Active-play video games may encourage adults — including those with heart disease — to be more active.
Looking to liven up your indoor exercise routine? You might want to try exergaming — a fitness trend that incorporates exercise into a video game. Also called gamercising, the workouts may be more motivating and fun than a traditional exercise video.
"One advantage to exergaming is that the game choices are so broad, you can tailor the exercise to your own particular interest," says Dr. Ashwin Babu, a sports medicine physiatrist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. Depending on the video gaming system, you can choose from a wide array of simulated sports and recreational activities, including baseball, bowling, boxing, cycling, football, golf, table tennis, track and field events, skateboarding, skiing, tennis, and volleyball. Some offer muscle-strengthening workouts, balance and stretching, aerobic exercises, dancing, and martial arts. Others feature adventure games that you "play" with your body movements, such as moving your arms, jumping, squatting, running in place, and sidestepping.
Evidence for exergaming
Several small studies of middle-aged to older adults suggest that exer-gaming can provide a light- to moderate-intensity workout and — when done consistently — may improve fitness levels. Compared with traditional exercise (such as walking, running, or cycling), exergaming seems to help people exercise for longer periods of time. And they tend to be less aware of how much physical exertion they have actually accomplished, perhaps because the game provides a pleasant distraction.
Exergaming also appears promising as an alternative form of activity in cardiac rehabilitation, a multiweek program of structured exercise designed to help people recover from heart--related problems and procedures. "Exergaming may be particularly helpful for improving motivation and adherence in cardiac rehab," says Dr. Babu.
Gamification gains
The added inspiration may come from the "gamification" aspect. During an exergame session, you rack up points to progress to a higher level, based on how well you perform. Seeing your score and results allows you to monitor your progress. Some systems include wearable monitors that track and display your heart rate and the number of calories you burn on the screen. But the heart rate sensors aren't consistently accurate, and the calorie values are just a rough estimate, Dr. Babu advises.
Some systems also feature real-time multiuser games that let you interact with other people who are playing the same game in their own homes. These interactions can be competitive, collaborative, or cooperative, all of which can make exergaming more appealing.
Getting started with exergaming
Active-play video games have been around since the 1980s, born from efforts to encourage sedentary, screen-addicted kids to get off the couch and be more physically active. Early games had cartoon-like avatars (the icons or figures that represent a particular person in a game). Some of the current ones are more realistic and resemble actual humans. "I'm struck by how sophisticated they've become in the past five years," says Dr. Babu.
In addition to the gaming console, which you connect to your TV, the system comes with accessories that track your body movement, through either a camera on your screen, a handheld device shaped like a TV remote or a wheel, or sensors that you attach to an arm, leg, or both.
The three most popular platforms are Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation. Check online to watch videos of the exergames each system offers, so you can see if they're something you'd enjoy doing, Dr. Babu suggests. Expect to pay at least $200 for the console, accessories, and game, although you may be able to find used, refurbished systems. You'll also need plenty of space in front of your TV to move your body (about six feet between you and the TV, and at least five feet on either side).
The bottom line
Exergaming is a great substitute for sitting passively in front of the TV. But don't let it completely replace exercising outside in the fresh air or participating in "real" sports and recreational activities. In terms of the energy you burn and pure enjoyment, the real things are bound to be more healthful and rewarding than electronic simulations. Instead, try exergaming to supplement your regular routine, or as an alternative workout when the weather's bad, you don't feel like going to the gym, or you just want a change of pace.
Image: © kellykellykelly/Getty Images
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
"front" - Google News
July 18, 2020 at 02:22AM
https://ift.tt/398rP2m
Exergaming: Fitness and fun in front of your TV? - Harvard Health
"front" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3aZh1mr
https://ift.tt/3b2xvu5
No comments:
Post a Comment