# Evaluation of Applications for Mobile Devices on the Practice of Physical Exercise in Adolescents
###### Abstract
The term app is used as an abbreviation of the term \"application\" in reference to computer applications for mobile and tablet devices. For students to acquire digital competency, it is essential to change the teaching method and adapt it to the new reality, necessarily incorporating mobile devices in classroom activities [23]. To this end, initial and continuous teacher training must be focused primarily on the use of new technologies [24]. App classifications are very broad and confusing. The independent platform Educational AppStore [25] proposes that for an app to be educational, it must have certain characteristics, which have been adapted to the context of PE (Table 1). Motivation to achieve lifestyle modifications is an important variable in order for any intervention in physical activity habits to be effective. First, exergames appeared, demonstrating that these games could enhance health-related learning and even behavior change because they are experiential and interactive; they immerse the player in worlds \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c} \hline \hline
**Dimensions** & **Characteristics** \\ \hline \hline Descriptive dimension & It must be free of charge. \\ \hline \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Technical dimension} & It should be interactive, transparent and intuitive. \\  & It must have a clear user interface that corresponds to the use \\  & of the application. \\  & It should avoid accidental button activation. \\  & It should not offer distractions through advertisements, \\  & sounds or pop-up windows. \\ \hline \multirow{4}{*}{Educational dimension} & It must have clear learning objectives. \\  & It should give feedback on the correct execution and mistakes \\ \cline{1-1}  & to avoid during the performance of physical exercises. \\ \cline{1-1}  & It should reinforce the connection between home and school. \\ \cline{1-1}  & It should not have any indication of violence or stereotypes. \\ \hline \multirow{2}{*}{Psychological dimension} & It should offer rewards or feedback. \\ \cline{1-1}  & It encourages the learner to be in control by making decisions. \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Characteristics for the selection of an educational app in PE. (Adapted from Educational AppStore (2021) [23]). that offer compelling challenges and immediate feedback on progress [26]. In addition, in the review by [PERSON] et al. [27], it is suggested that exergames were able to increase physical activity in overweight people. Nowadays, modern cell phones also have an accelerometer, gyroscope and GPS (Global Positioning System), which allows the possibility also to play exergames on mobile devices. The increasingly frequent use of digital devices can become a strength, especially for the younger population. Hence, the use of physical exercise apps can have fundamental advantages in PE classes compared to a traditional class, as they easily complement physical activity both inside and outside the classroom, in addition to performing exercises in a more individualized and regulated way through levels of difficulty and intensity. Given the growth and relevance of apps in the processes of learning and adherence to physical exercise, it would be particularly important to introduce this didactic resource in the subject of PE, given the specific technologies of this discipline [28]. Hence, this study aims to analyze the content of applications for mobile devices as a complement for PE classes in adolescents aged 12 to 17 years, a range that coincides with the secondary education stage, by detailing the descriptive, technical, educational and psychological characteristics.