Exergaming in Older Adults: Movement Characteristics While Playing Stepping Games

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomechanics
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Exergames are frequently used to enhance physical function in older adults.
• Limited understanding exists regarding specific movements during exergaming.
• This knowledge gap hinders interpretation of intervention study results and assessment of exergame efficacy for elderly-specific functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of different exergame titles and difficulty levels on the stepping and upper body movements of older adults.
• To provide insights for selecting and designing exergames tailored to specific functional goals in elderly populations.

Main Methods:

• A 3D motion capture experiment was conducted with 20 elderly participants (ages 65-90).
• Participants played two exergames ('The Mole' and 'LightRace') at two difficulty levels (Easy, Medium).
• Movement characteristics, including stepping and upper body motion, were analyzed using a linear mixed model.

Main Results:

• Both game title and difficulty level significantly affected movement characteristics.
• 'The Mole' resulted in shorter steps and lower step velocity compared to 'LightRace', but with greater variation.
• 'The Mole' elicited larger upper body movements and greater spatial coverage of feet and upper body.
• Increasing difficulty generally decreased movement, except for step count and speed in 'LightRace'.

Conclusions:

• The choice of exergame is critical for targeting specific functions in older adults.
• Exergames must be carefully selected and designed based on intervention objectives for the elderly.
• Further research into exergame mechanics is needed to optimize their use in geriatric physical function interventions.