Exploring the Impact of a Gamified Exercise Platform to Support Healthy Ageing: Home-Based Study with Older Adults

Active ageing is an increasingly important concept within society due to the ageing of the world population and search for enhanced quality of life. Technological resources such as serious games can be used as a means to promote healthier lifestyle and ageing, particularly in older adults. This study intended to explore the effects of using a digital approach composed of serious games to support physical and cognitive exercise at home, to support healthy ageing. Eleven older adults voluntarily participated in an eight-day home-based study. The aim of the study was to explore the feasibility of the digital approach in autonomous sessions at home, by measuring satisfaction and motivation, and assessing the impact of different gamification strategies. The results showed that participants exercised autonomously on average on 5.5 out of the 8 days. Each session had an average duration of 35 minutes. Moreover, participants reported an average satisfaction of 80.0% throughout the sessions. Yet, the findings indicate that system usability should still be improved. Participants provided suggestions towards an easier user experience, pointing for example to the importance of personalized exercise plans. The findings suggest that gamification strategies focused on multi-joint and dynamic exercises were preferred over single limb and more monotonous exercises. The current study highlights the potential of home-based digital solutions to support healthy ageing in older adults and provide suggestions for future endeavors in this area.