No motivation to exercise? Here’s what you can do
Over a quarter of the world’s population, or 1.4 billion people, don’t get enough exercise, especially older adults.
Not getting enough exercise is responsible for 3.2 million deaths around the world, making it the fourth leading risk factor for mortality. It is also a major risk factor for developing heart disease, certain cancers, and developing a chronic health disease.
But despite this, over a quarter of the world’s population, or over 1.4 billion people, don’t get enough exercise, especially older adults.
Why older adults need to exercise
You already know that exercise offers a ton of physical and emotional benefits for people at every age. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists several benefits on their website:
- Improved sleep
- Increases lifespan
- Reduces short-term anxiety
- Strengthens bones and muscles
- Improves your thinking or cognition
- Reduced your risk of depression and anxiety
- Lower blood pressure and better cholesterol levels
- Reduces your risk of getting a heart attack or stroke
- Reduced risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes
- Reduced risk of some common cancers (eg. lung, breast, and stomach cancer)
People face numerous barriers to exercise, such as lack of time, fear of injury, and lack of support. But one common barrier that is sometimes brushed aside is simply not enjoying the experience. This is something you have to shrug off and just accept or find a way to push through every time you try to work out. And for some people, this works.
But when boredom and lack of interest and enjoyment are some of the most common reasons for not getting enough exercise, wouldn’t a better way of dealing with the situation be to make exercise more enjoyable?
Combining exercise and gaming — exergaming
Exercise + Gaming = Exergaming or technology that combines exercise and gaming to encourage exercise while making it fun. Certain exergaming options also involve social interaction which can encourage activity and decrease loneliness.
Exergaming has benefits for people of all ages.
Some examples you might have heard of include Wii Fit, Just Dance, and My Fitness Coach. However, there are also lots of options for older adults:
PaperDude: This virtual-reality cycling based game was inspired by the arcade game Paperboy.
PedalTanks: This pedaling game involved tanks and competing with other players
VeRitas: This game involves controlling an avatar through physical movements
Motiview: This cycling game uses an exercise bike and videos to let players take virtual trips through familiar surroundings and memories.
2RaceWithMe: This pedaling game uses videos to let users travel around to different places, while also using a steering wheel to bring back the experience of driving.
Exercise can benefit many aspects of your life. Since many people find it hard to enjoy physical activity and struggle with motivation and boredom, exergaming can be a way of increasing physical activity while having fun.
Exergaming combines exercise with video games and is a great option for people of all ages, including older adults.
