Scientific Research on Exergaming
Exergaming and Cognitive Function
Link to scientific article: Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition,
memory and executive function: a systematic
umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis
If you're unfamiliar with meta-studies, it's basically researchers rigorously digging through stacks of published research and trying to figure out if there's overall trends that stick out. Recently, the Australians finished up a pretty massive examination of everything we have on the impact of exercise and how it can help your cognitive ability. I hope it's obvious that if you want to be productive, having the best possible output of your brain is very helpful. In this research, it basically boils down to the following categories and the impacts of these various categories.
It turns out that exercise has a very measurable and potentially even large impact on all of your neural activities. Basically if you do the right thing in terms of your exercise, you actually become smarter.
Exercise Types and Their Cognitive Effects
| Exercise Type | General Cognition | Memory | Executive Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exergames (active video games) | Moderate to large effect (SMD=0.61) | Large effect (SMD=0.58) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.12–0.37) |
| Mind-body practices (yoga, Tai Chi, Baduanjin) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.25–0.44) | Especially good, small to medium effect (up to SMD=0.51) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.12–0.37) |
| Aerobic exercise | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.25–0.44) | Small to medium effect (SMD up to 0.51) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.12–0.37) |
| Resistance exercise | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.25–0.44) | Small to medium effect (SMD up to 0.51) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.12–0.37) |
| Dance | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.25–0.44) | Small to medium effect (SMD up to 0.51) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.12–0.37) |
| Mixed routines | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.25–0.44) | Small to medium effect (SMD up to 0.51) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.12–0.37) |
| Other forms (sports and martial arts) | Small to moderate effect (SMD range=0.25–0.44) | Not specifically detailed | Greater effect (SMD=0.45) |
Key Findings
Most Effective Exercise Types by Domain
General Cognition:
-
Exergames produced the largest effects, likely due to combining physical exertion with cognitively stimulating tasks that require participants to recall movements, recognize visual and verbal cues, and memorize sequences
Memory:
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Exergames showed the largest effect size (SMD=0.58)
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Mind-body practices were especially beneficial for memory enhancement, requiring high attention combined with memorization of coordinated movement sequences
Executive Function:
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Other forms of exercise (including various sports and martial arts) had the greatest effect (SMD=0.45)
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All exercise modalities showed meaningful improvements in executive function
Effect Size Interpretation:
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SMD <0.20: small effect
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SMD 0.20–0.50: medium effect
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SMD >0.50: large effect
Universal Benefits:
The study found that all exercise modalities were effective across cognitive domains, with benefits observed regardless of exercise intensity, frequency, or duration. Even light-intensity exercise provided substantial cognitive benefits, making physical activity accessible to diverse populations.
You'll see the top category is exergames. These are video games that actually require you to do large body motions, motions that should substantially take up your heart rate. The research is pointing toward DDR, or Dance Dance Revolution, as potentially being the most effective thing that you can do to increase your brain power.