The VESPA Pilot Study

Inclusion criteria

• Age of 45-80 years
• Body mass index between 30-45 kg/m2
• Low-active (30 or more minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on 2 or fewer days per week)
• Have access to home Wi-Fi
• Have regular access to a computer, tablet, or smartphone to receive teleconferencing calls
• Have a clear "VR space" (7'x7' object-free space)
• Have an "Activity buddy" (spouse, child, caregiver, etc.)
• Modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-M) score of 32 or greater
• Consent from a physician for study participation
• Proficient in the English language
• Willingness to create or use existing personal Facebook account for virtual reality activities.

Exclusion criteria

• Current involvement in other physical activity research studies
• Hearing or sight impairments (significant visual or hearing impairment that cannot be corrected and results in the inability to use the telephone or hear normal conversation, colorblindness)
• Dependence on a cane or walker
• More than 1 fall in the past year
• Contraindication to exercise
• Current or recent history within the last 6 months of: symptomatic coronary heart disease, cancer, liver or renal disease, severe pulmonary disease, gross physical impairment, or uncontrolled hypertension; myocardial infarction or cardiovascular procedure within the last 3 months
• History of or diagnosis of photosensitive epilepsy
• Score of "severe" on any question in the Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire;
• Unwillingness to use a head-mounted virtual reality system
• Current severe or untreated depression