(HealthDay News) -- Active video games, or
"exergames," are not as good as actual exercise, but they can help
sedentary people become more active, a new study suggests.
While not a cure-all for the nation's lack of
physical activity, the researchers said the light-to-moderate exercise
that active video games provide could encourage inactive people to keep
moving even after they turn off the video game.
"For those not engaging in real-life
exercise, this may be a good step toward this," study author Wei Peng,
an assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and
media at Michigan State University, said in a university news release.
"Eventually the goal is to help them get somewhat active and maybe move
to real-life exercise."
In conducting the research, Peng and
colleagues examined 41 studies on active video games. They found three
games were effective in boosting people's level of physical activity.
Most active video games, however, fell short of the 30 minutes of
moderate-to-vigorous daily exercise recommended for adults, the
investigators found.
"Some people are very enthusiastic about
exergames," Peng said. "They think this will be the perfect solution to
solve the problem of sedentary behavior. But it's not that easy."
Still, some people can benefit from less-intense activity, the study authors noted.
"The games do have the potential to be
useful, especially for populations that are more suitable to
light-to-moderate activity -- seniors, for example," Peng said.
Exergames are most effective when used during
a structured exercise program, including those in rehab facilities or
senior centers.
"Just giving the games to people may not be a
good approach," Peng noted. "They may not use it or use it effectively.
It's better if used in a structured program where there are more people
participating."
The study findings were recently published online in the journal Health Education & Behavior.
File photo (MGN)
