Comparison of Physiological and Psychological Responses to Exergaming and Treadmill Walking in Healthy Adults.

The purpose of this study was to compare treadmill walking with exergame play on the "EA Sports Active™" (Entertainment Arts, Redwood City, CA) for the Nintendo™ (Kyoto, Japan) Wii™. Thirty healthy adults (13 male, 17 female; 24.1±6.6 years old) spent 30 minutes walking briskly on a treadmill and approximately 40 minutes playing "Island Cardio Blast" on "EA Sports Active." Heart rate (HR) monitors, accelerometers, and Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were used to measure intensity. Participants also rated affect measures with the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale and completed the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale following completion of exercise. Participants had a significantly higher HR and RPE on the exergame but a higher percentage of minutes in moderate- or higher-intensity activity on the treadmill. Affect measures were consistent with past research, with positive affect following exercise in both conditions. Play on the "EA Sports Active" game for the Nintendo Wii elicited higher HR, RPE, and enjoyment measures than treadmill walking, indicating that it may be a good mode of exercise.