Introduction
As children move seamlessly in and out of digital spaces, there is frequent concern about how increased time spent on screens may be impacting their physical activity. There is, however, a certain type of gaming experience, here called an “exergame”, which specifically seeks to increase physical activity levels through video game play. Exergames require movement, such as dancing or jumping, to progress through a game or successfully “level up”. Games like Dance Dance Revolution and consoles like the Nintendo Wii helped to popularize this type of gaming experience, bringing exergames into millions of homes.
Today, virtual and augmented reality platforms and consoles are integrating physical activity into their games. Many commercially available exergames also have a social component, which might impact how family members play together or potentially create a wider community of gamers. Exergames designed for clinical or specific learning or rehabilitation purposes have been evaluated extensively. This research brief focuses on the physical and social impacts of general entertainment exergaming and the experiences of players.
Physical Activity & Health
In the United States, just 21% of children aged 6-17 meet physical activity guidelines recommending 60 minutes a day (Physical Activity Alliance, 2024). Lower levels of physical activity for children and adolescents have been linked to a myriad of health concerns into adulthood, including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and lower mental health (e.g. Biddle et al., 2019; Souilla et al., 2024). Additionally, high levels of screen time have been associated with lower levels of physical activity; U.S. teenagers who had over four hours of leisure screen time a day were about 13 percentage points more likely to report infrequent physical activity (Zablotsky et al., 2025).Structural and social factors, however, likely also play a role in both children’s access to screens and sports or other opportunities for physical activity (Kaja et al., 2024; Yang et al., 2025). Exergames have been explored as a way to increase physical activity, especially in spaces where outdoor play may not be possible, during school hours, or for children who have lower baseline levels of physical activity.
Exergames at School
Exergames can be used in various settings, including at home, outside, or in school. Recess in schools can support better learning and encourage physical activity, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently affirmed the importance of breaks for all students (Murray et al., 2026). While outdoor time is ideal for children, hurdles like poor infrastructure or inclement weather may not always allow for students to have a space to spend recess outside. At these times, indoor activities, including exergames, may help encourage physical activity and socialization, even when space or resources are limited.
One experiment focused on seventh graders who participated in an exergame intervention in school. This study found that students preferred the exergame break over traditional physical activity and could moderate the intensity of their effort in exercising (Gao et al., 2014). Another intervention leveraged augmented reality to create a game where kindergarteners explore, stomp, and run across a projected map, promoting collaboration and play in a casual environment (Cibrian et al., 2014).
Location-Based Exergames
Some exergames have been designed to fit into the existing environment of the player, encouraging players to interact with their neighborhood or other outdoor spaces in a new way, even encouraging connection with other players (Saxena et al., 2023). One such popular game is Pokémon GO, which uses geolocation and augmented reality features to encourage players to find and capture Pokémon in the player’s location. In a recent study, adult Pokémon GO players who reported playing the game with friends or many days each week had a higher likelihood of walking at least 150 minutes a week (Fang et al., 2023). On the other hand, in the same study, many Pokémon GO players also reported higher amounts of idle sitting time (as compared to non-players), suggesting that Pokémon GO might be a supportive intervention for those who might not already be active (Fang et al., 2023). The benefits might be dependent on time and intensity of play such that casually playing Pokémon GO likely does not significantly increase physical activity in adults (Fang et al., 2023).
For children and adolescents, a review of research found that Pokémon GO generally had positive effects on physical activity, increasing steps and time spent physically active (Liang et al., 2023). Many studies only followed the children for a short period of time, and it is likely that, like adults, the positive impacts of Pokémon GO are not sustained by inconsistent casual play.
Other exergames might be built into devices intended to track physical activity, gamifying exercise with rewards or added features. Smartwatches and other fitness trackers have been shown to significantly increase step count, but not moderate to vigorous physical activity, in children and teens (Au et al., 2024). Some of these products try to explicitly gamify movement through social features, rewards, or goal-setting (Cho et al., 2021), and some researchers have explored the possible benefits of specific game interventions, like a treadmill game or creating a virtual garden through movement (e.g. Amresh et al., 2017; Marin-Lora et al., 2023)
There may be a reason to slowly roll out these types of features to increase the benefits. Recent research found that young adults took more steps when interventions that rewarded or motivated step-taking were introduced cumulatively, rather than all at once (Liu et al., 2026). Varied and evolving design and features may help maintain use over a longer period of time, possibly enhancing the benefits of the exergame (e.g. Lindqvist et al., 2018).
New Frontiers of Home Exergames
Dance Dance Revolution mats, Nintendo Wii consoles, and other hardware like Xbox Kinect brought exergaming into the mainstream and offered children the chance to play physically active games in their own home. While those consoles were particularly popular in the early 2000-2010s, new immersive games utilizing virtual reality or movement tracking have been released in recent years. Virtual reality games like Beat Saber, Gorilla Tag, and other physical games like those focused on sports like boxing have been evaluated for their ability to encourage movement. Games like VR boxing or Gorilla Tag, which involve full body movement, are likely more effective for moderate intensity physical activity than those games which only utilize upper body movements (e.g. Boots et al., 2025; Godfrey et al., 2025).
While those who play VR-enabled games in research report enjoying the experience (e.g. Boots et al., 2025; Faric et al., 2021; Godfrey et al., 2025), this technology is still relatively uncommon in homes, with just 33% of teens owning a VR device and 13% using VR weekly (Piper Sandler & Co., 2024). Other gaming systems use motion tracking technology through cameras on consoles or even smartphones, like the Nex Playground (e.g. Nex, 2026; Phosanarack et al., 2025), and though little research exists on these new games for entertainment purposes at this time, research should evaluate similar metrics of sustained use, enjoyment, and level of physical activity to compare which games and consoles may best support physical activity in this varied exergame environment.
Overall, it is clear there are opportunities for children to interact with technologically supported physical activity in many ways, including on a screen and within existing infrastructure. These opportunities may be particularly beneficial for children who are not already getting the recommended amount of physical activity, and for those who have greater barriers to accessing infrastructure like playgrounds or team sports, exergames may be a potential alternative, though care should be taken to also invest in improved outdoor opportunities alongside exergames for those who have historically lacked access to green space or sports opportunities (i.e. Amaya et al., 2026; Yang et al., 2025).
Social Impacts
Exergames are also often designed to be used with others, collaboratively or competitively. Some exergames have been specifically deployed in public spaces to encourage interactions with other people in the area (Kurdyukova & Rehm, 2009). Overall, a review of social exergames found that 72% of evaluated studies reported the exergame as at least partially effective in promoting physical activity and social engagement (Chan et al., 2025). For families in particular, the design of the games might help facilitate intergenerational gaming, as exergames may have a lower barrier to entry as many exergames do not require the player to learn potentially complicated controller-based gameplay. Many parents of children who game note that it can be difficult to connect with their children about games due to ability, “generational differences”, or their negative perceptions about video gaming but may be more open to exploring exergames together and have more positive views of games which are not sedentary (i.e. Faric et al., 2021; McMichael et al., 2020). Recent research from Australia similarly finds that parents of younger children appreciate technologies that help facilitate physical activity; while the resources provided included podcasts and videos that encouraged movement, rather than games, this shows that there is a desire from parents to have digital experiences which support greater active participation together (Zabatiero et al., 2024).
Peer-to-peer interactions can also be facilitated by exergames. Pokemon GO players, for example, noted that they liked talking about the game with peers at school, showing each other rare Pokemon they had caught, or participating in battles with other players at local meet-ups (Lindqvist et all., 2018). Because these games often require players to be physically in the same space together, it can help bridge the gap between online and offline peer interactions for those with a shared interest. Here too, the design can support continued engagement with the game, as a review found that a variety of features can help support the efficacy of the experience, where a combination of features like competition, cooperation, and rewards is likely more effective than just one mode of social use (Chan et al., 2025). Therefore, it is likely that a mix of competitive and cooperative mini-games or gaming modes paired with recognition of achievement and profession might encourage children to engage with an exergame for more play sessions, supporting physical activity over time and helping build stronger peer bonds with shared experiences.
Injuries, Isolation, and Body Image
While it is clear that exergames can be engaging for young people and encourage movement, it is also important to recognize the potential concerns or drawbacks of exergame use. For adult exergamers, their barriers to engaging with or enjoying exergames were varied. Some of these barriers could be due to physical effects or their gaming environment, like lack of space, colliding with objects while wearing a VR headset, tracking issues with the technology, lack of variety in the gaming experience, or even injuries and dizziness (Cmentowski et al., 2026; McMichael et al., 2020). One experiment with tweens found that few participants reported VR-related symptoms like nausea, though longer time spent playing may impact symptoms as this intervention included breaks (Godfrey et al., 2025). Overall, there is likely little risk associated with low levels of VR use in young people, but time should be monitored and physical spaces kept clear with another person in the room to maintain safety and mitigate potential harms (e.g. Bexson et al., 2024). Parents often express concerns about location-based exergames as well, including safety in busy areas or if the device is causing their child to take avoidable risks like traveling to unfamiliar areas at night (e.g. Lindqvist et al., 2018)
Other barriers, though, are due to players feeling addicted to the games, discouragement with their progress, embarrassment when playing in front of others, or lack of gaming community (Cmentowski et al., 2026). This suggests that the design of the game can have impacts on both the physical and emotional states of the player. While exergames should empower gamers to participate in physical activity they enjoy, there is also a risk, then, that design choices might hinder progress or motivation to be active.
One older game, Wii Fit, has been criticized for these types of design choices that led to feelings of shame and guilt about weight, especially for children. The game design featured an avatar whose body shape was determined by BMI, and players could be categorized as overweight, underweight, or obese based on height and weight. Trends on social media and news stories have highlighted the stories of young people who said that this had a negative impact on their self-esteem and body image, and for some this even fueled eating disorders (e.g. Diaz, 2021; NPR, 2008). While these are stories from young players, research supports the idea that avatar size can impact children’s engagement with exergames; one experiment found that children who were assigned overweight avatars or experienced weight stereotypes in the game were less motivated to exercise and had poorer attitudes towards exercise than their peers assigned more neutral avatars (Li et al., 2014). As exergames are frequently touted as ways to improve young people’s physical activity levels, it is critical that gaming systems do so in a way that empowers young people to make healthy choices without shame or guilt, as positive impacts are unlikely if a child or teen feels too embarrassed to play or ashamed of their body.
Conclusion
Overall, it is clear that exergames can be appealing and fun for children and adolescents, but less well known is the potential for long-lasting benefits and a comparison to other physical activity interventions (e.g. Eng et al., 2023). As there are increasing concerns about young people’s sedentary behavior, there is clearly a potential for exergames to support increased physical activity in a way that is appealing and can even encourage social interaction between players. However, it is critical to also consider how exergames can complement initiatives for greater access to outdoor spaces and structured physical activity, rather than using these games as a simple replacement. Future research should strive to measure if exergames can have sustained benefits, and what features make exergames’ players feel more or less connected to others who may be playing the same game. These research agendas could help ensure that entertainment exergaming centers a healthy childhood over developmental stages and supports in-person connections with others who share similar experiences and interests.
This research brief was written by Kaitlin Tiches, MLIS, Knowledge & Research Strategy Manager at the Digital Wellness Lab. For more information, please email us.