Interactive Video Dance Games for Healthy Older Adults

Background: Physical activity has known health benefits while the absence of physical activity can have harmful effects on health and well being. Fewer than 50% of United States adults get the recommended amount of physical activity. Over the age of 50 this drops to 10%. Aerobic dancing and ballroom dancing are some of the recommended activities by the CDC. Methods: This was a pilot study of the impact of a videodancing exercise program in a healthy elderly population. The goal was to test operational opportunities and constraints in a real world situation, detect changes in participants, and garner some information about overall impact on patient health. The results are based upon 36 elderly participants (mean age 80.1+ 5.4 years) who live in one of three participating assisted living facilities. The pilot study consisted of 20-24, 30 minute dance sessions on a video-game dance pad over a twelve week period of time. The participants were asked to complete two sessions per week under the supervision of a staff member from the site. Results: Of the initial 36 participants, 25 completed the study. The most prominent gains were in participants' perception and confidence while performing balance activities after the intervention. There were significant improvements (p value < .05) on 21 items in the SF 36. Completers also showed significant gains in narrow walk time. Conclusion: Videodancing exercise may boost balance confidence and self-perceived health, both important factors in willingness to pursue physical activity.