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(05/20/2026) Researchers with the VA Advanced Platform Technology Center piloted an exercise program that used virtual reality to make neuromuscular electrical stimulation more engaging, improving Veterans’ heart rates and exercise efforts. Electrical stimulation can contract paralyzed muscles following a spinal cord injury, improving overall health, but is often boring for the Veteran. The researchers created a game in which the user rowed a virtual boat to keep pace with a goose flying overhead, attempting to catch dropped eggs. Both paralyzed Veteran volunteers found the electrical stimulation-assisted rowing to be more engaging and producing better results than when completing the exercise alone, suggesting this approach could improve engagement with electrical stimulation-assisted exercise and improve the cardiovascular fitness of Veterans with spinal cord injury. (American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, May 1, 2026)