The Use of Exergames for Adaptive Physical Activity among the Elderly

The research program proposed in this study promotes the development of a pilot study for the promotion of physical and motor activities for the elderly, with particular reference to the over 80 years old. The study aims to promote the practice of adapted physical activity for the elderly and proposes the design and development of specific exergames for the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle among the elderly even when they can not do motor activities in dedicated places such as gyms or specialized centers or adequate natural environments. The project involved elderly people living in the Salerno area who can not do motor activity in a regular way due to cultural, socio-economic, environmental or personal reasons. The identification of the experimental group for the pilot study required a preliminary survey on the levels of autonomy, intellectual efficiency and motor functioning： Instrumental activities of daily living, activities of daily living, short portable mental status questionnaire, clock drawing test, geriatric depression scale （GDS-15） and the short physical performance battery were administered. A specific program of adapted physical activities was planned and realized for 8 months. The study could open interesting perspectives of research that involve interesting results also from a social point of view.

Acute Effects of Virtual Reality Exercise on Young Adults’ Blood Pressure and Feelings

Virtual reality(VR)seems to have the potential to provide opportunities to promote physical activity(PA)in a fun way.This paper aimed to examine the acute effects of three different virtual reality-based exercise bikes on young adults’blood pressure(BP)and feelings compared to a traditional exercise cycling session.Four exercise sessions(immersive VR cycling,two non-immersive VR cycling,and traditional cycling)were completed by 36 young adults(22 females;Mage=23.6 years).BP was measured immediately before and after each session using a BP cuff and exercise-induced feelings were assessed via an established survey immediately after each session.Parti-cipants’previous experience with VR was used as the covariate in the ANCOVA with repeated measures.Signif-icant main effects were observed across cycling sessions for systolic blood pressure[F(2,29)=3.04,p=0.02,(η^(2)=0.38)]and feelings[F(3,32)=7.74,p<0.01,η^(2)=.42].In particular,immersive VR and traditional cycling signif-icantly increased systolic blood pressure compared to the two non-immersive VR sessions.Moreover,immersive VR significantly increased feelings compared to the two non-immersive VR sessions,whereas these two non-immersive VR exercises had significantly greater increased feelings compared to traditional cycling,respectively.Findings suggest immersive VR-based exercise cycling may lead to higher exercise intensities compared to non-immersive VR cycling.Further,immersive VR cycling yielded higher feelings compared to non-immersive VR and traditional cycling.Thus,immersive VR-based exercise can be a fun and physically active health promotion tool among young adults.

Does playing a sports active video game improve object control skills of children with autism spectrum disorder?

Background: Active video games(AVGs) encourage whole body movements to interact or control the gaming system, allowing the opportunity for skill development. Children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) show decreased fundamental movement skills in comparison with their typically developing(TD) peers and might benefit from this approach. This pilot study investigates whether playing sports AVGs can increase the actual and perceived object control(OC) skills of 11 children with ASD aged 6–10 years in comparison to 19 TD children of a similar age.Feasibility was a secondary aim.Methods: Actual(Test of Gross Motor Development) and perceived OC skills(Pictorial Scale of Perceived Movement Skill Competence for Young Children) were assessed before and after the intervention(6 × 45 min).Results: Actual skill scores were not improved in either group. The ASD group improved in perceived skill. All children completed the required dose and parents reported the intervention was feasible.Conclusion: The use of AVGs as a play-based intervention may not provide enough opportunity for children to perform the correct movement patterns to influence skill. However, play of such games may influence perceptions of skill ability in children with ASD, which could improve motivation to participate in physical activities.

The effects of a bike active video game on players' physical activity and motivation

Background: Players may not acquire adequate levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA) when playing commercial video games.This study's goal was to evaluate the effects of an exercise bike video game played by using a mobile application-based exergame that was designed exclusively to promote participants' MVPA, with additional attention paid to this game's ability to promote greater situational interest.Methods: An experimental design was used with 163 students(aged 20.31 ± 1.30, 18–26 years, 61.3% male), all of whom were randomly allocated into an experimental group and a control group. Physical activity(PA) levels were assessed with Acti Graph GT3X+(Acti Graph Inc., Fort Walton Beach, FL, USA) accelerometers. The situational interest scale was used to evaluate students' situational interest in both groups.Multivariate analysis of variance was conducted to examine the differences between sedentary behavior, PA levels, and situational interest between groups. Regression analyses were also used, with the purpose being to evaluate the strength of the relationship between PA and situational interest.Results: Results revealed that the experimental group had higher degrees of sedentary behavior, light PA, total interest, instant enjoyment,exploration intention, attention demand, novelty, and challenge, whereas the control group received higher scores for MVPA(control 95.01% vs.experimental group 89.94%). Regression analysis indicated that instant enjoyment(β = 0.49, p < 0.01), exploration intention(β = 0.18, p < 0.05),and attention demand(β = 0.17, p < 0.05) were positive predictors for total interest, explaining 43% of its variance.Conclusion: A newly designed mobile application-based exergame played via an exercise bike may enhance situational interest and provide a decent level of PA for players.

A systematic review of active video games on rehabilitative outcomes among older patients

Background: Although current research supports the use of active video games(AVGs) in rehabilitation, the evidence has yet to be systematically reviewed or synthesized. The current project systematically reviewed literature, summarized findings, and evaluated the effectiveness of AVGs as a therapeutic tool in improving physical, psychological, and cognitive rehabilitative outcomes among older adults with chronic diseases.Methods: Seven databases(Academic Search Complete, Communication & Mass Media Complete, ERIC, Psyc INFO, Pub Med, SPORTDiscus,and Medline) were searched for studies that evaluated the effectiveness of AVG-based rehabilitation among older patients. The initial search yielded 946 articles; after evaluating against inclusion criteria and removing duplicates, 19 studies of AVG-based rehabilitation remained.Results: Most studies were quasi-experimental in design, with physical functioning the primary outcome investigated with regard to the use of AVGs in rehabilitation. Overall, 9 studies found significant improvements for all study outcomes, whereas 9 studies were mixed, with significant improvements on several study outcomes but no effects observed on other outcomes after AVG-based treatments. One study failed to find any benefits of AVG-based rehabilitation.Conclusion: Findings indicate AVGs have potential in rehabilitation for older patients, with several randomized clinical trials reporting positive effects on rehabilitative outcomes. However, existing evidence is insufficient to support the advantages of AVGs over standard therapy. Given the limited number of studies and concerns with study design quality, more research is warranted to make more definitive conclusions regarding the ability of AVGs to improve rehabilitative outcomes in older patients.

Operationalizing physical literacy: The potential of active video games

The core idea of physical literacy is a mind-body integrated, holistic approach to physical activity. A physically literate individual is expected to be cognitively knowledgeable, physically competent, and mentally motivated for a physically active life throughout the lifespan. The advancement of technology in recent years, especially those in active video games（AVGs）, seems to have allowed the mind-body integrated physical activity accessible to children at all ages. This article reviews findings from research and critique research on AVGs in light with the theoretical and pedagogical tenets of physical literacy and, on the basis of the review, elaborates the potential that AVGs could contribute to enhancing children＇s physical literacy.

Impact of an active educational video game on children's motivation,science knowledge, and physical activity

Background： Active educational video games （AVGs） appear to have a positive effect on elementary school students＇ motivation leading to enhanced learning outcomes. The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of an AVG on elementary school students＇ science knowledge learning, physical activity （PA） level, and interest-based motivation. Methods： In this randomized controlled study, 53 elementary school students were assigned to an experimental condition or a comparison condition. The experimental condition provided an AVG learning environment, whereas the comparison condition was based on sedentary educational video games. Results： The results of repeated measures analysis of variance （ANOVA） on the knowledge test showed that students in both groups performed better on the post-test than they did on the pre-test （p 〈 0.001, η2 = 0.486）, and their post-test scores did not differ significantly. The experimental condition provided a more active environment since the students＇ average heart rates （HRs） were in the Target-Heart-Rate-Zone （HR = 134 bpm）, which was significantly higher than the average HR （103 bpm） from the comparison condition （t = 7.212, p 〈 0.001）. Students in the experimental condition perceived a higher level of situational interest than their counterparts in the comparison group （p 〈 0.01, and η2 = 0.301）. Conclusion： These results suggest that AVGs benefit children more in terms of PA and motivation than traditional video games by providing an enjoyable learning experience and sufficient PA.

Exergaming:Hope for future physical activity?or blight on mankind?

Higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA),and maybe even light physical activity(LPA),have been related to better health,~1motor skills,~2 and cognitive^3 outcomes in virtually all age and ability groups.Problematically,however,most people in general are not prone to enjoy and participate in substantial amounts of physical activity(PA)。

The effects of a daily, 6-week exergaming curriculum on balance in fourth grade children

Balance is an essential component of movement and is critical in the ability to participate in physical activity. Developing an exergaming curriculum for schools has the potential to improve balance or postural stability in children. In this study, a purposely-built exergaming center in an elementary school was used to test fourth grade students with a specially designed exergaming curriculum oriented toward improving postural stability. The program was implemented over a 6-week period, 34 min per day, 4-5 days per week. Two control groups were used： （1） a physical education （PE） class geared toward agility, balance, and coordination （ABC） improvement, and （2） a typical PE curriculum class. Exergaming students improved their postural stability significantly over a 6-week period compared to those in the typical PE class. Improvements in postural stability were also evident in the ABC class. Postural stability in the girls was better than the boys in all pre- and post-intervention tests. This study demonstrates that exergaming is a practical resource in the PE class to improve postural stability.

The Effects of Xbox Kinect Active Video Gaming on Executive Function, Inhibition, in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of sedentary video gaming (SVG), active video gaming (AVG), and brisk walking (WLK) on inhibition and reaction time using the Flanker task in boys with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We had 9 participants with ASD and 10 age-matched participants without ASD perform 20-minute bouts of each activity, and then had them take the Flanker test. Dependent measures were reaction time (RT) and accuracy (ACC). A Chi-Square analysis revealed that the ASD and TD groups significantly differed in the percent of participants who improved in both of these measures. Next, we looked at each of the conditions exclusively within the ASD group and compared congruent and incongruent trials. In the AVG condition, participants improved a significantly higher percentage on ACC. In the SVG condition, participants improved a significantly higher percentage on incongruent in RT;for ACC, a higher percentage improved on the congruent trials. In WLK, participants improved a significantly higher percentage in RT in the congruent condition.

虚拟现实与交互式数字游戏技术：解决肥胖和糖尿病的新工具

随着虚拟现实技术的突飞猛进,虚拟现实覆盖的应用领域也越来越广。其中虚拟现实医疗是虚拟现实技术最有意义的应用领域之一,虚拟现实医疗对人类来说是一大重要的进步。在临床医学方面采用虚拟现实与交互式数字游戏技术来解决肥胖和糖尿病是一个新的领域,随着科学技术的不断发展,虚拟现实医疗的发展也是构建未来智慧医疗体系的必经之路。

Teen reactions to a self-representational avatar:A qualitative exploration

Purpose:This research presents findings from a qualitative exploration of the reactions of adolescents(12-14 years old)to navigating an exergame with an avatar created from multiple scans of the player(referred to as a self-representational avatar).Methods:Post-gameplay interviews were conducted with adolescents following participation in a 20-min laboratory session(21.2±0.8 min,mean±SD)where the self-representational avatar was navigated through an exergame.Verbatim transcripts(n=40)were coded and analyzed by 2 independent coders using hybrid thematic analysis for this secondary data analysis.Codes were reviewed to identify themes representing adolescents’reactions.Results:Four themes emerged.Adolescents connected with their avatars and felt protective toward them,which influenced their actions in the exergame and contributed to their overall game enjoyment.Conclusion:Creating exergames navigated by a self-representational avatar was an enjoyable experience and influenced gameplay.Future research should explore the effect of this approach on gameplay frequency and intensity over time.

Situational interest impacts college students’physical activity in a design-based bike exergame

Background:Active videogames or exergames have been used as an innovative way to promote physical activity(PA)among various populations.A player’s interest in active videogames is associated with the fun and entertaining nature of the games and may trigger situational interest,thus increasing engagement.The goal of this study was to examine the impact of situational interest dimensions on college students’PA when playing the design-based bike exergame Greedy Rabbit(Vescape,Berlin,Germany).Methods:Sixty undergraduate students(age:20.8±1.3 years,mean±SD,18-25 years old;51.7%males)were recruited from the kinesiology department of a university located in the southern region of Belgium.The participants were assigned to an experimental group(n=41)or a control group(n=19)based on an incremental cycling test.Students in the experimental group engaged in 1 session of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape)while students in the control group engaged in 1 session of a placebo version of Greedy Rabbit(Vescape).The length of the sessions ranged from 24 min to 31 min.Results:Results for the control group indicated that the players’PA metrics(cadence:F(19,360)=1.43,p=0.11;heart rate:F(19.360)=1.16,p=0.29;oxygen consumption:F(19,360)=0.83,p=0.67)were stable during the exergame.Results for the experimental group demonstrated the effects of time on the players’PA metrics and revealed significant associations between the change in the players’situational interest dimensions and PA metrics(cadence:F(19,800)=26.30,p<0.01;heart rate:F(19,800)=19.77,p<0.01;oxygen consumption:F(19,800)=10.04,p<0.01).Conclusion:An approach using a design-based exergame may be a relevant strategy for promoting levels of PA that yields positive health-related outcomes among college students.

Body Worn Sensors for Health Gaming and e-Learning in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality is an emerging field in the whole world.The problem faced by people today is that they are more indulged in indoor technology rather than outdoor activities.Hence,the proposed system introduces a fitness solution connecting virtual reality with a gaming interface so that an individual can play first-person games.The system proposed in this paper is an efficient and cost-effective solution that can entertain people along with playing outdoor games such as badminton and cricket while sitting in the room.To track the human movement,sensors Micro Processor Unit(MPU6050)are used that are connected with Bluetoothmodules andArduino responsible for sending the sensor data to the game.Further,the sensor data is sent to a machine learning model,which detects the game played by the user.The detected game will be operated on human gestures.A publicly available dataset named IM-Sporting Behaviors is initially used,which utilizes triaxial accelerometers attached to the subject’s wrist,knee,and below neck regions to capture important aspects of human motion.The main objective is that the person is enjoying while playing the game and simultaneously is engaged in some kind of sporting activity.The proposed system uses artificial neural networks classifier giving an accuracy of 88.9%.The proposed system should apply to many systems such as construction,education,offices and the educational sector.Extensive experimentation proved the validity of the proposed system.

The effects of exercise intervention using Kinect^TMon healthy elderly individuals: A quasi-experimental study

Purpose: Elderly persons may benefit from regular physical exercise to maintain or improve their quality of life and health status. Low adherence to physical exercise, however, is often a problem. A new type of videogames, “exergames”, involving physical motion of the players has recently been developed and is expected to keep elderly people active. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of a newly developed exergame on health benefits such as muscle strength and body balance of elderly people. Methods: We invited 24 healthy community-dwelling elderly persons aged 71.46 ± 4.8 years old (8 men and 16 women) volunteered for this study. We developed a new exergame program for using KinectTM (Microsoft Co., Ltd. Redmond, WA) motion sensor. A single exergame session lasted approximately 30 minutes including warm-up and cool-down sessions. The participants are asked to play the exergame 2 - 3 times per week for 2.5 months at our institute. Maximal isometric muscular strength of major muscles of lower extremities and functional balance were examined before and after the exergame intervention. Result: All participants completed 24 sessions of the exergame program. There were significant improvements in maximal isometric muscular strength of hip joint flexion, and knee joint extension and flexion, of ankle joint dorsiflexion. Also MFC, a significant difference was noted between Pre and Post values. However, there was no statistically significant improvement in the functional balance test. Conclusion: Exergame developed in this study was found to be effective in improving muscular strength of lower extremities.

Design and Evaluation of an Exergame System of Knee with the Azure Kinect

Timely and effective knee function evaluation and knee exercises promote the prevention and self-management of knee diseases.In this paper,aKinectbased exergame system is proposed to assess and train the knee function.Azure Kinect was used to capture and generate 3D models of the user and immerse them in an interactive virtual environment.The software included three functional modules:knee function evaluation,Knee exercises game,and Comprehensive evaluation.The stand,step,leg lift,and squat were selected for knee function evaluation and exercises.Twenty volunteers participated in the experiment.Intraclass correlation coefficients(ICCs)were calculated to assess the reliability of kinematic measurements of knee angles during the movements.The ICC of these movements were stand(ICC=0.987),step(ICC=0.997),left leg lift(ICC=0.981),right leg lift(ICC=0.990),stand(ICC=0.998).The results show that the test-retest reliability is high.It means that the motion capture data is effective and the data obtained by Kinect is stable.