1. Introduction
obesity, infection, overweight, depression, coronavirus disease 2019
OBESITY, INFECTION, CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019
These authors contributed equally to this work.Background: This study explored the effects of a virtual reality exercise program on overweight middle-aged women. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included women 40–65 years of age with a body mass index (BMI) of 23 kg/mWhile rapid economic growth and urbanization have enhanced the convenience of modern life, the resulting decrease in physical activity and lack of exercise have led to an increased obesity rate worldwide. More than 1 billion adults are overweight globally, with at least 300 million being clinically diagnosed with obesity [The reason for middle-aged women having a higher obesity rate than men of the same age is that women accumulate excessive body fat during menopause due to decreased metabolism and the decreased secretion of growth hormones and estrogen, which are lipolytic hormones [However, various factors are decreasing the exercise rate, one being the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In South Korea, after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in January 2020, the country began implementing social distancing by announcing guidelines on infection control, prevention, and behavior [Recently, virtual reality indoor exercise programs have been developed to enhance the engagement and interest in indoor exercise to compensate for these shortcomings [Virtual reality is applicable in various fields in the post-COVID-19 era. A new paradigm shift is required in exercise intervention methods with the change to non-face-to-face life patterns [In this study, the effect of the exercise intervention method applying virtual reality on the body mass index (BMI), depression, exercise fun, and exercise immersion in middle-aged women was investigated.



