Exercise Gaming as a Mental Health Intervention, Exercise Psychology and Dance Dance Revolution

By David Smith, M.Sc., CSCS., SDL (He/Him) + Art by Bandcamp

Exercise Psychology co-exists as a separate by complementary component within our field of Sport Psychology. However, unlike sport psychology, exercise psychology focuses less on performance and more on motivation to develop and maintain consistent exercise and physical activity behaviors. Furthermoe, exercise psychology works more with the general population and generally only works with athletes in a rehabilitation or post-career transition capacity.

Exercise and physical activity itself has shown to have substantial affects on the prevention, management, and treatment of mental health and psychiatric disorders; such as anxiety, depression, chronic stress, bipolar, schizophrenia, and substance abuse/addiction.

For older populations, regular exercise has shown to inhibit the development of and/or slow down the progress of neurogenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s Disease(s).

During exercise, the brain becomes flooded with a cascade of neurotransmitters, hormones and enzymes, including seretonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, cortisol, and Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF). BDNF is a key hormone that facilitates the growth of new neurons within the brain as well as sees to the maintenance, upkeep, and clean up of old and damaged neurons to dispose of. It is via BDNF that enhances Neuroplasticity which primes the brain ready to percieve and process new information. This is why it’s considered a best practice to exercise before a difficult task or when attending a class as you’ll maximize the information you learn and process.

Furthermore, as the body returns to a homeostatic steady state, the cascade of neuro-chemicals is flushed out of the system. The body/brain uses what it needs and dumps the rest. This helps to ensure more consistent regulation of these neuro-chemicals, an imbalance of which conributes to various psychiatric disorders. With more consistent regulation lessons the severity of imbalances and hastens the recovery as well.

Couple all that with the use of exercise psychology toward developing an empowering motivational climate, fulfillment of the psycho-social needs(autonomy, competence, and relatedness), socialization and we can find that exercise and physical activity can serve as a powerful intervention for toward improving mental health and wellness.

Of course, our biggest issue is finding ways to motivate and encourage people to do exercise. It’s not enough to plop somebody on the treadmill at the gym. In fact gym’s can be terrifying places for people, especially for those who struggle with insecuity, lack of knowledge, lack of guidance, lack of motivation etc. Every New Years, many people start off well-intentioned but drop out because they overdo it, they don’t see results they want quickly enough, or they go in and feel overwhelmed.

To really see the effects of exercise, the workouts need to be intentional with a strong effort that is consistent over time. Yet, sometimes even just the thought of “working out” makes it feel like a chore.

Recently in my undergraduate exercise psychology class, I brought in my Dance Dance Revolution set up to highlight Exercise Gaming (ExerGaming) as a creative tool toward promoting exercise. ExerGaming first came about in the 1990s but really took off in the 2000s with the Nintendo Wii and the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) arcade game. From there, an entire generation became more physically active, be it in their own homes and even in social settings. Yet, it didn’t feel like exercise. They were playing tennis or going bowling, trying to beat their friend’s high score in epic dance battles and more.

During my class everybody was invited to come up and dance a song or two (voluntarily), while there was a bit of a learning curve to the game, the students who stepped up found it to be quite fun. In our follow up discussions they highlighted several advantages…

• Rather than “working out” they were playing a game. Focused more on keeping up with the gameplay rather than on their own physical exertion.
• With the different levels of play offered different challenges that can be varied, especially for people who play the game more often and become more skilled.
• The gameplay itself requires mental focus and presence of mind in order to keep up with it. Helping to block out distractions and noise.
• Music selection itself helps to influence the energy and mood.
• Develops cognitive skills including timing, rhythm, propioceptive awareness, information processing.
• Gamified elements (points, challenges, feedback) boost intrinsic motivation to engage in physical activity.
• Exergaming makes exercise feel more enjoyable and less like a chore, improving long-term adherence to fitness routines.
• Like traditional exercise, exergaming can trigger the release of endorphins and reduce symptoms of anxiety or depression.
• Combines physical and mental stimulation, which can enhance cognitive function and keep users more mentally engaged during workouts.
• Many exergames offer multiplayer or online components, encouraging social interaction, which positively affects motivation and consistency.
• Players often perceive the workout as easier due to the distraction and entertainment of the game, encouraging longer and more intense sessions.