Acute effects of exergaming on young adults' energy expenditure, enjoyment, and self-efficacy

Playing for a Healthy Life: Integrating Mobile Exergames in Physical Education

This study aimed to promote a coherent pedagogical framework for integrating mobile exergames into physical education (PE) as a strategy to reduce sedentary behavior. The intervention was grounded in the game-based learning methodology, assessing the impact of exergame practice on the physical and mental well-being of prospective PE teachers. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale and a mental effort scale were used to evaluate perceived exertion across various mini-games, measuring physical intensity, motor engagement, and mental effort with participation from 130 undergraduate students in Physical Activity and Sport Sciences. Additionally, the pedagogical and motivational aspects of the Active Arcade v3.11 video game were analyzed to support its future integration into secondary education PE classes. Participants reported high levels of motor engagement throughout the program, accompanied by moderate physical intensity. They also emphasized the user-friendly nature of these augmented reality exergames and expressed enjoyment during the sessions. The findings suggest that mobile exergames hold considerable potential for enhancing skill acquisition and fundamental motor skills while promoting healthy habits among students in PE classes.

The Effects of Exergames on Physical Fitness, Body Composition and Enjoyment in Children: A Six-Month Intervention Study

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Physical inactivity in children can lead to decreased physical fitness and reduced enjoyment of physical activity. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of exergaming on physical fitness, body composition and perceived enjoyment in elementary school children.

METHODS

Sixty-four male students (mean age 9.5 years) were randomly assigned to an exergaming group (EG, n = 32), engaging in Kinect Adventures three times a week for six months, or a control group (CG, n = 32), which continued standard physical education. Assessments were conducted pre- and post-intervention, including anthropometric measures, physical fitness tests (standing long jump, countermovement jump, sit-and-reach, 20-m sprint), aerobic fitness (20-m shuttle run), and perceived enjoyment measured with the PACES scale.

RESULTS

The EG demonstrated significant reductions in body weight, BMI, and relative fat mass compared to the CG (p < 0.01). Improvements in physical fitness were evident in EG, with increases in standing long jump distance (+12.8%; p < 0.0001), countermovement jump height (+65%, p < 0.0001), and flexibility (+75%; p < 0.0001). Aerobic fitness improved significantly in EG (+87.8m) compared to CG. Perceived enjoyment was notably higher in EG, especially at week three, compared to CG (69.3 ± 5.8 vs. 44.2 ± 11.6; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Exergaming offers benefits for physical fitness and body composition in children, while also enhancing enjoyment. Incorporating exergames into physical education programs could be an effective strategy for addressing childhood obesity, improving physical skills, and increasing student enjoyment, encouraging long-term physical activity adherence.

Comparison of enjoyment and energy expenditure of exergame with and without blood flow restriction in men and women

This study compared the effects of blood flow restriction (BFR) on intensity and perceived enjoyment during an exergame. Fourteen healthy young participants engaged in a boxing exergame for 20 min, with or without BFR, across two sessions. Perceived enjoyment levels were assessed using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale. Heart rate was monitored, and energy expenditure (EE) during exercise was calculated. A mixed model analysis of variance with repeated measures was used to evaluate differences in EE and enjoyment between exergame conditions (with and without BFR) as well as the interaction effects of these protocols with gender. Although not statistically significant, perceived enjoyment decreased with BFR inclusion for both genders. No significant differences were observed between men and women for both protocols. Regarding EE, there was no significant difference between the two groups (with and without BFR). However, a significant main effect of gender was found, with men exhibiting higher EE values in both protocols compared to women. In conclusion, exergames incorporating BFR impact perceptual responses, particularly perceived enjoyment. Furthermore, significant gender differences in EE were found, with men displaying higher values.

Exergaming in augmented reality is tailor-made for aerobic training and enjoyment among healthy young adults

In recent years, the use of exergaming for physical activity practice has gain in popularity but few is known about the use of augmented reality for physical activity, particularly at moderate to vigorous intensities. The present study examined the use of an exergame in augmented reality for aerobic training in healthy young adults. In a within-subject design, 18 participants (19.8 ± 1.4 years of age) have performed two physical activity sessions playing dodgeball. Indeed, they realized a classical dodgeball session and an exergaming session with an augmented reality version of dodgeball game. Physical loads and intensities were measured with accelerometers, RPE and heart sensors. Enjoyment experienced during the sessions was measured with the short version of the physical activity enjoyment scale questionnaire. Results revealed that both physical load and intensity were appropriate for aerobic training in the two conditions (i.e., classical and exergame in augmented reality) although values were significantly higher in the classical condition. Enjoyment was high in the two conditions with a higher significant value in the classical condition compared to the exergame in augmented reality condition. Put together, these results indicate that an aerobic state can be attained through both physical gameplay and its augmented reality equivalent and was associated to a high level of enjoyment among healthy young adults.

Strategies and Best Practices That Enhance the Physical Activity Levels of Undergraduate University Students: A Systematic Review

Significant numbers of undergraduate university students are not meeting the physical activity guidelines recommended by the World Health Organisation. These guidelines suggest that university students should aim for 150-300 min of moderate or 75-150 min of vigorous physical activity. Strategic interventions need to be implemented to address this global public health concern. The aim of this study was to review the strategies and best practices to enhance the physical activity levels of undergraduate university students. Utilising the PRISMA guidelines, electronic databases-PubMed, Science Direct, Academic Search Complete, ERIC, Web of Science, CINAHL, SAGE, and SPORTDiscus-were searched between September 2022 and February 2023 using terms and synonyms related to physical activity, strategies, best practices, and undergraduate university students. Studies were critically assessed for their quality using an adapted version of the CASP and RE-AIM frameworks. Eleven articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. The studies reported the use of social media platforms, mobile phone applications, web-based technology, online text messages, in-person classes, and an "exergame" as methods to increase engagement in physical activity. Findings from this review indicated that validated questionnaires emerged as the predominant measurement tool. Furthermore, the frequent use of social network sites served as a best practice for implementing and promoting physical activity interventions. It is recommended that universities promote health-enhancing physical activities based on current trends and strategies, such as technology-based interventions and the use of social media, that are relevant to contemporary university students.