Effects of Exercise Type and Gameplay Mode on Physical Activity in Exergame

Abstract

Exercise games (exergames) that combine both exercise and video gaming train people in a fun and competitive manner to lead a healthy lifestyle. Exergames promote more physical exertion and help users exercise more easily and independently in any place. Many studies have been conducted to evaluate the positive effects of exergames. However, in most studies, heart rate was mainly used to measure the effect of exercise. In this study, we evaluate the effects of exercise according to the exercise type (rest, walking, tennis, and running) and gameplay mode (single, competition, and cooperation) of exergaming via quantitative measurements using electrocardiogram (ECG) and Kinect. The multiple comparison results reveal that physical activity measured with Kinect was statistically significant even in exergames that did not show statistically significant differences according to ECG. Running was statistically significant compared to other exercise types, and there was a significant difference in competition compared to other gameplay modes.