"No studies reported worsening mood, supporting exergames as a safe activity for this group."
BUFFALO, NY — March 25, 2026 — A new review was published in Volume 18 of Aging-US on March 18, 2026, titled " What are the effects of exergames on the mood states of older people? A systematic review of experimental studies, impacts on mental health and recommendations ."
Led by Camile de Bem Gaspar and Whyllerton Mayron da Cruz, with corresponding author Alexandro Andrade, all from the Laboratory of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Human Movement Sciences Graduate Program, College of Health and Sport Science of the Santa Catarina State University (UDESC) in Florianópolis, Brazil , the review examined whether exergames can influence mood in older adults. The authors followed systematic review and meta-analysis methods, screened 651 studies, and found nine that met the inclusion criteria, representing 325 participants aged 61 to 78.9 years.
The review found that exergames were associated with better mood outcomes, including reductions in tension, anger, fatigue, confusion, and depressive symptoms, while also promoting engagement, immersion, and socialization. In the studies that measured mood more broadly, participants described exergames as improving well-being and emotional state, and no included study reported worsened mood after participation.
"The results indicate that the practice of exergames had a positive effect on the mood of older adults."
The authors note, however, that the evidence base remains small and heterogeneous, with only nine eligible trials and several different mood measures used across studies. They call for longer-term interventions, larger and more diverse samples, and additional home-based or low-cost exergame studies to determine how durable the benefits are and how best to recommend them for older adults in real-world settings.
Paper DOI: https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.206361
