Active Video Game Play and Physical Health

[Dr. Amy Lu] So over the years, my lab has conducted a series of experimental research on the effects of playing active video games among children and young adults across different kinds of platforms. We have found that active video games can effectively induce moderate to vigorous physical activities among children. This has been validated by heart rate monitor, metabolic heart, and accelerometer measures. Coupled with non-screen exercise activities, this can enable children to meet the recommendations of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which is also endorsed by the American Heart Association and the World Health Organization, that children should engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. In addition, we have found that sometimes a simple 30-minute bout of active video game play helped to improve their cognitive capacities like executive function. We have observed significant improvement of inhibitory control and working memory improvement after the play, and also the effects are actually more significant and more pronounced for children with obesity and overweight than children with normal weight.