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Physical activity as a game: can you do more?

March 12, 2018

Points to earn, levels to climb, rewards to win. Organizing physical activity as a game, according to the gamification practice, translatable as playfulness, could induce individuals to move more. This is what emerges from a research published in JAMA Internal Medicine. We discuss this topic with Professor Daniela Lucini, Head of the Humanitas Section of Exercise Medicine.

 

The research

Gamification, or rather the use of elements typical of games in external contexts, is a practice that is also spreading in the field of health thanks to the availability of digital tools and softwares such as apps to monitor levels of physical activity. The authors of this research, coming from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Boston University (United States) evaluated the effects of a gamification intervention on the physical activity of ninety-four families.

 

The study was attended by two hundred adults followed for twenty-four weeks (average age of 55 years; little more than half were women). They were all equipped with an electronic bracelet or smartphone app to monitor levels of physical activity measured by the number of steps. At the beginning of the study, they defined a starting point and set goals to be achieved day after day.

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The results

The participants of the “game” group, about half of the population involved, were updated by email or SMS on the progress achieved. These, unlike the other participants, could earn points and climb levels. Each family started every week with seventy points available. Every day they were informed about which member was chosen to represent their team. If the team could not reach the goal he lost ten points but if he finished the week with at least 50 remaining points he would still be advancing levels.

 

At the beginning of the study the game group had scored 7,244 and the other group had scored 7,662 steps. In the twelve weeks, the former increased their level of physical activity more than the other group (1,661 vs. 636) and scored more than 1.6 km more per day. In the remaining weeks the level of physical activity had decreased but remained at a higher level than the control group.

 

The use of technology, the playful aspect and a touch of competition all work on the same aspect: “It is that of motivation, the lever for physical activity or increasing the “dose”, recalls Professor Lucini. Be careful, however, not to rely too much on technological tools such as an application or an electronic bracelet. These should not be seen as “magic” instruments because there may be a risk of having to stop using them”.

 

The study itself indicated a reduction in levels of physical activity once these instruments were discontinued. Motivation must always be associated with the objective that one wants to achieve by doing physical activity and with an understanding of the benefits that derive from it on the different aspects of one’s well-being,” concludes the professor.

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