What question did this study set out to answer?

To analyze the effects of exergaming compared to conventional therapies on muscle strength and balance in older adults.

February 13, 2026Open Access

Comparative effects of EXG and conventional therapies on muscle strength and balance in older people: A meta-analysis and meta-regression

Key Points

To analyze the effects of exergaming compared to conventional therapies on muscle strength and balance in older adults.
Systematic literature search conducted in six databases until May 2025.
Included 25 randomized controlled trials involving 2078 participants; average age 71.5 years.
Assessed methodological quality using PRISMA, TESTEX, Rob 2, and GRADE tools.
Performed seven overall and ten subgroup meta-analyses to evaluate outcomes.
Significant improvements in muscle strength and balance for exergaming (p < 0.05).
Very long effect sizes for TUG test based on console type (ES = 1.42-2.56) and training dosage (ES = 2.07-2.77).
Frequency of training ≥3 sessions per week yielded the largest effect on chair stand tests (ES = 2.91).
Minutes per session in the chair stand test predicted improvements (R² = 0.43; p = 0.02).

Abstract

This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to analyze the effects of exergaming (EXG) versus conventional therapies on muscle strength, balance, and fear of falling in healthy older people. A systematic literature search was conducted in six generic databases (PubMed, Medline, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) with no start date restrictions until May 2025. The PRISMA, TESTEX, Rob 2 and GRADE tools were used to assess the methodological quality and certainty of evidence. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (code: CRD420251037541). From 3224 records, 25 randomized controlled trials with 2078 participants (≥80% female) with a mean age of 71.5 ± 5.8 years were included. Seven overall and 10 subgroup meta-analysis revealed significant improvements (p 2 = 0.43; p = 0.02). In conclusion, EXG is an effective alternative for improving muscle strength and balance performance in healthy older people.

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Cite This Study

Hernandez-Martinez et al. (Sun,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/698ebeb185a1ff6a93015fd9 https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2026.113064

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