TY  - JOUR
AB  - Purpose: Exergames can be used to train physical and cognitive abilities and have been shown to be effective inreducing the risk of falls in older adults. However, there is limited evidence about how people play exergamesand how gameplay is affected by game settings and, thus, the potential training effects. The aim of this study wasto investigate the impact of repeated exergaming sessions over 4 weeks and two game settings (difficulty leveland game speed) on gameplay (performance, physical activity and perceived exertion) in older adults over a fourweekexergaming intervention. Methods: 28 independently living older adults (mean age 74.47 years; 14 females) played two different exergames (Puzzle and Fox) at two difficulty levels 3× per week for 4 weeks. Physical activity measures from anaccelerometer at the lower back, performance as game scores from the exergaming system, and self-reportedmeasures of physical and cognitive exertion were collected at sessions 1,2,3,6,9 and 12. Results: For the Puzzle game, performance and physical activity increased significantly across the 12 trainingsessions. For the Fox game, an increased game speed was associated with increased performance, physical activity,and exertion across the exergaming sessions. Across all exergaming sessions, increasing difficulty byadding cognitive elements decreased the performance and amount of physical activity. Conclusion: Game characteristics significantly influence how the exergames are played during a 4-week exergamingintervention. Hence, individual tailoring of the difficulty level and game speed is important. This studyhighlights the importance of understanding the interplay between game characteristics and gameplay during anexergaming intervention, thereby adding critical information for interpreting intervention effects – or the lackthereof.
AU  - Müller, Helen
AU  - Skjæret-Maroni, Nina
AU  - Bardal, Ellen Marie
AU  - Vereijken, Beatrix
AU  - Baumeister, Jochen
DO  - 10.17619/UNIPB/1-2192
PB  - Universitätsbibliothek
DP  - Universität Paderborn
LA  - eng
PY  - 2025
SN  - 1873-6815
SP  - 1 Online-Ressource (Seite 1-10) Illustrationen, Diagramme
T2  - Experimental Gerontology
TI  - Exergaming interventions for older adults: the effect of game characteristics on gameplay
UR  - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:hbz:466:2-54031
Y2  - 2026-01-20T22:16:50
ER  -