The Impact of Serious Games on Physical Activity, Cognitive Training and Mental Health for the Ageing Population During COVID-19: Implications and Future Trajectories

COVID-19 has been widely affecting human social interaction due to the public health mitigation practices which have been set out by the government in various countries, such as lockdown and social isolation. As a consequence, the ageing population, one of the vulnerable groups, has been suffering from the discontinuity of regular interventions and disconnect from social life, which may likely cause physical and cognitive decline, and accelerate the development of depressive symptoms. To mitigate the challenges that have been arisen in the ageing population during the global pandemic, Serious Game (SG), one of the non-invasive novel digital technologies, offers a motivational atmosphere with a purposeful training context, as well as a remote training capability for those who lack mobility or are frail. SG is envisioned to improve their quality of life through maintaining their physical activity, cognitive training and mental health. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the potential use of SG to improve physical activity, cognitive training and mental health among the ageing population during COVID-19.