Introduction and Aims: Internet addiction and its excessive use are a recognized global problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential benefits of 2 and 4 weeks of a virtual reality (VR) exercise program with and without intermittent Nordic walking (INW) on VO2max and body composition markers, including body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body adiposity index (BAI), abdominal volume index (AVI), cone index (CI), and body shape index (ABSI) in teenage girls with Internet addiction.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted on 80 adolescent girls (age 14 years, height 159 cm, weight 64.50 kg, VO2max 33.7656 ml/kg/min) who were randomly assigned to one of four groups: VR, INW, VR+INW, or control. Participants in the intervention groups performed three 60-minute sessions per week for either 2 or 4 weeks. Measurements were taken at baseline and at follow-up (2 and 4 weeks post-intervention). A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to evaluate the parameters.
Results: Two weeks of INW or VR interventions had no significant effect on cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2max) or body composition. After 4 weeks, a significant increase in VO2max was observed in the INW group compared to the control group (p = 0.046). The CI and ABSI showed significant improvement, particularly in the VR+INW group after 4 weeks of intervention (p = 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively).
Conclusion: A 4-week combined VR and INW intervention is associated with benefits to health status and can be an important non-pharmacological strategy to prevent physical inactivity and maintain good health in adolescent girls.