Effectiveness
The effectiveness of maintaining interest in exercise using traditional fitness machines has been examined with Gamercize and found to be six times more sustainable than exercise alone.
While the Wii has been seen as being more physically demanding than sedentary game consoles, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that while playing the Wii uses significantly more energy than playing sedentary computer games, the energy used when playing active Wii games is not of high enough intensity to contribute towards the recommended daily amount of exercise in children.
Benefits of exercise on mental ability and productivity are in the early stages of research, but indications from using Gamercize with a computer have been reported as providing a 17% productivity improvement. Combining cardiovascular exercise and balance practice has been shown to increase academic success among students in grades K-12. According to the 2009 Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card on PhysicalActivity for Children and Youth, children who are physically active perform better in school than those who are not. Interestingly, academic performance improves even when academic learning time is reduced to allow time for physical activity.
Electronic Arts commissioned a 2010 study by the University of Wisconsin which found that EA Sports Active passed fitness guidelines for an "effective workout" put forth by the American College of Sports Medicine.
One primary goal of exergaming is to get children "off the couch" and more active. Accordingly, children in laboratory studies briefly increased their levels of physical fitness as a result of exergaming. However, a study children in actual homes over an extended period did not show lasting changes to their exercise habits. The study revealed “no evidence that children receiving the active video games were more active in general, or at any time, than children receiving the inactive video games.” Exercise physiologist Anthony Barnett suggests the results of the study are predictable. He says that children compensate for the increased activity of exergaming by reducing their exercise in other parts of their lives, resulting in no net gain. When designing interventions that incorporate exergaming, guidelines on frequency and duration of usage should be given to participants.
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