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Exercises You Can Do While Gaming in Canada
If you've still got a Kinect and Xbox 360 (or can get one online), this is a good starting place to get you moving in your home. There are also PokeStops for you to discover and Raids you can take on with friends in the game. When we can start moving freely outdoors again, Pokemon Go is a handy app to have if you're planning on taking a seriously long walk.
Best fitness games to help you exercise indoors
The best fitness games, from Ring Fit Adventure to Just Dance 2020
With more people than ever currently looking for new ways to exercise, you've come to the right place to find the best fitness games to keep you active. While some of the games on our list need special equipment, such as Wii Fit's balance board or the Xbox 360's Kinect camera, we've tried to make sure that there's also a healthy mix of games that you can pick up and play straight away.
On top of that, we've also included mobile fitness games you can still play right now. The most important thing though is that these games help you get exercising while ensuring you stay safe. They'll also keep you pretty entertained as well, which is always a bonus. So, here's the best fitness games to help you exercise indoors.
10. Fitness Boxing (Nintendo Switch)
This fast-paced rhythm exercising game will get you working up a sweat in no time. As you've probably gathered from the title, the focus of the game is boxing, and you'll need to follow on-screen prompts to throw certain types of punches, as well as moving your body, in time to the beat.
With a handy suite of features that let you track when to train, as well as a two player mode that lets you work out together or against each other, there's plenty to keep families working out in the space of their living room. Plus, you only need to use the joycons, so you don't need to worry about buying any extra peripherals.
9. EA Sports Active (Wii)
This old school Wii game is worth dusting off your console for if you can grab a copy online. You use your Wiimote and the Nunchuk strapped to your leg to complete various different workouts, such as boxing, jogging, and squats to name a few, all under the guidance of a virtual personal trainer.
A 30 day challenge mode gives you a mode to quickly build up a routine with the game, while it also came with a resistance band that helped with exercises as well, letting you decide what pieces of equipment to use through custom workouts. While it's visuals might have aged a tad, it could be the perfect exercise companion if you can find a cheap copy online.
8. Pokemon Go (Mobile)
While Pokemon Go will be less effective over the next couple of months as we're not able to go on meandering walks, it's still worth a spot on this list as Ninatic have revealed it's working on ways to be able to play the game from home. As a quick reminder, if you haven't played it for a while, Pokemon Go lets you catch Pokemon in the real world by finding them in the game's AR map.
There are also PokeStops for you to discover and Raids you can take on with friends in the game. When we can start moving freely outdoors again, Pokemon Go is a handy app to have if you're planning on taking a seriously long walk.
7. Your Shape Fitness Evolved (Xbox 360)
Another slightly older title that will need equipment, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved is an Xbox 360 fitness game that focuses on monitoring your form through the Kinect Camera. This allows you to effectively tailor your movements so you're performing exercises in the right way. It's also got more of a sleek look than most fitness games, so if you're looking for a more straight-laced take on exercising this could be the one for you.
If you've still got a Kinect and Xbox 360 (or can get one online), this is a good starting place to get you moving in your home.
6. Zumba Burn It Up (Nintendo Switch)
Based on the popular dance workout that your mum almost certainly does, Zumba Burn It Up is a great way to keep you moving while indoors. With a mix of pop songs and Zumba originals, as well as the ability to pick from 30 classes that match your fitness levels, Burn It Up is a great introduction to fitness dancing.
On top of that as well, it has a four player multiplayer mode, so you can get other people in the house involved, as well as the ability to play in Handheld mode. So, if the TV's in use, you can always move your Switch somewhere else to get a workout going. Who knows, you might end up joining a class when they start up again.
5. Just Dance 2020 (PS4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Wii, Stadia)
Okay, we'll be up front and say the choice of songs on Just Dance 2020 might not be to your tastes. Even if you don't think Billie Eilish's bad guy is a tune, Just Dance 2020 is worth using to exercise at home for plenty of reasons. One is the Sweat Mode that tracks the amount of calories you burn during your dancing, putting up a playlist for you to dance along, giving it your all.
The other is the fact that no matter what console you decide to play on, you'll be able to easily set up and play with whatever equipment you have. Whether you're using the Joy-Cons, motion cameras, or even the mobile phone app, there's plenty of ways to get a groove on with Just Dance. It's multiplayer modes also mean you can get the whole family dancing along (if you could find tracks that keep them all happy that is).
4. Nike+ Kinect Training (Xbox 360)
Another Kinect fitness title, Nike+ Kinect Training is the best fitness game you can get on Xbox 360, offering up plenty of professional guidance as you take on a range of exercises, while letting you monitor your form in real time. While you'll need a Kinect camera to use it, it's worth digging your old one up, as it has plenty of fun mini-games, such as Split Decision, where you have to avoid a virtual wall that moves into the screen by dodging, jumping, and ducking.
With its slick interface and welcoming approach with personal trainers who are encouraging without being grating, Nike+ Kinect Training is a strong fitness game to return to if you still have the console and camera.
3. Zombies, Run (Mobile)
An innovative mobile running game, Zombies, Run tells the story of Runner 5 (that'd be you) as they jog their way through the zombie apocalypse. With multiple seasons to go through, there's plenty to keep of storylines to keep you invested already, but the reason this fitness game ranks so high on our list is that it's just introduced a new mini-storyline that focuses on home workouts.
Titled The Home Front, these ten missions are free for anyone to play and don't require any specialist equipment at all. Plus, there are no story spoilers, if you've been catching up on the game's past seasons. It's a brilliant gesture and means you'll be able to keep fit without having to worry about the zombies outside.
2. Wii Fit (Nintendo Wii)
Wii Fit is a classic of the fitness game genre, with the Balance Board one of Nintendo's most popular peripherals. But just because Wii Fit is knocking on a bit doesn't mean it's still not a handy workout game. If you still have your Wii, the game boasts loads of body workouts for you to do, using the balance board to measure your form.
It also has a handy jogging mode, giving you a relaxing town to jog through, so you can have the benefits of seeing some relaxing scenery, all while running on the spot. If you have a Balance Board in your attic, or can hunt one down online, it's worth returning to Wii Fit.
1. Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo Switch)
Nintendo's latest foray into exercise gaming is also the best fitness game you can get. Ring Fit Adventure comes with a Ring-Con and Leg Strap that tracks how you perform various exercises, with the Ring-Con being used for everything from Yoga poses to leg kicks to overhead presses. It's simple to use, but an effective workout, especially on some of the higher levels of training.
On top of that, its wonderful role playing story adds an entertaining game into the mix, which makes coming back day-in, day-out a real treat. Plus, Nintendo are supporting Ring Fit with free updates, one of which includes an entirely new rhythm action mode. For those reasons, that's why we're saying it's the best fitness game to get right now.
Hello, I'm GamesRadar's News Editor. When I'm not moaning about being beaten on FIFA, I'm writing news and features for this wonderful site.
Turning Exercise Into a Game Can Make Fitness More Fun and Effective
According to recent research, “gamifying” exercise can improve motivation and make fitness more effective at all levels. Here’s what you need to know.
Share on Pinterest Illustration by Brittany England
In May, Leah Jewer, 34, of Montreal, made the decision to exercise more often.
However, this time, she wanted to find a fresh way to motivate her newfound fitness goals.
Jewer purchased a Fitbit. She also downloaded the Lifesum Health App (a fitness app that allows users to personalize diet plans with healthy recipes and nutrition advice) and the 5K Runner app (designed to train runners).
Jewer was serious about “gamifying” her fitness routine, thinking that if she set a “sort of achievement system” to her exercise regimen, she’d be more likely to stick with it.
It’s the process of taking something that already exists – such as a workout regimen – and integrating game mechanics into it with the intent to motivate, improve engagement, and increase loyalty.
In other words, it’s a way of turning an activity into a game.
Jewer is no stranger to gaming. In addition to her job as a senior product manager for iHeartRadio Canada, she is the co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of Girls on Games, a blog dedicated to video game news and reviews. So she knows how the need to complete a quest can help push a player to excel.
With her apps and gadgets on hand, Jewer began her new approach to diet and fitness, and soon discovered it worked.
“I found that trying to reach my steps and exercise goals on Fitbit, while trying to eat the right food and calorie count with Lifesum and earning the badges in 5K, to be a fairly easy [way] to keep consistent,” she said. “I do find these apps and the Fitbit itself very helpful because the notifications they all give remind me to keep with the program.”
For Jewer, transforming exercise into a game has motivated her unlike anything else — and she’s not alone.
A quick Google search finds many people sharing their stories of success after using a range of fitness apps, gadgets, or video games aimed at getting people to embrace exercise through gaming.
In other words, “gamifying” your workout works.
Today, Americans appear to be more unmotivated than ever before to get up and move.
A June report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that just about 23 percent of U.S. adults are able to meet the recommended guidelines for muscle-strengthening and aerobic exercises.
According to “The State of Obesity,” an annual report from the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, 45 percent of American adults aren’t sufficiently active to achieve necessary health benefits, with a massive $117 billion in healthcare costs tied to inadequate physical activity.
Bradley Prigge, a wellness exercise specialist at the Mayo Clinic Healthy Living Program, said getting people to embrace healthy physical activity can be a challenge.
He pointed out that thought of embracing exercise — not to mention heading into a gym — can be intimidating for many people who haven’t always been active.
“In our programs here [at Mayo Clinic], it’s really about finding things that are relevant to each individual. It’s about what allows them to find that connection to activity,” Prigge told Healthline.
“Gaming can be a way of doing that. In our classes we [have] here, we do have a gaming component where we introduce people to fitness gaming, and there are some people who are jazzed about that.”
Recent research has looked at the phenomenon of gamifying workouts and its effectiveness on fitness.
A July study in the Journal of the American Heart Association divided 146 people — sedentary office workers, ages 21 to 65, who sit at least 75 percent of their workdays — into two groups over 10 weeks.
In both groups, participants were given Fitbits, but only one group used the wearable along with MapTrek, a web-based game that moves a person’s digital avatar along Google Maps based on their number of steps. The group using the game competed against each other in weekly walking challenges.
The results? The group playing the map-based game walked 2,092 more steps each day and finished 11 more active minutes per day compared to the group with just the Fitbits.
Lucas J. Carr, PhD, assistant professor in the department of health and human physiology at the University of Iowa, was one of the lead researchers behind the pilot study. Carr told Healthline that the most surprising finding of the research was how many people reported the game motivated them to wear their Fitbit more often.
“This is important, as wearing a Fitbit is a great way to self-monitor daily physical activity levels,” Carr said. “Self-monitoring has been shown as a good way to maintain physical activity and prevent declines in activity.”
However, after the study, people didn’t maintain their new activity levels. By the end of the study’s 10 weeks, both groups failed to maintain their overall spikes in activity, but the MapTrek gaming group still averaged more steps than their Fitbit-only counterparts.
“It’s difficult to say without testing these hypotheses, but if I had to speculate, I would say we need to continue to modify the game in a way that maintains high levels of engagement. Introducing new and fresh game features periodically is something we’ve discussed and plan to do in future studies,” he said.
“We’ve also discussed combining the game with health coaches who can provide continued motivational and educational support to participants.”
Getting people to adopt new behaviors over a longer period of time is one of the biggest obstacles in the world of fitness.
In a 2017 study in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers conducted a clinical trial among adults who were enrolled in the Framingham Heart Study.
The study involved a 12-week intervention period and 12-week follow-up of 200 adults from 94 families in the long-term study. Each person tracked their daily step counts with either wearables or smartphone apps and was given feedback on their step count performance by email or text over 24 weeks.
Once this baseline was established, half of the participants were put into a game with their family where they each worked to earn points as they moved through levels to see who could surpass each other in their steps.
By the end, people in the “gamified” group reported 1,661 daily steps compared to their baseline of 636.
That being said, as with the other study, new behaviors are hard to maintain.
In the 12-week follow-up period, physical activity dropped in both groups. But the group that played the game still had a significantly greater number of steps compared the control group.
Be Fit For Life
Active At Home
Tag @bfflnetwork on Instagram or Twitter, or email bffln@provincialfitnessunit.ca and we’ll add your ideas to our list and share them on social media.
Being active in a way that is right for you, can improve your physical health, help manage stress and anxiety and just generally make you feel better.
Be Fit For Life’s Guide for Parents: Physical Activity At Home During the COVID -19 Pandemic
There are lots of physical activity resources being shared through different media channels during this time, which we recognize can be overwhelming. This simple guide can help you choose and develop a physical activity plan that works for your family. Download the infographic, the single page PDF handout, or individual images for sharing on social media.
Activity Ideas for Adults
Be Active – Warming Up for Your Daily Life Poster
No equipment exercises that can help adults to maintain strength and balance to help prevent falls and be prepared for daily activities.
http://befitforlife.ca/resources/warmingupforlife
At-Home Isometric Exercise Ideas for People Living With a Disability, Article Shared by The Steadward Centre
Isometric exercise ideas for wheelchair users and people experiencing limited mobility.
https://activbody.com/top-exercises-for-people-living-with-a-disability/
Chair Yoga Flow
Try this chair yoga flow at home. Great for those with limited mobility.
https://www.purewow.com/wellness/chair-yoga-poses
UBC’s Group-Based Physical Activity for Older Adults (Videos)
A series of instructional videos for older adults.
http://goal.kin.educ.ubc.ca/videos
Medicine Hat Be Fit For Life At-Home Workouts
Visit the MHC BFFL YouTube page, where they are posting a variety of workouts to do at home.
Lac La Biche Be Fit For Life At-Home Workouts
Visit the Lac La Biche Be Fit For Life YouTube, for a variety of at home workout.
Vermilion Be Fit For Life Centre’s At-Home Resources for Adults
Workplace Stretches
Free Online Streamed Fitness Classes
Many fitness facilities are offering free or paid live streamed classes and/or at home workout templates daily. Check with a fitness facility or provider near you or online.
Mindful Walking
A new resource created by Be Fit For Life, in partnership with Jordan Lynn Bell, M.A. Counselling, CPC . Use these walking meditations as a means to support your physical and mental health; combining mindfulness, being present in the moment and movement. This resource also has components that will support families to all try mindful walking.
Make Movement Your Mission
An online program from the UK that provides 3 movement opportunities each day through Facebook or Youtube. This program is targeted at people who are isolated and shielded as not able to get outdoors, and those not able to join/keep up safely with the online exercise videos available.
Activity Ideas for the Whole Family
Movement Dice
There are quite a few versions of the Movement Dice Posters. You could also use a blank one and create different ones each day, week, etc.
Here is a video of an example.
http://befitforlife.ca/resources/movementdice
Relay Games
These types of games would work well if students are at home with other family members.
Here is an example of an active game of tik tac toe. This same idea could be used for spelling or math.
Warm Up Poster
Use this poster to create a home fitness routine.
http://befitforlife.ca/resources/lets-warm-up
Zen Me
Mindfulness activities that include strategies to manage stress, emotions and attention
http://befitforlife.ca/resources/zenhandout
Yoga Techniques
Small space movement activities
Here is a link to a 30 minute yoga sequence loaded onto powerpoint
AMA Youth Run Club
The Alberta Medical Association Youth Run Club has many resources to keep the whole family moving. Follow along this Yoga & Relaxation Sequence or try these Partner Strength Training Exercises.
10 At Home Learning & Movement Activities
Activities compiled by Phys. Ed. Teacher, Kevin Tiller
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e_wiOgOgfkIXpVLo-ST0hi2J-L2mf3BN/view
DANCEPL3Y
A YouTube Playlist of Home Dances for COVID -19
They also have Daily Live Classes found at https://www.pl3yinc.com/at-home-pl3y-classes
Another YouTube playlist of Follow-Along Dances for Phys-Ed
Just Dance Kids
Just Dance Kids has many dances to follow along to on YouTube. Gather the family and have a dance party!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=just+dance+kids
ARPAs Nature Play Flash Cards
Ideas and activities to rediscover play in natural spaces.
http://s3.arpaonline.ca/docs/nature-play_flash-cards_web.pdf
Active for Life Resources
AFL has a wealth of activity ideas and resource for parents. They have compiled a list of 200 activities to do with your kids at home.
https://activeforlife.com/200-activities-you-can-do-with-kids-at-home/
Medicine Hat Be Fit For Life’s Live Workouts & Active Breaks
Variety of instructor led home workouts and active breaks. Follow along for live at home workouts and active breaks.
Visit them on Youtube and Facebook
Calgary Board of Education At-Home Activities
Great variety of activities that can be done offline and outside
https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/learning-at-home/Pages/k-6.aspx
BOKS Kids At Home
Live workouts and home activity packs.
https://www.bokskids.ca/boks-at-home/
Adventure Play
Learn tips to encourage Adventure PLAY
Download the handout for parents/caregivers/leaders
Download the Adventure Play BINGO card.
Grande Prairie Regional Sport Connection At-Home Sport & Recreation
Find local and non-local resources compiled by sport and recreation partners in Grande Prairie.
https://gpsportconnect.ca/online-fitness-classes
AniMoves Indigenous Languages Edition
Use the deck of Alphabet AniMoves to help explore fun and creative movements while learning the names of animals in Indigenous languages of Alberta. Download the Cree Edition, Blackfoot Edition & Stoney Nakoda Edition.
A Blackfoot Movement Story
This moving story book was created as an introduction to the Blackfoot Creation Story. Download the story and move along to it!
A Reading of As Big As The Sky, As Tall As The Trees
Visit the BFFL YouTube page to hear author Leah Yardley reading the moving story aloud.
Online OPEN PE Network – weekly at home lesson plans
This website is great for a PE teacher to teach from home
https://openphysed.org/activeschools/activehome
Asphalt Green – Rep it Out Games for Social Distancing
This site from Asphalt Green has a collection of games that are played while distancing.
Get Outside And Play Free Resources
Download resources to help dress for the weather and play outside.
https://getoutsideandplay.ca/resources
Mindful Moments Bookmarks
These fun colourful bookmarks provide everyday ideas and simple techniques to inspire mindfulness. This resource was developed in partnership with the CHHS Blue Crew Wellness Team. Print the document, linked here, double-sided on cardstock and cut into bookmarks to share.
Canada’s National Ballet School’s Sharing Dance
Canada’s National Ballet School provides many different opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to share dance. Here you will find resources and videos for kids, seniors, all ages, and adult ballet.
https://www.nbs-enb.ca/Sharing-Dance/Bring-Dance-Into-Your-Home
PLAY Educator
Many free downloadable resources focusing on fundamentals and physical literacy. You can also visit PLAY Education’s YouTube page with more activities.
More Be Fit For Life Free Downloadable Resources – Great for Young Children
How to Dress for the Weather
Little Movers Playlist
Family Scavenger Hunt
ParticipACTION’s Build Your Best Day
Where kids learn the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines the fun way.
www.buildyourbestday.participaction.com
Free Downloads from the Medicine Hat Be Fit For Life Centre
Try Tropical Yoga Adventure, Activity Sticks, Summer Olympic Fit Zone, Minute to Move It, Arena Circuit or the Olympic Family Challenge. Located at the following link under the Downloable Resources tab.
www.mhc.ab.ca/ PLAY
APPLE Schools
A Google Doc list of suggested Physical Activity, Mental Health, Healthy Eating Websites.
SOGO At Home
Adventure Running & Orienteering at home activities with options for preschoolers, 6-12yrs, 10-16yrs and their families. Visit their website.
OPHEA Supports Phys Ed At Home
A variety of resources to support support parents and caregivers with health and physical education at home. Visit their collection of resources on their website.
Edmonton Sport Council
A variety of resources to get kids active at home. Visit their webpage.
I Love a Challenge – Dark House Athletic
Individual challenges on YouTube to get everybody active. Visit Dark Horse Athletic.
Physical Literacy At Home Games – Medicine Hat BFFL Centre
Try these at home games to support the development of physical literacy. This YouTube Playlist includes Wacky Walks, Having a Ball, Body Bending Bean Bag Challenge, and Balloon Body Bump.
Canadian Tire Play from Home
A variety of resources and supports from a variety of partners. Visit their site.
Free Footie Daily Videos – Videos created to support elementary age students would word normally participate in an after school multi-sport program.
Daily videos from friends of Free Footie – targeted at children and youth. Visit Free Footie on Facebook.
In Motion Network
Resources and links to get active at home. Visit their list on Google Drive.
Canadian Olympic School
At home activities from Canadian Olympic School. Visit their website.
Well At Home
Wellness ideas for school communities from Alberta Health Services’. All resources are available online and are categorized under Alberta Education’s Dimensions of Wellness – Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, Social, Spiritual. View the list in Google Drive.
PHE Home Learning Centre
The PHE Home Learning Centre has been assembled to support educators during this unprecedented time in continuing to offer quality physical and health education learning experiences under the new paradigm of online educational delivery within a home setting.
DASH BC Healthy At Home
DASH staff have been hard at work putting together easy-to-use, one-page resources that can connect educators and parents to the BC Physical and Health Education Curriculum for grades Kindergarten through to Grade 12.
Lethbridge College Be Fit With Your Kid
This free resource is for you to stay active and get creative with your family in the comfort of your own home and yard. Be Fit for Life challenges you to try all activities regardless of the equipment you have to develop skills and discover new interests. Designed for those aged 6-17, with an adult.
Walk and Play
Going for a walk? Try these playful ideas to make your walk fun and interesting! Resources created by the Lethbridge area based collective Building Brains.
My Active at Home PLAYbook
Designed for preschool (with adult support) through grade 3, the My Active at Home PLAYbook features fun activities from a variety of Be Fit for Life Network resources. Print one page or the entire booklet and work through 1-2 activities/day or when they best fit into your routine.
Click here for the print version
Click here for a version that can be filled in on your computer.
Outdoor Scavenger Hunt
Print off this outdoor scavenger hunt next time you head out to a natural area.
Printable Trackers
Does tracking your activities or meal planning help you stay on task? Try out these tools to support you in your goals:
- For Me Wellness Tracker for activity, sleep, hydration and reflection.
- For Me Meal Planner plan your meals, grocery list and food log.
Would you Rather BFFL Workout
It’s your choice, pick a move from each pair in the Would you Rather Workout and click the link for a video demonstrating each exercise.
Practical Tips to Implement Physical Activity at Home – Ever Active Schools
These tipsheets can be downloaded for free. Learn about how to develop physical literacy skills, how to effectively engage in physical activity when you’re short on equipment, and how to ensure everyone participating has fun and finds success. This resource was developed for anyone who might be leading a physical activity: parents, teachers, after-school programs, student leaders, and anyone in between!
Active Playbooks
Designed for preschool (with adult support) through grade 3, the My Active at Home PLAYbook features fun activities from a variety of Be Fit for Life Network resources. With coloring pages, games, activities, this resource is a fun way to explore physical activity at home or at school. Don’t forget to click through the links in the online version!
Active at Home PLAYbook
- Click here for the web download version
- Click here for the print version
- Click here for for a fillable version
Active Playbook (ideal for schools and programs)
- Click here for the web download version
- Click here for the print version
- Click here for a fillable version
Active Everyday Calendars
Keep moving with daily and easy to follow activity ideas for at home or at school. Download these monthly calendars and click the activity names for links to their videos and resources. Be sure to click the links in the margins for more fun activities and resources.
Active Everyday for Teens & Adults
Join forces with passionate professionals & volunteers in your area.
Find a PLAY (Physical Literacy And You) group near you.
12 Ways to Exercise While You Study. You Can Do #7 on the Go.
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Exercise not only makes your body healthy – it makes your brain healthy too. Studies have shown that exercising can improve your thinking skills. Plus, it’ll help you retain information better. So here are eight – wait, 12 ways to exercise? Oh boy. Get ready to feel the burn.
- Run on an elliptical or treadmill
This one’s easy. Just pop into AUA’s on-campus gym, put your study materials in front of you, and run. Let studying distract you from the fact that you’re running. When you’re on the machines, make sure to gradually increase your incline level. To end your work out, return the incline to your starting level and cool down. Also fun: imagine you’re running away from a bear or towards your goals – hey, whatever motivates you.
- Chair squats
Studying requires a lot of sitting, which can make you antsy, but getting up too often can invite procrastination. Well, this exercise splits the difference. All you have to do is stand up from your chair and squat halfway – hovering over your chair. Hold this for ten seconds and then repeat about twenty times. Here’s a visual to get an idea of how to do it right.
- Wall sitting
This is kind of like #2 but you get some back support and it’s easier to hold for longer. You can also change it up a little by lifting one leg at a time, which will make you feel extra cool. If you’re a klutz like me, you may prefer this option rather than risk fumbling backwards into a chair. Happens every time.
- Abdominal lifts
You can even sneak in some upper-body workouts while you memorize all the organs in your torso (medical school, right?). This only works if your chair has handles and isn’t a swivel. First – crisscross your legs on the seat. Then, only using your arms for support, lift up your body from the chair. You can also use this to fool people into believing you can levitate – as long as they don’t see your arms.
- Ab Swivel
Swivel chairs – they’re the most fun chairs around. Seriously, how many times have you used one to just roll around? Now they can be put to good use with the oblique swivel! First, hold onto your desk. Then use your arms to push yourself back and forth about 15-times. So, the next time someone judges you for choosing a swivel chair, show off your killer abs.
- Leg planks
Too absorbed by your lecture notes to stand up? Understandable. That’s why lifting up your legs and holding them at a 90-degree angle for about 10-seconds at a time is the best thing ever for a lazy person like myself. After all, I do my entire exercise regimen from my desk – even when I’m not working.
- Water bottle curls
When you’re on the go, you probably have a water bottle with you to stay hydrated. If you don’t, you should, by the way. Well, now you can multitask. Just like lifting weights, curl that water bottle up to your shoulder about 15-times to get a quick and easy workout. This will help build strength in your wrists, which will you’ll probably need to take tests and whatnot. Or operate – wherever you’re at academically or professionally.
- Stretch to the sky
This one is also relatively simple. Sit up straight and raise your arms to the sky. You’ll never get there but, after holding that position for 10-seconds or so, you’ll feel refreshed. This is especially nice after a legit workout. Note: please don’t do this in class, lest you want to confuse your professor.
- Hold onto the edge of your seat
You may find yourself sitting at the edge of your seat during a good thriller, but have you tried holding that position? That’s slightly cooler. Sitting at the very edge of your seat with your hands firmly gripping the chair will keep your body weight down. Also, make sure this is not a swivel chair. That’s more of a #5 thing. Pro-tip: playing “The Touch” by Stan Bush will make this exercise go ten times faster.
10. Resistance bands
Remember Stretch Armstrong? That was cool. He was apparently ripped because he could stretch. Now you can be ripped too with resistance bands! These bands are usually cheap and you can take them anywhere. Put the band in both hands and stretch it as far as you can.
11. Replace your chair with a fitness ball
Chairs are so 2010. You’ll be doing a lot of sitting while you pour over your textbooks and notes. Why not have a chair that doubles as exercise equipment? A fitness ball will tone your core muscles and improve your balance. Plus, it’s bouncy, which is slightly more fun than a swivel chair.
None of this working for you? Shrug it off. Literally, shrug. Move your shoulders as close as you can to your ears for about five seconds and repeat. It’ll strengthen your trapezius muscles and relieve any stress building up in your shoulders. Bonus: doing it while you study will make it easier to retain whatever you’re studying.
Got any quick fitness tips? Tell us in the comments!
8 tips to stay fit and healthy this winter
Temperatures are dropping, but you don’t have to drop your fitness goals. Here’s how to stay healthy, active and in shape throughout the winter.
Cramming a solid workout into your busy schedule isn’t always easy, especially if there’s a big chill in the air. But don’t let the cold weather dampen your fitness game. From making the most of outdoor winter activities to exercising in the convenience (and warmth!) of your home, here’s how you can stay motivated and find your fitness groove this season.
1. Enjoy outdoor winter activities to get moving
Sometimes it’s hard to step outside and brave the cold weather. But bear in mind there are so many fun winter activities - like skating, skiing, snowshoeing and snowboarding. These activities are only available for a brief window of time. So why not layer up and enjoy winter while it lasts?
Don’t want to stray too far from the comfort of your own home? You can set up some backyard winter games like having a snowman-building competition with your family and friends, or building snow hills for sledding. If you want a little more incline than you can build in your backyard, try a nearby park or schoolyard. These are all healthy and enjoyable ways to get in some exercise and embrace the Canadian winter.
2. Work out at home to avoid the cold weather
True, there’s a great variety of activities you can enjoy during wintertime. But not everyone loves the idea of being out in the snow and freezing cold. “This is where utilizing your own space and incorporating at-home workouts into your everyday routine can be very helpful,” says Baylee Joy, a certified personal trainer at Busy Bee Fitness Experts in Toronto.
Joy adds that you don’t have to have an elaborate home gym setup to get in a great workout. “You can use lightweight equipment like resistance bands and physio balls and learn a variety of bodyweight exercises. These are effective ways to stay for anyone to stay fit,” she says. Plus, there are plenty of equipment-free exercises you can do to build muscles and burn calories, like squats, push-ups and planking.
3. Find a workout buddy
Worried you’ll fall off the fitness wagon and into the winter blues? Try finding a workout buddy to keep you honest. “ Get an exercise partner. It can be a friend, family member, spouse or a personal trainer,” suggests Joy. “It’s one of the best ways to stay motivated towards an exercise regime .” When you’re committed to a fitness routine with a workout buddy, you’ll be able to hold each other accountable. This means you’re less likely to make excuses for missing a workout.
Your partner’s motivation and healthy habits can inspire you, and vice versa. “It helps if you can find someone with a real passion for fitness to join you on your workouts. Then that passion has a tendency to rub off on you,” says Joy.
Do you prefer exercising outside? It also helps to have someone close by in case you run into a weather-related injury. For example, you could take a tumble on a slippery road. In such cases, at least you’ll have someone with you who can call for help.
4. Add Google Home or Alexa to your fitness routine
Can’t find a workout buddy? Don’t sweat it. You’re just a few swipes, clicks or taps away from access to your own digital fitness coach. For starters, wearables like fitness trackers and smartwatches make it easy for you to count your steps and monitor your heart rate, says Joy. Some models take your health to the next level by recording ECGs to measure your heart activity or by tracking your sleep habits at night.
Do you have a smart speaker at home? Then you already have 24-hour access to your own personal trainer. Today’s voice-activated assistants - like Google Home or Alexa - can take you through guided workouts. They can also encourage you to get moving with fast and effective cardio and core-strengthening exercises. Many of these workouts let you set your own pace, take breaks when needed and pick your own music. And that’s not all. Your smart speaker can also take you through stress-reducing meditation sessions and provide nutritional stats on your latest meal plan.
What if a wearable or a smart speaker isn’t within your reach or budget? You can rely on your phone for advice. There’s an abundance of stellar fitness apps and online tools - like Seven Moments and LIFT Session - that can help. These apps can talk you through workout sessions, which you can do from anywhere without little or no equipment.
5. Set fitness goals you’ll actually achieve
“If you’re a beginner, it’s best to ease into a fitness routine so you don’t burn out quickly,” advises Joy. “Start with small realistic goals and keep incrementally setting the bar higher for yourself.” For instance, let’s say you want to add a half-hour jog or run to your morning routine. Then you might start with a 10-minute walk around your neighbourhood. As your fitness level increases, you can speed up your pace into a brisk walk. You can then carry on until you’ve managed to work your way up to jogging. Just be sure to adjust your intensity for the weather if you’re outdoors. Play it safe and take things even slower to avoid slips and falls when the sidewalks are icy.
6. Plan for a safe winter workout
Speaking of playing it safe. an outdoor winter workout can be rewarding as it will challenge your muscles and stamina in a new way. But you must always exercise caution when exercising. Since icy paths and pavements pose a greater risk of injury, you’ll have to be alert. Stick to daytime hours for your workout so you can easily spot ice on your route. Also, take your phone or tablet with you in case you fall and need to call for help.
7. Sneak exercise into your day
Not ready to get into full workout mode yet? Not a problem. You can still incorporate exercise and physical activity into your day without putting on any fitness clothes or gear. Here are some simple ways to stay fit throughout the day. If you’re already doing most of these activities, you’re off to a great start:
- Take five or 10 minutes to stretch after you wake up in the morning.
- Take a walk during your coffee or lunch break.
- Climb stairs whenever you can.
- Walk home from work if you live nearby.
- Clean up clutter in your home, and make lots of trips up and down the stairs.
- Play outside with your pets or kids.
- Try some desk stretches at work or in your home office.
“It’s a good idea to make a conscious effort for every little action you can take to stay more active, whether it’s during winter or any other season,” says Joy. “These little things always add up!”
8. Don’t stress over your New Year’s resolutions
Many people get discouraged when they veer off track early into their workout regimen, says Joy. But being active is a lifelong commitment to your health - not a quick fix. So, don’t worry if you skipped a workout or if you’re not seeing the results you want right away. Just pick your routine back up the next day or try new activities to boost your motivation and your metabolism.
“We can’t always stay disciplined with our workouts and that’s perfectly fine,” she says. “You have to remember that healthy habits take time to develop. But as long as you keep making the effort, it’ll eventually pay off.”
Healthy Habits, Active Advice
Contact Healthy Habits, Active Advice
Amber Allan
Fitness & Wellness Coordinator
A healthy routine is not only good for you physically, it also helps combat feelings of stress and anxiety. It can give you a sense of normalcy and purpose without really thinking about it. Though everyone’s healthy routine may look a little different, there is no shortage of activities out there to make us all feel good.
Our staff team have compiled (and will continue to add) some tips, tricks and recommendations to help you form your healthy habits. Whether it’s at-home workouts, meditation exercises, activities to do with your family, or just a way to feel engaged with your CGC community, read on and find what works for you!
A Joyous, Healthy & Active Holiday
This holiday season will look different for all of us. No matter how you celebrate this holiday season, choose activities that give you joy, and spend time, even if it is virtually, with the people you love. Learn new skills, and try new fitness classes! Staying mindful and active throughout the busy season will set you up for a healthy start to the New Year.
Here are some tips and tricks from CGC’s Amber Allan, Fitness and Wellness Coordinator, on how to survive (and delight in) the holidays with your health and wellness intact.
- Get outside! If this year has taught us anything, it is how important the great outdoors is to our mental and physical well-being. Studies have shown that spending time outside can vastly improve your mental health. Take advantage of crisp, clear afternoons to explore new trails and paths in your neighborhood. Or enjoy walking around the neighbourhood in the evening to see the beautiful holiday light displays.
- Stay connected. 2020 has been a year of “Stay the blazes home!”, but we need to connect. It’s more important than ever to stay connected with friends, family, neighbors and community. Join an online community group, or have a virtual house party! (Make sure to include music and dancing too for that extra active bonus).
- Do what you love! When staying active, choose what you love! If you love to dance, put on your favourite playlist and a have a dance party. Exercise is important, but when you truly enjoy the activity, you will do it more often and look forward to it.
- Partner Up! Studies have shown that working out with others helps with efficacy and sustainability of active habits. Call a friend and book a fitness class at CGC together. Try something new, get moving and have fun!
Merry Fitness and Healthy Holidays from the Canada Games Centre!
Physical Fitness
Mitchell’s Full-Body Workout
This full-body workout from Mitchell uses a combo of body weight and free weights.
Don’t have traditional free weights at home? You can use household items like soup cans instead, or even make your own. Here’s a tutorial on making homemade free weights: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Homemade-Weight-Set
World Day of Physical Activity Workout
April 6th, 2020 marks the 18th year of World Day for Physical Activity as designated by the World Health Organization. On this day, everyone everywhere is encouraged to be active for at least 30 minutes. Amber has put together a workout to help you do just that!
Pick the standard workout or the core workout (or combine the two). Complete as many rounds as needed to fill your 30 mins.
| 30 Minute Workout |
|---|
| 50 x cardio exercise (ex. jumping jacks) |
| 40 x lower body exercise (ex. squats) |
| 30 x full body exercise (ex. mountain climbers) |
| 20 x upper body exercise (ex. push-ups) |
| 10 x challenge exercise for you (ex. burpees) |
| 30 Minute Core Workout |
|---|
| 50 x Russian twists |
| 40 x bicycles |
| 30 x toe reaches; lying on back, knees bent or legs straight |
| 20 x cross-body mountain climbers |
| 10 x V-sits |
Amber’s Latest (free) Fitness App Find
“I’ve recently discovered the Fit On App. This has a huge resource of classes. You can choose everything from Barre, Yoga, HIIT, Pilates, Spin and more! It’s free and can be used on a computer or smart phone. This will keep you moving!”
Amber Allan, CGC Fitness & Wellness Coordinator since May 2018. Self-described fitness superpower: To help people discover their own superpower! See her profile.
Allison’s No-Equipment Quick Workout
Even without access to the gym, you can still take on an activity that will have you sweating once a day! Turn your living room, spare room, den or basement into your home gym with these no-equipment exercises.
Glute Bridge: 10 bridges, hold for 1 second count
Elevated Mountain Climber to Push-up: (4:1 ratio of mountain climber to push-up) 20/10 Reps each side
Sumo Squat with Alternating High Knee Tucks: 8 Reps each side
Adele’s Advice: Get Your Groove On
“Nothing helps shake off the stress like dancing it out in the kitchen. I play my all my favourite tunes and just let loose. I highly recommend it!”
Adèle Poirier teaches Combo Aquafit. Her self-described fitness superpower: The ability to give people the power to be a bit silly and let go of all their worries and responsibilities. Put a smile on their face, even if it’s just for an hour! See her profile.
Mayu Says Keep Moving
“I try to do something that makes me sweat for at least 30min. I go jogging when it’s nice out. I close my eyes and focus on taking a deep breath in through my nose, and out through my mouth a couple of times at the beginning. I smell nature, feel the cold fresh air and know spring is coming and hear bird chirps. It grounds me, and gives me positive and happy energy.”
“When I can’t or don’t feel up to going outside, I dance to the playlist I use to teach my classes at CGC and ISANS. It reminds me how much I enjoy teaching and joining classes. It is also really good practice :)”
Physical Literacy & Other Activities
When we learn to read, we start with learning our letters before words. Physical literacy starts with learning fundamental movements like jumping, running, throwing, catching and swimming. They are the building blocks towards confident and motivated participation in activity and sports, regardless of age. Below are some great resources to make moving fun for you and your family.
Sport For Life
Sport for Life is a movement to improve the quality of sport and physical activity in Canada, and aim to create a future in which absolutely everyone has access to quality sport and physical literacy experiences.
Sport for Life has developed a series of short videos called Physical Literacy at Home that help support parents and kids to develop physical literacy while at home and make moving fun for you and your family. https://sportforlife.ca/facing-covid-19-together/
Active For Life
Active For Life is the place where parents go to learn about activities for kids. Physical education leads to physical literacy, which is critical for child development. Physical literacy also gives active kids the best chance to someday compete in high-performance sport.
The Active For Life website is full of creative and simple ideas for activities you can do using household items. For example, you may be familiar with Sensory Paths – colourful decals placed along floors and walls that indicate an action to be taken. Sensory paths made a big splash in schools across Canada, but with schools on pause, why not get the kids outside and create your own sensory chalkway?
Chalk is an inexpensive toy that can offer hours of creative entertainment! The sky’s the limit on what to incorporate into your own chalkways, but here are some ideas from Active for Life on different games like hopscotch and Alphabet Hop that you can create with chalk. Take a little bit from each game to make an epic chalkway with the added bonus of building physical literacy skills! Don’t have chalk? Grab sticks, pool noodles or other outdoor items and create a backyard obstacle course.
ParticipACTION
Established in 1971, ParticipACTION has been moving Canadians for almost 50 years, but their activities and ideas are anything but outdated.
Sport NS & CSCA
Our friends at Sport Nova Scotia and Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic have teamed up to connect the sport community through a social media isolation exercise challenge called NS Active!
“Challenge rules:
1. Post videos of your favorite home exercise or physical activity. Tag 3 of your friends to try it.
2. When your friends complete your workout or skill (on film), they can keep the momentum going by choosing a new exercise and tagging three new people.
3. Use the hashtag #NSActive
4. Cheer each other on. We need positivity right now!”
Canadian Olympic Club
Although the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo have been postponed, it doesn’t mean you have to put your Team Canada spirit on hold too. The Canadian Olympic Club, presented by Bell, is free to join and full of all kinds of fun challenges, information, stats, and athlete profiles.
It also gives you access to the Canadian Olympic School Program which offers over 100 free resources and activity ideas for teachers (or homeschooling parents), that promote inclusive sport environments, application of the Olympic values, and encourage healthy active living.
How Fast Can You Puzzle?
Flex those mental muscles with a CGC inspired jigsaw puzzle below. You can change the number of pieces and challenge your friends and family by sharing the links.
Community Health Teams
The Community Health Teams (CHT) are a great resource for health and wellness in Nova Scotia. They’re currently offering free online Zoom programs on everything from being a parent during COVID-19 to making the most of your food dollar, and how to get a better night’s sleep. Community Health Teams programs are available to all Nova Scotians who have a valid NS health card number. Click here to learn more: http://www.nshealth.ca/service-details/Community Health Teams
Halifax Public Libraries
Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness and Meditation are principles and practices that help us work with challenging situations and emotions, and mobilize our inner resources for self-awareness, insight, growth, and healing.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
No Right Way to Meditate, but Insight Timer Can Help
“During this time at home I have been continuing my meditation practice. I really love to use Insight Timer https://insighttimer.com. It is a free app for your phone that has guided meditations, a sleep category, even a kids category! My favourite part of this app is the timer. I can really sink into my meditation, knowing that the bell will chime when my time is up. You can even set up two timers, so if you want to know when you are halfway done or flip to the other side if you are in a restorative yoga pose. Please remember the there is no “right” way to meditate, keep practicing and you will create space in your thoughts :)”
Help Change Your Perspective
“Practicing gratitude is something I do with my family. Every night around the dinner table (since we are all home right now, we have family meals every night), we go around the table and say 3 good things from the day. It helps us keep a positive perspective on things and keeps us connected.”
Amber Allan, CGC Fitness & Wellness Coordinator since May 2018. She also leads some of drop-in fitness classes and Mindfulness & Meditation programming. See her profile.
Social distancing and exercise: are active video games the solution?
Author
PhD Candidate and Associate Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Leeds Beckett University
Disclosure statement
Sam Peter Kirk does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Partners
Leeds Beckett University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.
The Conversation UK receives funding from these organisations
The social distancing measures and self-isolation initiated by the coronavirus pandemic has left people looking for new ways to exercise at home. Could active video games (AVGs) such as Pokemon Go and the recent hit Ring Fit Adventure be the answer?
AVGs are played by moving your whole body instead of just tapping buttons or a screen. They are marketed as a way for people to take part in physical activity through video games, and studies have shown that they can indeed be effective at increasing physical activity levels and helping people lose weight.
The most recent popular development is Nintendo’s Ring Fit Adventure game for its Switch console, which involves cardiovascular and muscle-strengthening exercises in an interval structure, on top of more traditional game storytelling and animation. The game sold more than 2 million copies in the three months after it was released in October 2019. But looking more widely at commercial statistics from the past 10 years, the number of successful AVG titles is sparse, with at most two titles in the annual top 100 global games – and more frequently zero.
So if AVGs really can benefit your fitness, why aren’t more people buying them? My recent research suggests that most of these games are simply not of a high enough quality and don’t provide enough of a workout to satisfy players. This suggests the industry needs to up its game if it wants to make AVGs a success.
How active?
First, the fitness. The UK government advises that people should undertake at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, as well as at least two sessions of muscle-strengthening exercises. While we know that AVGs can increase physical activity levels slightly, they don’t provide a way to carry out sustained periods of moderate activity or any vigorous activity or muscle-strengthening activities.
The one exception is Ring Fit Adventure, which can offer these things, but even that is dependent on your current fitness level. Frequent gym goers are unlikely to find the game provides the challenge they need so it wouldn’t be much of a replacement while stuck in the house.
All this suggests that most of the current crop of AVGs don’t do enough to improve people’s physical fitness to make that a real selling point of the games.
The other issue is whether AVGs are simply enjoyable enough as games. Our attention and time are finite, even when we can’t leave the house, so AVGs are in direct competition with more traditional video games (as well as other hobbies).
This battle for attention ultimately boils down to a subjective decision about quality and enjoyability: what game do you like playing the most? But there are ways we can try to break down our view of different games into multiple categories to highlight why we might think a specific title is good or bad.
One method used by market research firm Quantic Foundry is the “Gamer Motivation Model”, which tries to show why people choose to play games.
As an enthusiastic gamer as well as professional game researcher, I can name several traditional games that outperform any AVG in each aspect of the model. For example, I can think of no AVG that offers more of an immersive experience with better storytelling and imaginative fantasy than games such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, SpiderMan, God of War, or Final Fantasy. Even smaller budget indie titles such as Child of Light, Ori, and Hollow Knight, still immerse me in a way that AVGs cannot yet achieve.
There are exceptions we can learn from. For example, Pokemon Go has an excellent social element that encourages people to play together. But overall, AVGs appear to have a significant lack of quality and variety.
Hardware also presents AVGs with a challenging issue in practical terms and the ability to cheat. While games companies have created some innovative technology to play AVGs with, you can still sit on the couch and bounce your knee to trick many of them into thinking you’re exercising. And that might be necessary if you don’t have the space to play them fully in the first place.
The challenge for the video game industry is to make AVGs as effective as sport, exercise or other physical activity, but also so engaging, accessible and varied, that people choose to play them over traditional video games. If AVGs tick both these boxes, we might just have the future of exercise right in our front rooms or on our mobile devices. Without this, even an enforced period of quarantine is unlikely to make most people AVG enthusiasts.
Exercises You Can Do While Gaming in Canada
Risk of bias assessment
The eleven observational studies 25–35 and one experimental study 36 were assessed for quality. All observational studies had issues regarding detection bias, mostly because homemade questionnaires or non-validated protocols were used to measure outcomes. Three studies 25 26 34 had a high risk of bias, either due to selection, missing data, reporting or measurement bias, such as voluntary participants and non-randomised samples, and incomplete reporting of some outcomes. Nine studies 27–33 35 36 presented a low risk of bias. Table 3 summarises the risk of bias assessment.
Physical health indicators and behaviours
Several key health-related variables were studied in the articles selected in this scoping review. Five studies (42%) investigated sleep or fatigue, 27 29 32–34 four (33%) examined body mass index (BMI), 25 29 30 33 35 four (33%) were interested in general health, 30 32–34 three (25%) considered musculoskeletal pain, 26 28 31 three (25%) investigated levels of physical activity 26 29 33 and three (25%) measured energy intake/expenditure or nutrition. 29 33 36
Assessment tools
A vast majority (83%) of the studies under examination used questionnaires to gather data. 26–35 Of these studies, nine (75%) chose to develop a homemade questionnaire, 25 26 28 30–32 34 35 while two (17%) decided to use a pre-existing and validated questionnaire. 27 29 Only one (8%) study opted to measure a physical health outcome using objective measures. 36 Chaput and colleagues 36 used a direct measurement method to evaluate energy intake and expenditure. Table 4 presents the various assessment tools used in each study and the psychometric properties as reported in the original study.
Outcomes assessment tools psychometric value
Association between gaming and physical health outcomes
Sleep and fatigue
Five studies investigated sleep and/or fatigue. 27 29 32–34 From these studies, only one 34 had a high risk of bias but assessment tools and study populations were heterogeneous across studies including sometimes teenagers and young adults and sometimes older adults. One study, 27 with a low risk of bias, reported a weak association between gaming and lack of sleep or level of fatigue while two low risk of bias studies 29 found no association between sleep indicators and gaming time. One study did not specifically address the relationship between gaming time and fatigue. 32 Based on heterogeneity among samples (studies involving either video gamers and eSport athletes) and assessment tools used in these studies, there is insufficient evidence to determine if any association exists between sleep quality, fatigue and video game playing time.
Five studies investigated BMI, 25 29 30 33 35 three of them having a low risk of bias. Two low risk of bias studies 29 30 conducted in teenagers and adult populations found a moderate association between gaming and BMI, one low risk of bias study 33 found a weak association between gaming and BMI, while one low risk of bias study 35 found no association in teenagers. Based on these studies and because of the heterogeneity of studied populations, we conclude that there is preliminary evidence that increasing hours of video game playing is associated with increased BMI in adults only.
General health status
Four studies reported general health status outcomes 30 32 34 and three of them had a low risk 30 32 33 of bias, while the other one had a high risk of bias. 34 One low risk of bias study reported a poorer health status in video game players compared with non-players 30 and one low risk of bias study found a weak negative association between playing time and self-reported health status. 33 Another study 32 indicated that ritualised motives to play video games contributed significantly to health complaints in boys and girls. This latter association, although significant was marginal. Based on these studies and because of the heterogeneity of studied populations, we conclude that there is preliminary evidence that increasing hours of video game playing is negatively associated with general health status.
Musculoskeletal pain
Three studies investigated musculoskeletal pain, 26 28 31 all of them having a low risk of bias. One study 26 reported only descriptive statistics for various musculoskeletal complaints among eSport athletes. One study 28 reported a weak association between gaming time and musculoskeletal pain, while another study 31 concluded that gaming was not associated with back pain, pain in upper limbs or diffuse pain. Given that musculoskeletal pain and complaints were self-reported using non-validated tools and based on two contradictory low risk of bias studies we conclude that there is insufficient evidence to determine if any association exists between time spent playing video games and musculoskeletal pain.
Level of physical activity and sedentary behaviours
Three studies investigated the level of physical activity. 26 29 33 One low risk of bias study 29 reported a moderate negative association between vigorous physical activities while one low risk of bias study reported no association. 33 One high risk of bias study 26 reported only descriptive statistics (40% of the players do not participate in any kind of physical activity). Based on the two low risk of bias studies, there is conflicting evidence that increasing hours of video game playing is negatively associated with physical activity.
Dietary behaviours
Three studies, all with low risk of bias, measured dietary behaviours. 29 33 36 One study 29 reported no difference in energy intake between frequent and non-frequent players while the other study, 36 the only experimental study included in the review, showed that video game playing is associated with an increased food intake, regardless of appetite sensations. Another low risk of bias study found no association between video game playing time and fruit and vegetable consumption. 33 Based on low risk but contradictory and heterogeneous studies, we conclude that there is insufficient evidence to determine if any association exists between time spent playing video games and either energy intake/expenditure or fruit and vegetable consumption.
DISCUSSION
This scoping review focused on the impacts of video games on physical health indicators and behaviours of healthy video game players. In this study, physical health is defined as a multi‐component construct that refers to health complaints and acute health concerns (notably injuries), but also includes lifestyle choices like commitments to physical activity, nutritious diets and sufficient sleep. Based on the current evidence regarding the effect of screen time on physical health indicators, we hypothesised that increased time spent playing video games would be associated with a deterioration in physical health indicators. After analysing the relatively scarce and recent available evidence on the topic, it is now possible to synthetise the main findings regarding the different health outcomes.
Because of their methodological approach and specific research questions, some articles deserve to be discussed individually. Chaput and colleagues 36 were the only study in this scoping review that used a randomised crossover methodology and is also the only study using direct measurement to measure energy balance. Another study published by Hellström and colleagues 28 investigated the motives to play video games and the association between such motives and various health outcomes. Finally, DiFrancisco and colleagues 26 adopted a more descriptive approach, but opted to measure a population of eSport athlete, which makes it the only study currently addressing physical health outcomes and E-gaming.
Another review in which massively multiplayer online games were studied 37 found ‘inconclusive evidence’ regarding the relationship between regular massively multiplayer online games gameplay and negative consequences to physical or psychosocial health of players, although they found a positive relationship between gaming addiction and worse overall health and sleep quality. The authors also reported that a major limitation of their study was the poor quality of the research in the field of gaming. A systematic review 38 explored the effect of gaming on physical and psychological health among users for the past 20 years. They found that the impact is variable depending on the type of gamer, but that playing more than 5 hours per week was associated with negative outcomes like musculoskeletal injuries, higher BMI and sleeping problems. The latter review included studies either about general and mental health, aggressive and social behaviours and educational benefits but did not assess specific categories of physical health outcomes and only provided broad results and conclusions on these outcomes. Moreover, the authors did not conduct a risk of bias analysis which limits the interpretation and generalisability of their results.
Several physical health indicators and behaviours were identified in the selected articles. The conflicting evidence suggesting a possible negative association between physical activity levels and time spent playing video games, even if preliminary, seems important since physical activity levels are closely related to long-term health indicators, such as blood pressure, diabetes or BMI. 39 40 A recent study exploring associations between sitting time, physical activity and BMI concluded that individuals that spend more time seated (8 or more hours per day) were more likely to have a higher BMI and lower physical activity participation. 41 Given that preliminary evidence also suggest that increasing hours of video game playing are associated with increased BMI in adults, more studies investigating the relationship between video games physical activity, obesity and cardiometabolic health outcomes are warranted. The effect of video game playing on physical activity seems to vary according to the type of video gaming. For instance, preliminary results suggest that 73% of eSports players are able to meet physical activity guideline potentially because of their motivation to stay healthy and enhance their physical capacity. 42 Alternatively, because they require the participants to move their body to progress, as opposed to classic video games or other screen-based activities, 43 exergames seem to momentarily increase light-intensity to moderate-intensity physical activity. Their effect on long-term commitment to physical activity or decreases in sedentary behaviour, however, is less clear. 44 The results and conclusion of this review may have differed if active or exergames would have been included.
One of the major concerns of public health stakeholders is the impact of screen time on population health. When compared with the overall body of evidence related to screen time and physical health, this scoping review suggests that the relative consequences are generally similar to those observed when individuals spend time in front of a screen, regardless of whether they play video games, watch television or interact on social media. A recent review by Hale and Guan investigating screen time and sleep hypothesised that sleep was negatively impacted by screen time. 13 They found that, in 90% of the reviewed studies, sleep was negatively impacted by time spent gaming. Moreover, the physiological and psychological states of arousal caused by the content of the media or resulting social interactions can negatively impact the ability to fall or stay asleep. Finally, the authors reported that prolonged screen light exposure before bed (more than 2 hours) is suggested to alter the circadian rhythm through the suppression of melatonin and affect the quality of sleep. Moreover, a recent study highlighted an inverse association between time spent in front of a screen and moderate to vigorous physical activity. 45
One of the key strengths of this review is the fact that it strictly focuses on video games and no other type of screen-related activities. This distinction can be useful for public health stakeholders to develop and disseminate recommendations to the public; it can also help scientists to identify strengths and weaknesses in the literature. Another relevant contribution of this review is that it isolates the physical component of health and ignore psychosocial outcomes. There is much more evidence regarding the latter outcomes, while physical outcomes such as sleep, physical activity and energy balance are often relegated to a secondary role. Limitations of this review include the sometimes small sample and heterogeneity of the included studies. Indeed, the available evidence regarding the relationship between physical health and time spent playing video games is still limited and most of the studies were published in the last 10–15 years. Also, given the composition of the research team, it was decided that only studies written in French or English would be included for analysis. The impact of such language exclusion is that the number of potentially excluded but relevant publications is unknown. Finally, because original studies included in this scoping review were mostly cross-sectional studies, the temporal relationship between exposure and outcomes as well as other criteria for causation cannot be determined.
Given the aforementioned limitations, future research should include experimental research design using control groups to better understand the mechanisms underpinning the relationship between video games and the deterioration of physical health outcomes. Considering the associations between gaming and physical health indicators, public health stakeholders should continue to encourage the population, especially children and adolescents, to adopt an active lifestyle and promote physical activity. Furthermore, researcher should continue to explore such associations and assess video gaming and health indicators with precise and validated measurement tools. Another possible solution would be to better monitor and organise the practice of video games. Playing within the framework of organised extracurricular activities where children and adolescents could practice video games under the supervision of a trained adult is certainly a promising approach to gaming. A recent study 46 highlighted the potential of eSports as a means of improving life skills such as commitment, cooperation and communication among young athletes as well as a potential catalyst to improve lifestyle habits and physical activity practice, especially among the young people.
CONCLUSION
This scoping review overviews the few studies exploring the topic of video gaming and physical health. Results suggest preliminary evidence of an association between video game playing time and a deterioration of some physical health indicators and behaviours such as BMI and general health status. Overall, available evidence is scarce and was mostly published recently. More studies are needed to increase our understanding of video gaming effects on physical health and related health behaviours.
So, let's define, what was the most valuable conclusion of this review: The best fitness games, from Ring Fit Adventure to Just Dance 2020 at Exercises You Can Do While Gaming in Canada
Contents of the article
- Best fitness games to help you exercise...
- 10. Fitness Boxing (Nintendo Switch)
- 9. EA Sports Active (Wii)
- 8. Pokemon Go (Mobile)
- 7. Your Shape Fitness Evolved (Xbox 360)
- 6. Zumba Burn It Up (Nintendo Switch)
- 5. Just Dance 2020 (PS4, Nintendo...
- 4. Nike+ Kinect Training (Xbox 360)
- 3. Zombies, Run (Mobile)
- 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo Wii)
- 1. Ring Fit Adventure (Nintendo Switch)
- Turning Exercise Into a Game Can Make...
- Be Fit For Life
- Active At Home
- Be Fit For Life’s Guide for Parents:...
- Activity Ideas for Adults
- Activity Ideas for the Whole Family
- 12 Ways to Exercise While You Study....
- Recent Posts
- Archives
- Categories
- 8 tips to stay fit and healthy this...
- 1. Enjoy outdoor winter activities to...
- 2. Work out at home to avoid the cold...
- 3. Find a workout buddy
- 4. Add Google Home or Alexa to your...
- 5. Set fitness goals you’ll actually...
- 6. Plan for a safe winter workout
- 7. Sneak exercise into your day
- 8. Don’t stress over your New Year’s...
- Healthy Habits, Active Advice
- Contact Healthy Habits, Active Advice
- A Joyous, Healthy & Active Holiday
- Physical Fitness
- Mitchell’s Full-Body Workout
- World Day of Physical Activity Workout
- Amber’s Latest (free) Fitness App Find
- Allison’s No-Equipment Quick Workout
- Adele’s Advice: Get Your Groove On
- Mayu Says Keep Moving
- Physical Literacy & Other Activities
- Sport For Life
- Active For Life
- ParticipACTION
- Sport NS & CSCA
- Canadian Olympic Club
- How Fast Can You Puzzle?
- Community Health Teams
- Halifax Public Libraries
- Mindfulness & Meditation
- Social distancing and exercise:...
- How active?
- Exercises You Can Do While Gaming in...
- Risk of bias assessment
- Physical health indicators and...
- Assessment tools
- Association between gaming and physical...
- General health status
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Level of physical activity and...
- Dietary behaviours
- DISCUSSION
- CONCLUSION
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