tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/exergaming-2453/articlesExergaming – The Conversation2020-10-01T20:36:56Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1439592020-10-01T20:36:56Z2020-10-01T20:36:56ZVideo games can add to kids’ learning during COVID-19 pandemic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360870/original/file-20200930-20-13dd36f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C3715%2C2477&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As the cold weather approaches and we look for indoor activities, video games are both fun and educational.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>This year has brought many changes into our everyday routine. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to physically distance ourselves as much as possible, while masks and other public health measures remain in place in the outside world. The number of COVID-19 cases are rising in <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/canada-very-well-might-be-starting-its-second-wave-of-covid-19-doctor-says-1.5105105">Canada</a> and remain high in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html">United States</a>. </p>
<p>Schools have reopened, with much debate as to whether or not <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/7251946/coronavirus-school-reopening-safety/">they should to reduce the risk of transmission</a>. As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, and we anticipate the arrival of a second wave, we’ll all be looking for activities to stay inside.</p>
<h2>Gaming activities</h2>
<p>As an online gaming scholar, I am devoted to highlighting the importance of online gaming in today’s society. I have shown <a href="https://theconversation.com/critics-who-say-online-gaming-is-just-a-game-completely-miss-the-point-132845">the financial impacts and growth of the online gaming industry</a>, as well as the social benefits associated with playing video games. In addition, I have discussed how parents can manage their child’s game time. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/parents-of-online-gamers-need-to-think-twice-before-labelling-the-hobby-a-waste-of-time-143956">Parents of online gamers need to think twice before labelling the hobby a 'waste of time'</a>
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<p>Online gaming can be a space for continued learning within an online environment, providing numerous benefits for players, all while keeping them indoors. </p>
<p>Keeping in line with existing curricula, I will highlight how five subjects can benefit from video games in the classroom: English, math, science, history and physical education. These games are meant as a supplement rather than a substitute to our existing school systems. Playing games can create a fun learning environment designed to keep our physically distanced selves at home, while remaining social and continuing to learn. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Side profile of a young girl holding a tablet with a cartoon rabbit on the screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360923/original/file-20200930-16-holxs2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">While not a substitute for school curricula, video games can be used to enhance learning different school subjects.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Literacy and language</h2>
<p>A recent survey from the United Kingdom’s National Literacy Trust has shown that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/05/health/video-games-literacy-creativity-children-trnd/index.html">more than 35 per cent of children who play video games believe they are better readers</a>; the study also found that more than half of the participants <a href="https://literacytrust.org.uk/research-services/research-reports/video-game-playing-and-literacy-survey-young-people-aged-11-16/">read and write materials related to gaming at least once per month</a>.</p>
<p>I would argue that many video games have better narratives than the stories read in school. While picking the best story games is a subjective task (BioShock is a personal favourite, although it is rated M for mature players over 17 years old), I recommend <a href="https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-20-best-interactive-story-games">interactive story games</a>, which allow players to make choices that impact the rest of the game. </p>
<p><a href="https://telltale.com/">Telltale Games</a> has a great collection of pop culture-based story games from <a href="https://www.telltale.com/batman-a-telltale-story/">Batman</a> to <a href="https://www.telltale.com/the-wolf-among-us/">DC’s Fables series</a> all rated for teens or older. </p>
<p>Games encourage creativity and promote literacy: two qualities of an excellent English class.</p>
<h2>Mathematics</h2>
<p>Math is “<a href="https://www.gamedesigning.org/learn/game-development-math/">the foundation of game design</a>” — trigonometry, calculus and algebra all come into play when developing games. If students wish to create and develop their own video games, math will be essential to learn.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.prodigygame.com/">Prodigy Games</a> provides free math games for students and schools designed to engage students with math. Designed for students in grades 1 through 8, these games have been found to increase <a href="https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/research">test scores</a>. Video games are “<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2013/08/29/video-games-are-the-perfect-way-to-teach-math-says-stanford-mathematician/#4d6cecd1385b">the perfect way to teach math</a>” and can help engage children in developing their math skills.</p>
<h2>Science</h2>
<p>Playing video games can result in numerous <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/freedom-learn/201502/cognitive-benefits-playing-video-games">cognitive benefits for the online gamer</a>. These benefits include positive effects on one’s basic mental processes like attention, perception, decision-making and memory. </p>
<p>Video games can also improve performances in jobs that require good hand-eye coordination and quick decision making. Video games have been found to improve performance in training for both <a href="https://doi.org/10.3357/ASEM.2958.2011">pilots</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-009-0151-y">surgeons</a>. </p>
<p>There are many <a href="https://www.rankred.com/best-physics-game/">physics-based games</a>, and I would suggest that students begin with the <a href="https://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/portal">Portal franchise</a>, one of the most popular games of all time. Pay close attention to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/11/arts/video-games/portal-2-a-video-brain-game-review.html">Portal 2 and how the physics-based elements have been enhanced</a>. The Portal games are rated E for everyone.</p>
<h2>History</h2>
<p>History can be taught by video games because they allow us to experience events of the past. Games like the <a href="https://gamerant.com/assassins-creed-ubisoft-games-historically-accurate-ranked/">Assassin’s Creed franchise</a> (rated Teen or higher) allow players to experience historically accurate settings and interact with historical figures from the Crusades, Renaissance Italy, the French and American Revolutions, as well as Ancient Greece and Egypt. While the events within the games might not be historically accurate, developer Ubisoft is proud of the research that goes into their <a href="https://financialpost.com/technology/gaming/how-ubisoft-montreal-used-historians-to-make-ancient-egypt-authentic-in-assassins-creed-origins">authentic settings</a>.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A giant billboard showing a gladiator from the video game Assassin's Creed overlooks a crowd of people." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/360894/original/file-20200930-16-16lbl1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People visit Games Week 2018, an event dedicated to video games and electronic entertainment on Oct. 5, 2018 in Milan, Italy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>A favourite of both scholars and gamers alike is <a href="https://civilization.com/">Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise</a>. Civilization (rated E for everyone) is a historical simulation game that has the player become a ruler of a historical civilization and strategically manoeuvre through the <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/05/11/142919/video-games-could-be-serious-tools-for-historical-research/">complex economic, political, technological, religious and cultural issues involved in building an empire</a>. </p>
<p>While not completely historically accurate, these games can be an entertaining introduction to notable settings, people and challenges of the past.</p>
<h2>Physical education</h2>
<p>After sitting for most of the day, it is time to get active. Historically, Nintendo has done the best job of getting gamers up and active, with the <a href="https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Parents/Hardware/Wii/What-is-Wii-/What-is-Wii--920239.html">Nintendo Wii Console</a>, a motion-controlled system. The Nintendo Wii remains Nintendo’s most popular system of all time, with active games such as Wii Sports and Wii Fit being <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/248204/top-selling-nintendo-wii-titles-worldwide/">two of the top ten best selling games of all time</a>. </p>
<p>Wii Fit has been used in the medical fields to <a href="https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3600">improve balance training</a> in both home and clinical settings.</p>
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<span class="caption">The Wii Fit can be controlled by a wide range of movements, and was designed to encourage physical activity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Nintendo has continued to get gamers up and active with their latest fitness game <a href="https://ringfitadventure.nintendo.com/">Ring Fit Adventure</a> for the Nintendo Switch. The game is too new for scholarly review, however user and journalistic reviews are <a href="https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/ring-fit-adventure">overwhelmingly positive</a>. Ring Fit Adventure combines elements of yoga, strength training, cardio and pilates into a role-playing game. User reports suggest that it <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2020/01/ring_fit_adventure_player_shows_off_his_healthy_transformation_after_one_month">can have an impact on health and fitness</a>, all while being <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2020/5/25/21266228/ring-fit-adventure-quarantine-fitness-toxicity-nintendo-switch">fun and accessible</a>. Both games are rated E for everyone.</p>
<h2>Not a substitute</h2>
<p>While I am not suggesting the replacement of the modern school system with video games, video games provide benefits that can supplement — and even enhance — what is learned elsewhere. As schools go online, and society begins to hibernate away from the cold and the pandemic, staying inside and playing video games will continue to provide learning opportunities, friendships and, most importantly, fun. </p>
<p>Class dismissed.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/143959/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joe Todd does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Video games can be useful in learning English, math, history, physics and yes, even physical education. While they’re not a substitute for schooling, video games are a great indoor activity.Joe Todd, PhD Student in Recreation and Leisure Studies, University of WaterlooLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/839542017-09-21T23:24:10Z2017-09-21T23:24:10ZExergames: good for play time, but should not replace physical education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/186918/original/file-20170921-1117-8s50xp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The "feeling" of hitting a well-timed tennis shot is lost in exergames.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>More and more young Australians are playing video games during their <a href="http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/should-kids-be-playing-video-games-a-look-at-the-latest-research/news-story/e7a0e881189e46f82dc8d0c4677f806c?sv=3e75a3f89e667e434c733e90792d524f">leisure time</a>. Fortunately, video game manufacturers have introduced “exergames” in an effort to make this typically sedentary activity more physically engaging. These “active” video game consoles, like the Nintendo Wii, offer gamers sporting experiences that mimic the real game or sport.</p>
<p>Health and physical education (HPE) <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00162.x/full">teachers have embraced</a> this technology in their classes to motivate children who show a lack of interest in traditional physical education activities. However, these exergames don’t provide the same skill development as traditional physical education.</p>
<h2>Research shows benefits are not the same for Exergames</h2>
<p>At the University of Tasmania, researchers in the <a href="http://www.utas.edu.au/education/research/research-groups/lifetime-health-and-physical-activity/utawl-home">Active Work Laboratory</a> are <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17408989.2016.1176131">investigating exergames</a> and their contribution to skill development in children. More specifically, they have looked at how children develop the ability to process or prepare for complex movements that involve crossing the midline of the body. </p>
<p>The ability to cross the midline is important because it helps the right and left sides of our brains communicate. This link allows both sides of the body to move together more efficiently to perform a wide variety of everyday tasks such as reading, writing, crawling or riding a bike. These types of skills are often utilised in high-level sports like tennis, and should be taught during physical education. </p>
<p>In our previous <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17408989.2012.726983">research</a>, we showed that teaching children deliberate ball-bouncing strategies can improve how quickly they are able to process complex movements. To see if exergames could produce similar results, we randomly assigned boys and girls between the ages of seven and 12 to one of three groups: </p>
<ul>
<li>a Nintendo Wii tennis group that required children to perform midline-crossing movements across the body, </li>
<li>a Nintendo Wii bowling group that did not require midline crossing movements, </li>
<li>and a control group of seated children who only played a hand-held video game requiring no arm or leg movements.</li>
</ul>
<p>Children’s ability to process movements was measured before and after they participated in their training groups. Our results showed exergame training was not sufficient to produce the same improvements children gained from the ball-bouncing games. We concluded that teachers should be wary of replacing traditional physical education instruction with the use of exergames. </p>
<p>There are several possible reasons for these results.</p>
<h2>Exergames have a greater margin of error</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S138824571100099X">Previous research</a> has found games involving actual movements require more focus and brain activity than the movements necessary for success during video gameplay. Exergames allow for a greater margin of error to be successful. This greater range might allow for a player to have slower processing speed and still win the game, but in a real ball- bouncing game, the same slower processing speeds would result in a failed catch. These real games require the player to organise several muscles to produce both gross and fine motor movements with precision to catch a ball. </p>
<p>Real gameplay, then, might “train” the brain to physically perform the movements better than virtual gameplay.</p>
<h2>Variability in feedback</h2>
<p>Feedback a player receives during gameplay, both virtual and real, has the potential to promote skill development. Exergames are designed to make this virtual feedback seem as real as possible through visual graphics, auditory prompts, and haptic feedback (such as vibrations made by handheld game controllers). </p>
<p>However, moving the exergame controller through space does not accurately replicate moving an actual object such as a tennis racket or bowling ball, because of differences like weight, grip and aerodynamics. Performing movements with actual sporting equipment also allows for greater variability in feedback. For example, the “feeling” of hitting a well-timed tennis shot versus a poorly-timed one. The decreased authentic feedback available during exergame play might contribute to less improvement in movement processing speeds. </p>
<h2>Exergames are “one-size-fits-all”</h2>
<p>Another important factor in skill development is the ability to tailor activities during training to the needs of the learner. Traditional physical education allows for increases in task difficulty as soon as a student is competent. </p>
<p>In contrast, exergame training requires repetitive movement skills and only allows for advancement once the present stage is completed. This code is hard-wired, and the time for each stage cannot be changed by teachers or students. This difference prevents the physical educator from providing training experiences tailored to each child’s skills or level.</p>
<p>The exergame environment is still a “one-size-fits-all” experience that lacks the individualisation abilities of traditional physical education.</p>
<h2>Exergames are better than nothing, but not better than real exercise</h2>
<p>While parents should encourage their children to play exergames instead of sedentary video games during leisure time, we do not recommend HPE teachers replace traditional physical education with exergames when motor skill improvement is the primary goal of the lessons.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/83954/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Exergames should be used to replace sedentary video games, not traditional physical education.Vaughan Cruickshank, Course Co-ordinator – Health and Physical Education, Maths/Science, Faculty of Education, University of TasmaniaDean Cooley, Associate Professor Professional Experience, Federation University AustraliaScott Pedersen, Senior Lecturer, Motor Behaviour, University of TasmaniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/223752014-01-29T14:41:54Z2014-01-29T14:41:54ZSorry gamers, Wii Fit is no substitute for real exercise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/40118/original/mjdsd24r-1390997776.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Exercise in front of screens has yet to take off</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">wiiuspiele</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s been about ten years since Sony popularised “exergaming” – games where you move your body along with the game – with the release of Eye Toy. The device projected players into video games by getting them to control an avatar through body movement and sound. Now you can bowl or play tennis on the Nintendo Wii, Dance with the Sony PlayStation Move and kick a football on the X-Box Kinect.</p>
<p>People often spend too much time in front of screens doing sedentary things such as watching TV, using computers and playing games, rather than getting enough physical activity. So the combination of playing games with movement in front of a television screen seems like a great idea for people who find it difficult to get other exercise or just enjoy indoor gaming.</p>
<p>But while exergaming has been shown to increase energy expenditure under laboratory conditions, there is still <a href="http://www.bhfactive.org.uk/homepage-resources-and-publications-item/353/index.html">little evidence</a> to support the long-term benefits of relying on it to improve your health.</p>
<h2>Overnight success</h2>
<p>Exergaming became an almost overnight phenomenon after Wii was launched in 2006. Not only because of its new hand held motion controller and other peripheral devices, but because it changed how consumers viewed gaming consoles and was popular with everyone including parents.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339488/">Some schools</a> have even included exergames in their PE programs to motivate students who do not like traditional sport and for use when bad weather restricts participation in traditional physical exercise.</p>
<p><a href="http://bjsportmed.com/content/42/7/592.full">Early research</a> exploring the health benefits of exergaming focused on the energy used while playing. They showed that Wii games, for example, could contribute to health benefits from physical activities and reduce sitting time. But when placed in people’s homes the novelty <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/02/22/peds.2011-2050.abstract">quickly wore off</a>.</p>
<p>It isn’t all about gamers though. The Wii, along with newer consoles, has been used for <a href="http://journals.sfu.ca/loading/index.php/loading/article/viewArticle/107">rehabilitation</a> and in other clinical settings where activity can be monitored.</p>
<h2>Evolving market</h2>
<p>Microsoft raised the exergaming bar in 2010 with the release of the Kinect Optical Sensor. The Kinect differed from previous technologies because now the player acted as the controller. Body, arm and leg movements are detected by the sensor and used to play games. Similar to the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Kinect Games when played in controlled environments could have <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23684507">cardiovascular health benefits</a> and over multiple gaming sessions could see <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/g4h.2013.0037">similar levels of energy</a> being used.</p>
<p>Before Kinect was released in 2010, extracting human movement from captured video required complex analysis that was time-consuming and very expensive. As well as untethering the Kinect sensor from the gaming console and hand held remotes, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57573697-75/microsoft-offers-kinect-code-samples-under-open-source/">Microsoft opened the software</a> that controls the console to all software engineers.</p>
<p>With Nintendo releasing the Wii U in 2012, Sony the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One released in 2013, each with variations on how people interact with the console and games, the exergaming market continues to evolve and there are now more opportunities for the gaming market <a href="http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2223792&dl=ACM&coll=DL&CFID=287042660&CFTOKEN=40497902">to develop exergames</a> and potential health benefits.</p>
<h2>Sticking to the game</h2>
<p>If you’re prepared to play these games with as much energy as you can, this constitutes as exercise. At the very least they will reduce the time you spend sitting. Games that require full body movement, like zumba dancing, are more likely to require greater energy expenditure than games with only arm movements, like tennis. </p>
<p>New exergaming technology has the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/the-xbox-ones-secret-killer-feature-getting-you-in-sh-509243228">potential</a> to monitor energy expenditure through heart rate reading and better body tracking. This might also encourage people to be more active when playing.</p>
<p>Exergames have so far not proven to be a panacea for physical inactivity – largely because people don’t play them regularly enough and they seem to have a short shelf-life. The current crop are far less popular than the more traditional style games like Grand Theft Auto, first person shoot ‘em ups like Call of Duty and sport simulation games like FIFA Soccer – which all require minimal physical exertion.</p>
<p>There are probably health benefits to be gained from existing exergames. But like many existing pieces of exercise equipment they require motivation to set up and turn on, discipline to use and perseverance. As the technology evolves there is certain to be plenty of opportunities for them to be part of a healthy lifestyle.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/22375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Rosenberg and colleagues received a research grant from The Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation to develop a health rating scale for active video games </span></em></p>It’s been about ten years since Sony popularised “exergaming” – games where you move your body along with the game – with the release of Eye Toy. The device projected players into video games by getting…Michael Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Promotion Evaluation Unit, The University of Western AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/49512012-03-08T19:35:21Z2012-03-08T19:35:21ZCompeting with ghost riders enhances benefits of exercise<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/8204/original/9hxnfn3s-1330484458.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Study participants competing with a ghost cyclist used executive functions and showed better results.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">zilverbat'Flickr</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Research looking at ways of preventing cognitive decline in the elderly at the same time as improving their physical well being is still very new. But a <a href="http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(11)00862-2/abstract">study of exercise</a> combining physical workout with executive functions is showing promising results.</p>
<p>“Exergaming” is a new type of exercise using interactive environments that appears to effectively improve cognitive skills in the over-50 population, according to the <a href="http://bit.ly/wW09a1">study</a>, which was recently published in the <a href="http://www.ajpmonline.org/home">American Journal of Preventive Medicine</a>. </p>
<p>We’ve known about the beneficial psychological and cardiovascular effects of regular exercise for many years, but this new research suggests that exergaming could deliver even more benefits.</p>
<p>The combination of using executive functions alongside or integrated into cardiovascular workout may have additional benefits for cognition and could prevent moderate cognitive impairment. While the study didn’t explicitly look into the prevention of dementia (it only ran for three months), this latter finding is particularly interesting because it may have implications for dementia prevention.</p>
<h2>A small study</h2>
<p>The study authors tested 63 people (of the 102 who voluntered for the study) aged over 55 years from eight different retirement communities. These study participants were randomly allocated to an exercise group using a standard exercise bike (control group) or a virtual-reality-enhanced exercise bike (cybercycle group). </p>
<p>The virtual-reality-enhanced group was able to “compete” with a ghost cyclist on screen, which enabled them to use executive functions in an interactive way while exercising on the stationary bike. </p>
<p>Both groups were of similar age and fitness level before starting the program and both exercised the same amount during the research. The stationary bikes were also otherwise identical. All participants were given a target heart rate to maintain during exercise. </p>
<p>Over a month-long familiarisation period beforehand, the participants increased exercise to five 45-minute sessions a week so that everyone was exercising the same amount. All participants were also asked to hold other lifestyle factors (diet, other physical activities) to the same level during the study. </p>
<p>After this initial familiarisation period, the cybercycle participants competed with a ghost rider in a 3D virtual environment on the screen in front of them while exercising. The main outcome measured was standard neuropsychological tests of executive function (higher order cognitive functioning). Blood was also measured to look at possible underlying links between the exercise and neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the brain to heal itself by finding new connections.</p>
<h2>What happened next?</h2>
<p>The results showed that the cybercycle group performed significantly better on three measures of executive function:</p>
<p>1) The Colour Trails Test (a test timing your ability to connect colour and number dots); </p>
<p>2) Stroop C (a test timing your ability to name the colour of ink contrasting to a colour word); and </p>
<p>3) Digit span backwards (the ability to repeat a string of numbers in reverse order). </p>
<p>All three tests relate to executive or higher level cognitive function. Cybercyclists were also less inclined to show progressive cognitive decline reaching levels compatible with the diagnostic category of “moderate cognitive impairment during the study. This means that fewer cybercyclists were found to have a decline in cognitive function, unlike the other cyclists.</p>
<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>While the study results show tremendous promise, it’s important be careful of over-interpreting the results. A three-month assessment period is too short to say anything meaningful about the ability of any measure to prevent the onset of dementia, which typically occurs over a period of many years. And a larger number of participants would generally be required to claim the study shows that. </p>
<p>A further problem with this research is that the measures used are very specific tasks that were tested and cannot be generalised to represent an improvement in executive functioning in a more general or larger sense. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, this is an intriguing pilot study showing positive results that may well turn out to be important if they’re replicated in a larger group over a greater period of time. </p>
<p>The benefits of exercise are well documented for both physical and psychological well being. But only about one in seven adults between ages 55 and 74 years and one in 15 aged over 75 engage in regular exercise. </p>
<p>The use of exergaming will hopefully make exercise more enticing and may have the additional effect of improving cognition among the elderly. This study poses some intriguing questions and raises some possible mechanisms on the back of some exciting initial results for what is still a very young research field.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/4951/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Harry McConnell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research looking at ways of preventing cognitive decline in the elderly at the same time as improving their physical well being is still very new. But a study of exercise combining physical workout with…Harry McConnell, Professor of Neuropsychiatry & Neurodisability, Griffith UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.