Inside NC State’s VR Fitness Revolution: How Renee Harrington, Ph.D., is Reimagining Immersive Wellness

Imagine walking into a fitness class expecting the standard equipment and instruction, but instead being transported onto a real triathlon race course. Suddenly, your “classroom” isn’t a studio at all; you’re now standing in the middle of a multisport event filled with bike racks, narrow run paths and athletes transitioning between race segments.

This immersive experience is the reality for NC State students who enroll in a triathlon course taught by Associate Teaching Professor Renee Harrington, Ph.D., and if virtual reality (VR) is integrated into the future of wellness education at the university level, you may just have pioneers like Harrington to thank.

What started as a practical teaching challenge in one of her courses evolved into groundbreaking research that is positioning NC State University at the forefront of immersive fitness technology.

A Breakthrough in Triathlon Training

When Harrington first started teaching the HESF 106: Triathlon course in the NC State Department of Health and Exercise Studies, the class looked a lot like you’d expect. Students were responsible for bringing their own bikes and helmets, which meant a wide variety of equipment and experience levels. On top of that, Harrington was constantly weighing accessibility and safety.

Course adjustments were made to enhance accessibility. Students swam in the pool, then headed to the cycling studio (versus outdoors to ride their bikes), and then headed outside to run. They were technically completing all three legs of a triathlon, but something was missing. Traditional teaching methods couldn’t fully capture the critical “fourth discipline” of the triathlon: the transition from one leg of the race to the next.

What if students could see the flow of a real race (e.g., the swim exits, the crowded transition area, and the frantic search for their bike racks) before they ever toed a start line? That’s when Harrington started thinking seriously about virtual reality as both a solution and an opportunity.

Harrington’s desire to bring realistic transitions to her triathlon course was the first step on a path to shape research, course design and wellness experiences across NC State.

Training Triathletes with Immersive Tech

This question of how to bring virtual reality into health, exercise and wellness spaces launched a collaboration with DELTA to leverage expertise in XR (extended reality) technology and access to specialized equipment. 

DELTA’s ongoing work in supporting VR classrooms at NC State continues to expand immersive learning opportunities across campus and has helped position Harrington as an emerging leader in VR fitness and immersive wellness.

Through a DELTA Exploratory Grant, Harrington and the DELTA team captured the reality of race day over the course of a year. The team captured video at two local triathlons, as well as a mock transition setup with student volunteers. The videos used multiple camera setups to simulate the athlete’s point of view, dynamic race perspective, and third-person point of view.

The result was an immersive experience that lets triathlon students stand inside a race environment. Through the immersive learning experience, students watch athletes move through the race course, study smooth transitions and see what happens when things don’t go as planned.
Arthur Earnest, a senior media producer with DELTA who helped bring the project to life, said the challenge of teaching transitions immediately shaped their creative direction.

“What we were trying to do with the VR experience was to offer different perspectives to help build that mental picture of the transitions from swimming to biking and then biking to running,” Earnest shared.

“With a solitary athlete, we show how the transitions are completed … to learn what is correct and then through the athlete’s own eyes in a first-person view. And then, we virtually drop the viewer into the chaos of an actual race to show what those transitions look like when you’re surrounded by a hundred other athletes.”

He added that VR’s role in fitness is just beginning to unfold.

“One of the earliest uses of virtual reality was: put on a headset and get transported to another world. That could be an exotic location like an Amazonian rainforest or even something closer like a triathlon in Durham,” Earnest explained. “Now, you can put on a headset and have a virtual trainer lead you through a workout. It’ll be interesting to see what [Harrington’s] research shows and how those studies can push the use of immersive technology into the future.”

Harrington now integrates these VR touchpoints directly into the HESF 106 course. Midway through the semester, students put on headsets to explore the swim-to-bike transition and talk through what works and what doesn’t. Then they head to the pool and practice the transition using what they just saw.

Later in the semester, they repeat the pattern with the bike-to-run transition, analyzing what they see on screen, completing a reflection worksheet and then practicing movements on the ground.

Students have responded with a mix of excitement and relief: after seeing transitions in context and rehearsing them repeatedly, they report feeling more prepared and confident heading into race situations.

The Future of Fitness is Immersive

As Harrington experimented with VR in her triathlon course, a bigger question emerged. If VR can help students feel more prepared, can it also change how people move, feel and stay active?

Harrington attempted to answer this question with a VR research study published in the Journal of Exercise and Nutrition: “Impact of Immersive Virtual Reality Exercise on Physiological and Psychological Outcomes in College Students: A Comparison with Traditional Cardiorespiratory Exercise.” This study included contributions from Michael Cuales, Director of Digital Media Innovation at DELTA.

During the study, participants completed two separate 20-minute exercise sessions (immersive VR exercise and cardio equipment of choice) in a randomized and counter-balanced order. Average and maximum heart rate, perceived exertion, and psychological outcomes of enjoyment, intrinsic motivation, and mood were assessed.

The findings were striking. The intensity of exercise and perceived exertion were similar in both sessions, but the VR session resulted in significantly higher enjoyment and improved mood across various dimensions.

In other words, participants were working just as hard, but having a much better time.

For Harrington, a multisport athlete, the element of intrinsic motivation was key. Long-term physical activity habits require people to choose activities they genuinely enjoy. The study design asked participants to select their preferred traditional cardiorespiratory exercise. The study concluded that VR exercise is a highly motivating and enjoyable alternative to traditional exercise and could be a valuable tool for improving physical activity and mental well-being in college-aged individuals. 

Reflecting on the impact of Harrington’s work, Cuales said, “It’s an amazing opportunity for DELTA to be able to support our faculty with advancing innovation in educational media design and immersive learning. We’re excited to partner with visionary faculty paving new paths for student engagement, curriculum design and research.”

Quantifying VR Fitness: Headsets, Smart Shirts and Data Science

Harrington’s newest research goes even further into the potential impact of immersive fitness technologies.

In her second ongoing study, NC State students complete either traditional cardiorespiratory exercise or a VR exercise session while wearing a Hexoskin Smart Shirt. This cutting-edge garment is embedded with sensors that measure cardiac, respiratory and activity metrics.

Using these data streams, Harrington will have a clearer picture of the impact of VR fitness and more accurate data to quantify the physiological benefits of VR exercise.

Her findings can inform future research and help guide how VR fitness tools are developed and used. It also just might spark the adoption of more immersive technologies to improve wellness outcomes at the university level and beyond.

Virtual Reality and Health Analytics Meet Data Science

In the spring of 2026, Harrington launched a new special topics course (DSA 295) with the Data Science Academy, titled Virtual Reality and Personal Health Analytics. This first-of-its-kind course will offer an unprecedented opportunity for students to engage with research and data collection on the topic of VR fitness.

In the course, students will participate in VR exercise sessions while collecting physiological data from wearable sensors and the VR headset. The course incorporates “mini” research projects in which students collect and analyze the data, then present their findings.

Over the semester, students will move through three project cycles, each time refining their questions, data collection plans and analytical skills.

At the same time, Harrington will continue using the triathlon VR environment in HESF 106, giving students across courses more chances to experience VR as both a learning tool and a data source.

To her knowledge, this combination of VR fitness, biometric tracking and embedded student research in for-credit courses is still rare, and may be unique to NC State University.

Opening the Door to VR Fitness Outside the Classroom

Harrington’s work has already extended beyond formal courses and academic research studies.

During a recent Wellness Day at NC State, she and campus partners transformed Carmichael’s basketball courts into a VR Fitness Escape with headsets and fitness options ranging from high-energy workouts to guided meditation sessions. Students, faculty and staff filtered in and out, trying short 5–10 minute routines.

The event did more than showcase a new technology. It sparked conversations with campus units like Human Resources and other wellness-focused teams, who saw potential for VR as a portable, flexible wellness tool for employees as well as students.

Imagining the Future of VR in Athletic Training and Wellness

As a health educator with a doctoral degree in nutrition and master’s degrees in exercise science and marine science, Harrington has always been drawn to the intersections of research, teaching and whole-person wellness. Her certifications include triathlon and cycling coaching, yoga, Pilates, TRX and various group fitness formats. This reflects a career dedicated to helping people move better, feel better and understand their bodies.

A longtime multisport athlete, Harrington competes in triathlons (swim-bike-run), duathlons (run-bike-run), and gravel racing events, and she has raced at national and international levels for UCI and Team USA. She has even earned a special award for having the fastest combined transition time at Duathlon Nationals, underscoring how the seconds gained or lost during triathlon transitions can change the outcome of an entire race.

VR adds a new dimension to her life and work, and she sees potential far beyond her current projects.

In skills-based courses, Harrington imagines VR scenarios where students can develop racket sport skills or other complex movements by mirroring virtual demonstrations and receiving real-time feedback through controllers that simulate equipment.

In her nutrition and wellness courses, she sees VR taking students beyond the classroom. With immersive video and simulated environments, students can have various experiences, such as walking through markets in other countries, seeing how neighborhood design shapes daily physical activity, or experiencing different cultural approaches to meals and portion sizes.

Harrington is excited to uncover the potential to explore health and wellness across cultures using this technology, a topic she already covers with students.

A Campus-Wide Invitation to Collaborate

Underneath it all is a theme Harrington returns to often: collaboration.

Her work has already connected Health and Exercise Studies, DELTA, WellRec, the Data Science Academy and other partners across University College and the Division of Academic and Student Affairs. She sees those relationships as just the beginning.

Harrington can also see room for projects that span wellness, esports, instructional design, accessibility, biometrics, counseling and more — all anchored by the university’s broader push toward immersive learning.

The work happening today in NC State’s fitness labs, classrooms, and on basketball courts converted to VR escape rooms could reshape how universities approach wellness tomorrow. As more data emerges and more participants experience what immersive fitness can offer, the potential applications will only multiply. 

“Aligned with DELTA’s strategic priorities around innovation, partnership and immersive learning, this work reflects our vision for VR classrooms at NC State,” said Cuales. “In collaboration with campus partners, we’re shaping immersive learning environments that open new possibilities for how wellness, teaching and research come together across the university.”

Harrington’s work proves that when backed by research and driven by collaboration, VR can become a legitimate force in wellness education. 

Whether it’s helping a triathlon student calmly move through their first transition or offering a staff member a few minutes of guided movement and meditation in the middle of the workday, the future of fitness is taking shape right here.