidities (e.g., osteoporosis, metabolic dysfunction). This study aimed to develop a virtual reality (VR)-based personalized exercise prescription system to enhance exercise adherence through immersive experiences and evaluate its efficacy in alleviating perimenopausal physiological and psychological symptoms. A personalized exercise prescription generation system was developed by integrating health assessments (body composition, cardiopulmonary function, bone mineral density) with VR technology. The system dynamically adjusted exercise regimens (e.g., moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance training) based on biosensor data (heart rate, exercise intensity) and user preferences. A total of 120 perimenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a VR intervention group (VR-guided personalized exercise) or a control group (conventional exercise guidance) for a 12-week intervention. Outcome measures included physiological indices (estradiol levels, bone mineral density, heart rate variability HRV), psychological scales (anxiety/depression scores), and exercise adherence, quantified via accelerometry and clinical tests. The VR group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in vasomotor symptom frequency (42% reduction vs. 28%, p < 0.05), sleep quality (35% decrease in Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores), and balance capacity (22% increase in Berg Balance Scale scores) compared to the control group. Superior outcomes were also observed in bone mineral density (femoral neck T-score: +0.8% vs. +0.3%) and HRV parameters (18% increase in RMSSD). Psychologically, anxiety scores decreased by 40% in the VR group, with adherence rates reaching 85% (vs. 62% in controls). Biomechanical analysis revealed that VR-enhanced real-time feedback improved movement precision and reduced joint stress during exercise. VR technology effectively improves exercise engagement and mitigates perimenopausal symptoms through personalized, gamified interventions. Its strengths lie in dynamic adaptation to individual health profiles (e.g., osteoporosis risk) and multimodal feedback to ensure exercise safety. Future studies should expand sample sizes to validate long-term efficacy and explore deeper integration of VR with wearable devices for real-time health monitoring and prescription optimization. This study provides an innovative approach to perimenopausal health management, highlighting the potential of immersive technologies in addressing sex-specific health challenges.
Zhu et al. (Thu,) reported a other. The VR group showed a 42% reduction in vasomotor symptoms, improved sleep quality by 35%, and increased exercise adherence to 85% compared to the control group.