Well, both groups were in rooms with a chair, a table and yoga mat on the floor. The only difference: One group had VR headsets that showed an arm lifting the weight.

The researchers found that the VR group not only reported ten percent less pain than the control group, but they also showed a lower heart rate of three beats per minute lower.

On top of that, the VR group was able to hold on about two minutes longer than its non-VR group.

“It is clear,” said Maria Matsangidou “that VR technology can improve performance during exercise on a number of criteria. This could have major implications for exercise regimes for everyone, from occasional gym users to professional athletes.”

The best of it all is that VR equipment is less expensive than most of us think and has become almost as normal as watching TV.

All you need is a smartphone (iPhone or Android) and a VR headset or viewer. The most expensive VR headsets on the market include Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, or Playstation VR. The cheapest – but least sophisticated – are Google Cardboard.

So why not go for it?

Less pain, more gain.