Motivation
Can gaming keep physical balance exercises fun over time?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Adding game elements to balance and walking exercises increases enjoyment and helps prevent it from declining over time, but it does not directly improve movement speed or precision.
Key findings
In the first experiment, enjoyment decreased by 13% for the conventional exercise group, but actually increased by 6% for the gamified group. In the second experiment, overall enjoyment was significantly higher for the gamified group, though enjoyment eventually decreased by 18% across both groups as the sessions progressed. However, the added game features did not significantly alter the physical walking speed or step precision of the participants.
Methodology
In the first experiment, twenty-eight older adults were split into two groups to perform balance training over three different days. One group used a gamified stepping program on a screen, while the other performed standard physical balance exercises, both completing three 4-minute blocks per session. In the second experiment, forty-two young adults completed walking exercises on a treadmill set 10% above their preferred speed, playing either a fully gamified version or a control version with game elements removed.
Limitations
The study did not evaluate long-term outcomes, as the sessions took place over a few weeks at most, which is much shorter than real-world physical therapy. Additionally, because the sample sizes were relatively small, the study had low statistical power and may have missed subtle changes in movement precision or speed. Lastly, the researchers measured enjoyment using a new, non-validated self-report tool, which might be prone to social desirability bias.
How this study connects
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