key: cord-0855858-22ykqpy1 authors: Viana, Ricardo B.; Vancini, Rodrigo L.; Silva, Wellington F.; Morais, Naiane S.; de Oliveira, Vinnycius N.; Andrade, Marília S.; de Lira, Claudio A. B. title: Comment on: Problematic online gaming and the COVID-19 pandemic – The role of exergames date: 2021-03-04 journal: J Behav Addict DOI: 10.1556/2006.2021.00014 sha: 4400436767ec1031255b4a6e4dff5511538c4324 doc_id: 855858 cord_uid: 22ykqpy1 Although significant increases in gaming may not always be beneficial, exergames (a new generation of video games also known as exergaming or active video games) appear as an alternative, feasible, attractive, and safe way to perform physical exercise for most clinical and nonclinical populations. Therefore, it is important to recognize that exergames can be considered a useful tool for coping with the COVID-19 outbreak and the recommended social distancing period. ping-pong, volleyball, beach volleyball, and boxing), dancing (Neves et al., 2015; Unnithan, Houser, & Fernhall, 2006; Viana et al., 2017) , and weight-bearing exercises (Moreira, Rodacki, Costa, Pitta, & Bento, 2020; Viana et al., 2018; Viana, Gentil, Andrade, Vancini, & de Lira, 2019) . Consoles that enable this experience are Sony's PlayStation Move ® , Microsoft's Xbox Kinect ® and Nintendo's Wii ® Wiemeyer et al., 2015) . Compared to online gaming, exergames appear more advantageous because they induce acute and chronic beneficial physiological and psychological changes that are not typically found following traditional forms of sedentary video gaming. Most studies involving exergames have investigated their effects on behavioral, cognitive, psychological and physical outcomes (Benzing & Schmidt, 2018; . There is evidence that exergame interventions are able to improve physical activity levels (Fogel, Miltenberger, Graves, & Koehler, 2010) , the performance of daily activities (Neumann, Meidert, Barber a-Guillem, Poveda-Puente, & Becker, 2018; Zangirolami-Raimundo et al., 2019) , muscle strength in older adults (Htut, Hiengkaew, Jalayondeja, & Vongsirinavarat, 2018) , heart rate Neves et al., 2015; Rodrigues et al., 2015; Viana et al., 2017 Viana et al., , 2018 , oxygen consumption Rodrigues et al., 2015; Viana et al., 2018) , and energy expenditure in various populations Rodrigues et al., 2015; Viana et al., 2018; Wu et al., 2015) , improvements in body composition in children (Staiano, Abraham, & Calvert, 2013) , postural balance (Jorgensen, Laessoe, Hendriksen, Nielsen, & Aagaard, 2013) , cognitive function in older adults (Maillot, Perrot, & Hartley, 2012) , and anxiety disorders in different populations (Viana & de Lira, 2020; Viana et al., 2017) . Therefore, although access to exergames may be more limited than access to traditional video games, the benefits of this type of video games must be taken into account during the COVID-19 outbreak due to its strong motivational ability. Exergames are great in increasing motivation for exercise (Peng & Crouse, 2013) , and physical exercise plays an important role in coping with the detrimental effects on health imposed by social isolation and lockdown, such as a decrease in physical activity levels and an increase in sedentary behavior. In summary, while we applaud the manuscript by King, Delfabbro, Billieux, and Potenza (2020) , it is also important to recognize that exergames can be considered a useful tool for coping with the negative consequences imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak and self-isolation period. Authors' contribution: Author RBV wrote the first draft of the letter and all authors contributed to and have approved the final manuscript. The authors report no financial or other relationship relevant to the subject of this article. Exergames and the school physical education in the digital culture Exergaming for children and adolescents: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats The effects of exergaming on physical activity among inactive children in a physical education classroom The utility of a video game system in rehabilitation of burn and nonburn patients: A survey among occupational therapy and physiotherapy practitioners The physiological cost and enjoyment of Wii Fit in adolescents, young adults, and older adults Effects of physical, virtual reality-based, and brain exercise on physical, cognition, and preference in older persons: A randomized controlled trial Efficacy of Nintendo Wii training on mechanical leg muscle function and postural balance in community-dwelling older adults: A randomized controlled trial Problematic online gaming and the COVID-19 pandemic Study what makes games addictive The power of play: Innovations in getting active summit Effects of interactive physical-activity video-game training on physical and cognitive function in older adults Perceptive-cognitive and physical function in prefrail older adults: Exergaming versus traditional multicomponent training Effects of an exergame software for older adults on fitness, activities of daily living performance, and quality of life Cardiovascular effects of Zumba ® performed in a virtual environment using XBOX Kinect Energy expended playing Xbox Kinect TM and Wii TM games: A preliminary study comparing single and multiplayer modes Playing in parallel: The effects of multiplayer modes in active video game on motivation and physical exertion Virtual reality and interactive digital game technology: New tools to address obesity and diabetes Acute cardiovascular responses while playing virtual games simulated by Nintendo Wii ® Adolescent exergame play for weight loss and psychosocial improvement: A controlled physical activity intervention Wii tennis play for low-income african american adolescents' energy expenditure Evaluation of the energy cost of playing a dance simulation video game in overweight and non-overweight children and adolescents Anxiolytic effects of a single session of the exergame Zumba ® Fitness on healthy young women The effects of exergames on anxiety levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis Exergames as coping strategies for anxiety disorders during the COVID-19 quarantine period Is the energy expenditure provided by exergames valid? Profiling exercise intensity during the exergame Hollywood Workout on XBOX 360 Kinect ® Recommendations for the optimal design of exergame interventions for persons with disabilities: Challenges, best practices, and future research Energy expenditure and intensity in healthy young adults during exergaming Contrasting performance between physically active and sedentary older people playing exergames