Exploring the Influence of Tech Savviness and Physical Activity in Older Adults Playing an Exergame

Abstract

Exergames are widely being used for various serious purposes such as training balance in older adults. However, despite the potential and growing attention given to such movement-based applications, there is lack of knowledge on how to design such technology for older adults while taking tech savviness and routine physical activity adequately into account. In this regard, the current paper reports on a qualitative case study with 6 healthy older adults. More concretely the study analyzed the older adults' (1) current use of electronic devices (i.e., smart phones and tablets) and software applications (i.e., email, net banking, mobile apps, and social media) (2) routine physical activities, and (3) exergaming competence. Results show that participants' tech savviness and routine physical activity did influence their exergaming performance. Overall, our findings suggest the importance of (1) designing for motivation based on preferences and influencing factors, (2) emphasizing the health benefits of playing the game, and (3) designing and endorsing exergames as a supplementary tool to healthy older adults' existing training regimens.