Heart Rate changes in relation to Enjoyment and Perceived Exertion

Andrew Adsit

Introduction

Conclusion
Results

Much of todays youth is spending less and less time outdoors

and doing physical activity. Instead they spend their free time
sitting inside, in front of a television or computer screen, playing
video games, watching television, or even surfing the web. This is
causing an increase in the obesity rate amongst children.
Video game developers are taking a proactive approach to try
and solve this problem and reach new audiences with their
games. This trend is called Exergaming. The trend combines
exercise and video games in order to create the availability of
exercise opportunities with game consoles already in the home.
One approach being taken is by Xbox. Xbox released the Xbox
Kinect that makes the player the controller. The player moves in
order to achieve objectives. Many different games are available
for the Kinect to reach a wider audience. The Kinect not only
reaches out to children who like to play video games, but also to
college kids, adults, and even the elderly. Whether they just wish
to play a video game to kill time, play a game for enjoyment, or
even playing the video game for the point of exercising.

The graph below shows the average resting heart rate as well as
the average heart rates after each of the video games played
with their perceived exertion rating and enjoyment level. Each
of these games sufficiently increased the heart rate of the
participant. The increased level of both enjoyment and rate of
perceived exertion increased the heart rate of the participant.
So while some participants may not have felt they were
exercising at as much of a higher level because they were
enjoying themselves, they were still exercising with a higher
heart rate. This also goes to show that while some participants
werent enjoying themselves at certain games as much as others,
with a higher rate of exertion, they could still equally increase
their heart rate to get a workout in. The increase in heart rate is
not subjective to one variable alone, it can be effected by both
the enjoyment being had by the participant and the perceived
exertion of the participant.

Methods
140

8
120

100
6

80
HEART RATE

5
RATES

This study was designed and

carried out by Dr. Stephen Yangs
Fall of 2015 EXS 111 class. In this
experiment, the class met in the
motor behavior lab and played
three different video games using
the Xbox Kinect. The three
games played were UFC Fitness,
Zumba Fitness, and Dance
Central 2. In between each game,
each participant calculated their
heart rate, and rated their level of
enjoyment and perceived level of
exertion.

Heart Rate in relation to

Enjoyment and Percieved Exertion

60

3
40

20
1

0
Rest

UFC

Zumba
ACTIVITY
RPE

Enjoyment

Heart Rate

DC2

In conclusion of this study, one

thing is for sure. Exergaming
works. With exergaming, the
participant can have a lot of fun
without feeling as though they
put a lot of effort and work into
it and still achieve a good
workout. In contrast though, the
participant may only want a
good workout and put a lot of
effort into a game, they will still
receive an equally beneficial
workout.