Exergames and motor skills learning: a brief summary

Abstract:The term "exergames" refers to a category of video games in which the interaction is not based only on hand-eye coordination, but on the whole body, through the use of non-standard controllers, like Nintendo Wiimote or Balance Board and Microsoft Kinect sensor. The exergames were immediately hailed as a welcome development, for the contribution they offer as a weapon against a sedentary lifestyle and the level of user involvement, which adds to the traditional value of video games the attractiveness of natural interfaces. The current trend is to consider how the exergames present many potential advantages in the context of physical education and wellness promotion of. However, the current generation of exergames is not designed specifically to support teaching of motor activities or rehabilitation. There are no products that can count on the basis of a robust theoretical framework and that are oriented to the acquisition of specific motor skills, for use in physical education teaching and rehabilitation. Knowledge of basic mechanisms of motor control and of dynamics connected to motor skills learning may be the theoretical support to the design and development of exergames.