A virtual partner can help double the length of time people spend on exercise, researchers have found.
Researchers found that people stayed on cycling machines for twice as long as normal when motivated by having to keep pace with a partner on a computer screen.
The partner needed to be just "moderately more capable," researchers in Michigan, USA, found.
The findings come from a study of some 58 women, reported in the Annals of Behavioural Medicine.
The women were told the "virtual partner" was exercising at the same time as them in another laboratory.
Women who had a partner kept going on average for 22 minutes – compared with just 11 minutes when left to exercise alone.
Researcher Brandon Irwin said: "Being able to more than double one’s performance is a substantial gain for those trying to increase their physical activity.
"These results are encouraging and suggest the gains we observed over six hour-long sessions could be sustained on a longer-term program of exercise."
Ann Behav Med May 11 2012
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