Leisure physical activities help older adults remain physically active. Playing
exergames can help promote active aging. However, the movements and exercise
supported in these games must be adapted to the particular physical conditions
of each older adult to facilitate adoption and adherence. This paper presents a
study, following the Action Research methodology, aimed at understanding how
exertion experience in commercial exergames can be personalized to the
individual condition of each older adult. We conducted two interventions
(n1=18, n2=50) lasting 32 and 24 weeks respectively. Based on the results of
the first intervention, we proposed a set of design recommendations that were
validated with a larger and more heterogeneous group in a second intervention.
Participation and retention increased in both interventions as the
recommendation were applied