Background Exergaming may be an important option to support an active lifestyle, especially during pandemics. Objective Our objectives were (1) to explore whether change in exergaming status (stopped, started or sustained exergaming, or never exergamed) from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to changes in walking, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) or meeting MVPA guidelines and (2) to describe changes among past-year exergamers in minutes per week exergaming from before to during the pandemic. Methods A total of 681 participants (mean age 33.6; SD 0.5 years; n=280, 41% male) from the 22-year Nicotine Dependence in Teens (NDIT) study provided data on walking, MVPA, and exergaming before (2017 to 2020) and during (2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical activity (PA) change scores were described by change in exergaming status. Results We found that 62.4% (n=425) of the 681 participants never exergamed, 8.2% (n=56) started exergaming during the pandemic, 19.7% (n=134) stopped exergaming, and 9.7% (n=66) sustained exergaming. Declines were observed in all 3 PA indicators in all 4 exergaming groups. The more salient findings were that (1) participants who started exergaming during COVID-19 reported the highest MVPA levels before and during the pandemic and declined the least (mean –35 minutes/week), (2) sustained exergamers reported the lowest MVPA levels during the pandemic (median 66 minutes/week) and declined the most in MVPA (mean change of –92 minutes/week) and in meeting MVPA guidelines (–23.6%). During the pandemic, starting exergamers reported 85 minutes of exergaming per week and sustained exergamers increased exergaming by a median 60 minutes per week. Conclusions Although starting and sustaining exergaming did not appear to help exergamers maintain prepandemic PA levels, exergaming can contribute a substantial proportion of total PA in young adults and may still represent a useful option to promote PA during pandemics.

BACKGROUND Exergaming may be an important option to support an active lifestyle during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE The objectives of this study were to: (i) explore whether change in exergaming status (stopped, started, stable and never exergamed) from before to during the pandemic related to change in walking or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA); and (ii) among past-year exergamers only, describe change in minutes exergaming/ week from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS The sample included 681 participants (M(SD)age=33.6 (0.5), 41% male) from the 22- year NDIT study who provided data on walking, MVPA, and exergaming in cycles 23 (2017-20) and 24 (2021). Physical activity (PA) change scores, including exergaming change scores, were computed by subtracting number of minutes/ week for each PA indicator in cycle 23 from minutes/ week in cycle 24, were described by exergaming status from before to during the pandemic. RESULTS Regardless of exergaming status, both minutes walking and engaging in MVPA declined by 30 minutes/ week from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two-thirds participants (62.4%) were stable non-exergamers, 8.2% started exergaming during the pandemic, 19.7% stopped, and 9.7% were stable exergamers. Stable exergamers increased exergaming by a median 60 minutes/ week during the pandemic. Starters reported 85 minutes of exergaming/week during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Exergaming may not have been enough to maintain pre-pandemic PA levels however exergaming can contribute to a substantial proportion of total PA among young adults and may therefore represent a valuable option to promote PA during periods of confinement.