The effect of exergames on functional strength, anaerobic fitness, balance and agility in children with and without motor coordination difficulties living in low-income communities

- DCD implies besides coordination, also agility- and functional strength problems.
- Active gaming improves functional strength and sprinting in children with/without DCD.
- VR training leads to better balance skills in children with DCD.
- VR games offer enjoyable physical exercise in children to improve physical fitness.

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) are physically less active, preferring more sedentary behavior and are at risk of developing health problems or becoming overweight. 18 children (age 6-10 years) with lower levels of motor coordination attending a primary school in a low-income community in South Africa (score on Movement Assessment Battery for Children Second edition equal to or below the 5th percentile) were selected to participate in the study and were age-matched with typically developing peers (TD). Both groups of children engaged in 20 min of active Nintendo Wii Fit gaming on the balance board, twice a week for a period of five weeks. All children were tested before and after the intervention using the lower limb items of the Functional Strength Measurement, the 5 × 10 meter sprint test, the 5 × 10 meter slalom sprint test, and the Balance, Running speed and Agility subtest of the Bruininks Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency 2nd edition (BOT-2).After intervention, both groups of children improved in functional strength and anaerobic fitness. The magnitude of these changes was not related to participant's motor coordination level. However, differences in change between the TD and DCD group were apparent on the motor performance tests; children with DCD seemed to benefit more in balance skills of the BOT-2, while the TD children improved more in the Running speed and Agility component of the BOT-2. Compliance to the study protocol over 5 weeks was high and the effect on physical functioning was shown on standardized measures of physical performance validated for children with and without DCD.