“Gamified” exercises revolutionising health and well-being for older people
“Gamified” exercises revolutionising health and well-being for older people
“Gamified” exercises revolutionising health and well-being for older people
By Bianca Iovino
January 24, 2024
Summary
Key points: Fitness and exercise gamification takes the principles of gaming and applies them to movement routines, transforming them into engaging challenges that help prevent falls and cognitive decline One in three people over the age of 65 living in the community will experience a fall every year Falls are a significant public health issue, contributing to mobility-related disability and loss of independence, and are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths worldwide Gone are the days of video games just being for young people.
Trial participants - who were over 65 and living in the community - were asked to do exercise games through the researchers' smart±step "Exergame" system for 120 minutes per week for 12 months.
University of South Australia researchers recently used Virtual Reality systems to construct a cycling exercise in a bid to help patients with chronic pain move and engage with exercise while being distracted from pain.
Using a novel bike system, the UniSA results showed participants' exercise enjoyment increased by 20% and they exercise for 15% longer.
Lead author of the trial and Senior Research Scientist at NeuRA and UNSW Sydney, Doctor Daina Sturnieks, said the best evidence for fall prevention in the community is balance-challenging exercises like those promoted through smart±step games, but these exercises aren't often engaging enough to stick with.
"We've known for a long time that, if done correctly and consistently, balance-challenging exercises can prevent falls. But the problem is that often people don't keep up with their exercises because they can get boring very quickly," she said.
"People get addicted to games because they are fun and they become motivated to beat their high score and just get lost in the game. These exergames require people to think quickly, unlike traditional exercise programs where you just go through the movements." Participants Bev and Bill, a couple in their 70s said while they were relatively fit, their balance needed some work and the exergames helped strengthen their legs and improve their balance.
Reference
Iovino, B. (2024, January 24). “Gamified” exercises revolutionising health and well-being for older people. Hellocare. https://hellocare.com.au/gamified-exercises-revolutionising-health-and-well-being-for-older-people/