BACKGROUND
Exergames, also known as exertion games, is a compelling approach aimed at making exercise a pleasant experience on top of improving sedentary lifestyles. Older adults are among the least physically active individuals in the general population. Many researchers have reported the effectiveness of exergame applications as evidence to promote various forms of physical activity among older adults.
OBJECTIVE
This review set out to identify studies related to the use of exergames interventions with the aim of promoting physical activity and decreasing sedentary lifestyles in older adults. We also aimed to provide a summary of the current trends and future directions of exergames for older adults.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted to retrieve relevant articles published between 2015 and 2021 in the Cochrane Library, Pubmed, IEEE, Science Direct, ACM Digital Library, SCOPUS, Mary Ann Liebert, Taylor & Francis Online, Wiley Online Library, Springer, and SAGE databases. The review followed the guidelines in the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews).
RESULTS
A total of 19 studies were found to be eligible for this review. The results showed that exergames significantly increased the level of physical activity among older adults. We also outlined the directions for future research on the use of exergames as a health and fitness strategy to ensure a high level of physical activity for older adults.
CONCLUSIONS
This systematic review showed that exergames interventions are beneficial in encouraging high levels of physical activity and to minimise sedentary lifestyles among older adults.