Fitness Assessment Comparison Between the "Jackie Chan Action Run'' Videogame, 1-Mile Run/Walk, and the PACER

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine whether a correlation existed among the scores of the "Jackie Chan Studio Fitness (TM) Action Run'' active videogame (XaviX (R), SSD Company, Ltd., Kusatsu, Japan), the 1-mile run/walk, and Progressive Aerobic Cardiovascular Endurance Run (PACER) aerobic fitness tests of the FITNESSGRAM (R) (The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX) in order to provide a potential alternative testing method for days that are not environmentally desirable for outdoor testing. Subjects and Methods: Participants were a convenience sample from physical education classes of students between the ages of 10 and 15 years. Participants (n = 108) were randomly assigned to one of three groups with the only difference being the order of testing. The tests included the "Jackie Chan Action Run'' active videogame, the 1-mile run/walk, and the PACER. Testing occurred on three different days during the physical education class. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was reported. Results: Significant correlations (r= -0.598 to 0.312) were found among the three aerobic fitness tests administered (P < 0.05). The RPE for the "Jackie Chan Action Run'' was lower than the RPE for the 1-mile run/walk and the PACER (3.81 +/- 1.89, 5.93 +/- 1.77, and 5.71 +/- 2.14, respectively). Conclusions: The results suggest that the "Jackie Chan Action Run'' test could be an alternative to the 1-mile run/walk and PACER, allowing physical education teachers to perform aerobic fitness testing in an indoor setting that requires less space. Also, children may be more willing to participate in the "Jackie Chan Action Run'' based on the lower RPE.