Exergame vs. Aerobic Exercise and Functional Fitness of Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: To compare the effects of physical exercise with exergame and aerobic exercise on the functional fitness of healthy older adults. Methods: This randomized, controlled trial included 27 participants aged 55 and over randomized into two intervention groups: exergaming (n = 13) and aerobic exercise (n = 14). The exergame program was conducted using games that simulate sports activities using an Xbox 360 KinectTM. In the aerobic program we used ergometers. Both groups completed 36 sessions, each lasting 60 minutes, for 3 days per week for 12 weeks. We used the Senior Fitness test to verify functional fitness. Results: The mean age of the participants was 59.8 ± 4.1 years and 60.7 ± 3.6 for the exergaming and the aerobic groups, respectively. We found a relationship interaction between the intervention time and the groups for the “arm curl” test (p < .05). Both groups exhibited improvement in the "30-s chair stand" test and the Timed Up and Go test (p <. 05) after the intervention. The exergaming group demonstrated significant post-intervention results for the “arm curl” test and the 2-minute step test. Conclusion: The exercise program with exergame contributed to improving the parameters of functional fitness of healthy older adults. The effects were comparable to those of an aerobic exercise program of moderate intensity.