Investigating innovative means of prompting activity uptake in older adults with type 2 diabetes: a feasibility study of exergaming.

Physical activity is effective in improving glycemic control in diabetes mellitus. Yet only 40% of people meet the recommended level of physical activity. Nintendo Wii tennis has an energy expenditure of moderate intensity, and may be a viable part of a physical activity programme.Eleven older people with diabetes who were sedentary participated in a pre-post-test designed study to examine physical activity levels, muscle strength, and physical performance after 4 weeks of group Nintendo Wii training.Significant effects occurred on moderate physical activity time, total physical activity, dominant handgrip strength, non-dominant handgrip strength, 30 second chair stand and 400m walk test. No effect was observed for BMI, quality of life, or balance.This study provided preliminary evidence of the effectiveness of group-based active video game programme on physical activity levels.