Browsing by Author "Solar Figueroa, Vaitiare"

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    Exergames as a tool for improving muscular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness, and body composition in children and adolescents: a systematic review
    Solar Figueroa, Vaitiare; Soto San Martín, Alejandro; Ferrero-Hernández, Paloma; Espoz Lazo, Sebastián Ignacio; Marín-Guajardo, Cecilia; Farías Valenzuela, Claudio; Poblete-Aro, Carlos
    Introduction: over 80% of children and adolescents fail to meet physical activity recommendations, leading to declines in muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness and rising obesity rates. Exergames—digital games requiring physical movement—are a promising tool to promote activity in youth.Objective: to determine the effects of exergames on muscular fitness, cardiorespiratory fitness,and body composition in children and adolescents.Methodology: a search was conducted in Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, and PubMed databases, including randomized controlled trials published in the last 10 years. Studies were excluded if they involved participants with disabilities or used exergames for rehabilitation orhospital-based interventions.Results: a total of ten studies were included: three out of five studies reported improvementsin muscular fitness, seven out of nine in cardiorespiratory fitness, and five out of nine in bodycomposition. The most effective interventions occurred 2–3 times per week, for 40–60 minutesper session, over at least 12 weeks.Discussion: while outcomes are promising, differences in study design, duration, and assessment tools may have affected consistency across results.Conclusion: exergames appear effective for improving health-related fitness in children and adolescents, providing a fun and accessible way to increase physical activity through technology.