Leveraging community-centric digital health technology to sustain healthier living – inferences from a wearables-based exergaming program

In this study, the development of a community-centric exergame-based program to improve the well-being of older adults and promote adherence to a healthy lifestyle is explored. Thirty participants competitively engaged in three exergames targeting upper and lower limb movements, over four weeks, at a community center. An app, SingaporeWALK, was developed to track and visualize movement data from wearables and self-reported well-being scores. All participants reported increased motivation to use digital health technologies (DHTs), along with improvements in physical, emotional, and social well-being. Wearable data revealed week-to-week differences in movement characteristics, especially between weeks 1 and 2 suggesting a learning effect. Participants who performed better at exergames exhibited more varied movements, indicating ability to learn, alter, and optimize movement over the weeks. The study demonstrates that community-based exergaming is effective in enhancing overall well-being, while increasing interest in active ageing by leveraging DHTs and has potential to support targeted interventions.