title: Changes in physical activity and fitness after 3 months of home Wii Fit™ use.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine changes in physical activity and fitness variables in members of 8 volunteer families after 3 months of home use of the Wii Fit™ interactive video game. Pre and postintervention measurements were obtained from 21 subjects relative to physical activity (5 days of accelerometry), aerobic fitness (graded treadmill test), muscular fitness (push-ups), flexibility (sit-and-reach test), balance (composite equilibrium score), and body composition (body mass index and % body fat). Use characteristics of the Wii Fit™ device were also determined. A series of 2 (age group) × 2 (time) repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted to assess changes over time and between adults and children. Three months of home Wii Fit™ use revealed no significant age group × time interactions or main effects of group or time for daily physical activity, muscular fitness, flexibility, balance, or body composition. An age group × time interaction (p = 0.04) was observed in peak VO2 (ml·kg(-1)·min(-1)) with children displaying a significant (p = 0.03) increase after 3 months of Wii Fit™ use, whereas adults showed no significant (p = 0.50) change. Daily Wii Fit™ use per household declined by 82% (p < 0.01) from 21.5 ± 9.0 min·d(-1) during the first 6 weeks to 3.9 ± 4.0 min·d(-1) during the second 6 weeks. Most measures of health-related fitness in this exploratory study remained unchanged after 3 months of home use of the popular Wii Fit™ whole-body movement interactive video game. Modest daily Wii Fit™ use may have provided insufficient stimulus for fitness changes.
authors: Department of Health, Exercise Science, and Recreation Management, University of Mississippi, University, Mississippi, USA. sgowens@olemiss.edu
authors: Scott G
authors: SG
authors: Owens
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Garner
authors: J Mark
authors: JM
authors: Loftin
authors: Natalie
authors: N
authors: van Blerk
authors: Kevser
authors: K
authors: Ermin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D018910:Video Games