Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-20-2017
Abstract
Lack of adequate physical activity in children is an epidemic that can result in obesity and other poor health outcomes across the lifespan. Physical activity interventions focused on motor skill competence continue to be developed, but some interventions, such as neuromuscular training (NMT), may be limited in how early they can be implemented due to dependence on the child’s level of cognitive and perceptual-motor development. Early implementation of motor-rich activities that support motor skill development in children is critical for the development of healthy levels of physical activity that carry through into adulthood. Virtual reality (VR) training may be beneficial in this regard. VR training, when grounded in an information-based theory of perceptual-motor behavior that modifies the visual information in the virtual world, can promote early development of motor skills in youth akin to more natural, real-world development as opposed to strictly formalized training. This approach can be tailored to the individual child and training scenarios can increase in complexity as the child develops. Ultimately, training in VR may help serve as a precursor to “real-world” NMT, and once the child reaches the appropriate training age can also augment more complex NMT regimens performed outside of the virtual environment.
Recommended Citation
Kiefer AW, Pincus D, Richardson MJ and Myer GD (2017) Virtual Reality As a Training Tool to Treat Physical Inactivity in Children. Front. Public Health 5:349. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00349
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Behavioral Neurobiology Commons, Neurosciences Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons, Other Computer Sciences Commons, Other Life Sciences Commons, Other Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons, Other Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Physical Therapy Commons, Physiotherapy Commons, Psychological Phenomena and Processes Commons, Sports Medicine Commons, Sports Sciences Commons
Comments
This article was originally published in Frontiers in Public Health in 2017. DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2017.00349