Exercise games like Nintendo’s Ring Fit Adventure could improve early depressive symptoms, a new study has found.
The study, which was funded by the Jilin Association of Higher Education in China, investigated whether subthreshold depression could be treated with video games that make the player do exercises.
‘Subthreshold depression’ (StD) refers to a state where someone experiences depressive symptoms, but doesn’t yet meet the criteria for major depressive disorder.
Previous research has found that exercise can reduce depressive symptoms for people with StD, but according to the study it can be difficult for some people with such symptoms to stick to a regular routine.
The study attempted to find whether “exergames on platforms such as Nintendo Switch may improve motivation and participation in physical activity”, noting that evidence of this had been limited until now.
84 adults with StD were randomly separated into two groups. One group of 42 were given an eight-week program playing Ring Fit Adventure for 2-3 sessions a week, and 50-60 minutes per session. The other group of 42 continued their usual activities.
According to the results of the test, the group given the Ring Fit Adventure program reported “significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms at all time points”, as well as “significant improvements” in sleep quality and anxiety.
Follow-up research, in which participants were interviewed, found that they felt engaged with the content, believed it helped their mental and physical wellbeing, and found it easier to stick to a routine.
“These findings suggest that commercially available exergaming platforms may serve as accessible, engaging tools for early mental health support in real-world settings,” the study concludes.
Ring Fit Adventure was released in October 2019 and sees players taking on a turn-based RPG where the movements and battle moves are performed using the Ring-Con, a Pilates ring with a strain sensor which can tell how much it’s being stretched.
Using a combination of the Ring-Con (which holds one Joy-Con) and a leg strap (containing the other Joy-Con), players can run, jump and perform moves which are tracked by the game.
Ring Fit Adventure is the 13th best-selling game on Nintendo Switch, selling more than 15 million copies since its release.
Nintendo‘s previous fitness games included Wii Fit (which sold 22.67 million copies), Wii Fit Plus (21.13 million) and Wii Fit U.
