EFFORT
The same game, very different numbers
The 2024 Compendium notes that one boxing game measured 2.5 METs in free play and over 8 METs when played vigorously.
Compare game stylesSome video games really are a workout. Others barely beat the sofa.
Researchers have measured the energy people use while playing motion-sensing games. The answer depends less on the game and more on how much of your body you move, and how hard.
Updated
Check a game styleTHE SHORT ANSWER
It can count,
if you move enough.
Active video games range from sitting still to vigorous exercise.
Lab studies show where the line falls.
BODY
Legs beat arms
A meta-analysis found games using the lower body or whole body burned more energy than upper-body games, and young players used more than adults.
See the numbers
GUIDELINES
Moderate play adds up
NHS guidance asks adults for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Play that raises your heart rate and breathing can be part of that.
Make it countA QUICK GAME CHECK
How hard is
that game?
Pick a style of play to see its measured MET value. One MET is the energy you use sitting at rest; the bar shows the intensity band.
MET values are averages for groups of people, not personal measurements. This is general information, not medical advice.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Short bursts work.
Long programmes, less clear.
One figure from a 2024 review of 23 studies in young people,
one on how far a single game can vary.
3–6 METs
Short sessions of active video games
A 2024 systematic review of 23 studies in 9 to 17 year olds found short sessions of active video games gave energy use comparable to moderate-intensity activity.
YOUNG PLAYERS · SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
2.5–8+ METs
Free play vs vigorous play
The 2024 Adult Compendium reports one boxing game ranging from 2.5 METs in free play to over 8 METs when played vigorously: effort matters more than the title.
ONE BOXING GAME · COMPENDIUM
The same review found that in programmes lasting at least six weeks, active video games made no significant difference to young people's energy use or activity between the start and the end.
FOUR WAYS TO MAKE PLAY COUNT
Move more of you,
more of the time.
None of these needs a particular game. They follow from what the measurements and the activity guidelines say.
Pick whole-body games
Games that use your legs or whole body used more energy than arm-only games in a meta-analysis of active video games.
Use the talk test
The NHS says moderate activity means you can still talk, but not sing. If you can sing along, you are probably playing at a light level.
Add it across the week
Adults are advised to reach at least 150 moderate or 75 vigorous minutes a week; children and young people an average of 60 minutes a day.
Mix it with other activity
Researchers see active games as a complement to other activity. Adults also need strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week.
WHAT A MET IS
A simple yardstick
for effort.
A MET compares an activity with resting. One MET is about 3.5 millilitres of oxygen per kilogram of body weight each minute, roughly 1 kcal per kilogram per hour. Light activity runs from 1.6 to 2.9 METs, moderate from 3.0 to 5.9 and vigorous from 6.0.
Multiply METs by minutes to get MET-minutes. Thirty minutes of a whole-body motion game at 4.0 METs is 120 MET-minutes. The Compendium notes that the weekly activity guidelines work out at about 500 to 1000 MET-minutes a week.
Questions
Questions people ask
Do motion-sensing video games count as exercise?
They can. Measured values range from 2.3 METs for light games such as bowling to 7.5 METs for vigorous whole-body workouts and dancing. Play at 3.0 METs or more counts as moderate intensity.
Is an ordinary seated video game any different from watching TV?
Not much. The 2024 Compendium lists seated play with a handheld controller at 1.3 METs, inside its sedentary band of 1.0 to 1.5 METs.
Which games use the most energy?
In studies of young people, boxing games gave the highest energy use where games were compared, and a meta-analysis found lower-body and whole-body games used more than upper-body ones.
Will an active game programme make my child more active over time?
The evidence is mixed. A 2024 review found short sessions reached moderate intensity, but programmes of six weeks or more showed no significant change in young people's energy use or activity.
How do I know if I'm playing at moderate intensity?
The NHS talk test is a simple guide: at moderate intensity your heart rate rises and you breathe faster, but you can still talk, though not sing.
Sources
Where the facts come from
- Compendium of Physical Activities: Video Games MET values (2024 Adult Compendium)
- Herrmann et al. 2024, 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities (Journal of Sport and Health Science)
- França et al. 2024, Estimated energy expenditure in youth while playing active video games: a systematic review (Sports)
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for children and young people
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