Healthy Gaming

This Christmas, why not give the gift of health. But we’re not talking about a gym membership. That’s not the only way people are getting fit. Video games are helping many stay active. 

The video game is no longer a couch potato’s dream. The young and the old are getting hooked on healthy gaming.

Soon to be 88-years-old, Mary Lou Miller isn’t letting much slow her down. That includes a competition of sorts, playing Wii Bowling.

“I’m pretty good. I had my first 200 game!” Miller said.

Miller joined the Wii Bowling league at the Center for Active Generations.  These seniors are taking it seriously as they prepare for a tournament.  Like many here, Miller never thought a video game would help keep her fit.

“No, never, haha. This is all new. It’s great!” Miller said.

Video games are far from new to kids. But the idea of integrating gaming with fitness is a new concept.

“What’s really cool about it is the kids are surprised to see the game,” Joan Nelian with the Volunteers of America’s Bowden Youth Center said.

Kids at the Volunteers of America’s Bowden Youth Center have to pedal to play these video games. It’s part of the center’s Fit Factor program. When it started, they measured the kids’ body mass, weight and cholesterol. And two months later they’re already seeing results.

“Cholesterol levels went down on every single child. So it impacted health wise on all of our children,” Neilan said.
“I feel tired. I feel like I got worn out and I can’t do it anymore,” said 4th-grader Olivia Hamner.

Hamner knows she’s getting exercise. But with the video game in front of her, it’s easy to forget she’s burning calories.

“Type 2 diabetes is very high, especially in our native youth and so that’s another goal to help them combat type two diabetes,” Neilan said.

So whether they’re biking or bowling, the young and the old are improving their health and having a blast.

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Health Benefits, Fun and Fitness with Nintendo Wii Fit

By Aliesa George November 30th, 2008

I may be a bit behind the times when it comes to enjoying the fun and benefits of all the new interactive video game products on the market – like the Nintendo Wii Fit…  but recently my techno-geek boyfriend purchased a Wii Fit for home.  (He’s had one at work since they first hit the market.)  Being a bit shy about actually getting a computer to do what I want, for me is intimidating, never mind the hand-eye coordination it takes to “win” a computer game…..I was never any good at these games as a kid.

I have to admit my extreme skepticism about the benefits of staring at a TV screen and using a computer game for fitness.  But am always excited to hear about new ways to inspire and encourage people to increase their exercise and activity level, and ANYTHING that people enjoy doing that involves movement can be a great way to improve health and fitness.

After playing with the Wii Fit only a couple of times, I am a happy to report that I am a fan of the fun, interaction, and health benefits that this gadget can provide!  Last night my family spent 6 hours playing Wii Fit games together!!!  Tennis, Baseball, Boxing, Bowling, Golf, balance games, yoga.  I think we explored the gamut of options!  I can honestly say that I can feel my abs this morning – so core muscle strengthening was definitely happening, and I wasn’t one of the folks that spent tons of time playing! So can only imagine how sore a few other people might be today!  We had more fun, spent more time laughing, talking, and encouraging each other in competition that the evening flew by and nobody wanted to stop playing.

While I wouldn’t want to spend all my workout time on the Wii…I think it’s a great option for friendly competition, a way to check-in on your health status with weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), goal setting, and some basic fitness testing for strength, balance, and control.  This gizmo provides instant feedback to see where you’re at, games and skill challenges to improve your health, and a way to do something besides just be a couch potato in front of the TV.  I also think that the balance awareness and assessment tools are excellent.  More about that in an upcoming blog post!

Do you Wii???  If you’re doing or teaching Pilates and haven’t tried this yet…find a friend who’s got one – create your Mii (your own personal cartoon version of you!) and go play!  I’d love to hear what you think about using Wii Fit as a tool to help your clients track improvements with their health and check-in with Posture and being “on center” for balance and body control that is such a key aspect of Pilates training.

Share your Wii Fit experience!

This Wii Sports Bowling tournament is such an inspiration. Granny’s and Granddads everywhere get on your Wii stations now! I love the fact that this Wii gaming explosion is for all ages. If my grandparents were still alive I would have enjoyed knocking down a few pins with then. Great work Health Net!

First Annual Health Net Cup Virtual Bowling Tournament Crowns a Champion

Connecticut’s Torrington Senior Center Wins Statewide Competition

Nov. 17, 2008
The first annual Health Net Cup, a series of virtual bowling tournaments held at senior centers across the country, has come to the end of its first statewide competition in Connecticut. Torrington Senior Center’s ‘Lightning Strikes’ team advanced to the ‘final four’ and won the championship title, defeating teams from Enfield, Hamden, and Colchester senior centers.

Torrington’s team earned bragging rights as the best virtual bowling team in the state, taking home a trophy and a Wii(TM) Fit for their senior center.  Health Net Inx organized the statewide tournament and donated a Nintendo Wii(TM) video game system to each of the 90 senior centers that participated to encourage ongoing healthy lifestyles and wellness in the senior community. “We are very excited that the tournament has grown to be so popular,” said KatyZalinsky, General Segment Manager, Government Programs at Health Net, Inc. “It’s a great activity where seniors can socialize with each other and get some exercise.”

The senior centers directors and tournament participants were so enthusiastic about the Heath Net Cup, they requested Health Net to make it an annual event. As a result, the Connecticut Health Net Cup tournament will continue in January 2009, using a regionalized playoff format. Health Net also plans to introduce similar statewide tournaments in Arizona, Oregon, California and New Mexico next year.

For continued Health Net Cup tournament updates, visit the official Web site at www.healthnetcup.com. Over 600 Connecticut seniors participated in the Health Net Cup in the following communities: Hartford County Granby, Suffield, Glastonbury, Southington, West Hartford, East Hartford, Plainville, Bristol, Newington, Wethersfield, Windsor, Windsor Locks, Simsbury, South Windsor, Avon and Berlin. Tolland County Hebron, Stafford, Willington, Mansfield and Vernon. New Haven County Wolcott, Waterbury, Cheshire, Naugatuck, Middlebury, Madison, Meriden, Guilford, East Haven, New Haven, West Haven, Orange, Milford, Seymour, Ansonia, Derby, Bethany, Woodbridge, North Branford, Hamden, Wallingford, Southbury and Oxford. Fairfield County Danbury, Newtown, Monroe, Shelton, Stratford, Bridgeport, Bethel, Westport, Weston, Wilton, Ridgefield, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, New Canaan, Stamford, Greenwich and Trumbull. Litchfield County Woodbury, Watertown, Harwinton, Torrington and New Milford. Windham, Middlesex and New London Counties Plainfield, Portland, Westbrook, Old Saybrook, East Haddam, Middletown, Montville, Lisbon, Colchester, Lyme, East Lyme, Groton, New London, Waterford and Norwich.

Colchester: Wii bowlers advance to tournament

By RYAN BLESSING Norwich Bulletin Posted Nov 04, 2008

Fran Duka said the secret to her bowling team’s success is simple.

“We make the most noise and have the most fun,” Duka, 91, said.

But Duka is not on an ordinary team. She and five other Colchester senior citizens are members of a Nintendo Wii bowling group at the Colchester Senior Center.

And since the summer, they’ve advanced from playing a few awkward first games with the Wii video game console and controllers to becoming one of the final four teams in the Health Net Cup senior virtual bowling tournament, scheduled for Nov. 14 in Wallingford.

The team achieved this by winning recent regional tournaments in Norwich and New London.

“We beat out 90 centers overall,” senior center program coordinator Priscilla Clesowich said. “Some of the others are much bigger centers.”

The team practiced Monday afternoon for its big day.

“It’s good exercise, and we get to meet a lot of people at the other senior centers,” Ruth Little, 85, said.

Enfield, Torrington and Hamden join Colchester in the tournament. The winning senior center will be awarded the Health Net Cup trophy and a Wii Fit for their center.

Shelton-based Health Net organized the tournament and donated Wii systems to the 90 participating senior centers to continue promoting healthy, active lifestyles for seniors. The Wii, which requires mild physical exercise to play, has become popular with seniors across Connecticut and beyond.

“The best thing is, you don’t have to lift a heavy bowling ball,” Little said.

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Elders enjoy Nintendo Wii

Thu. October 30, 2008; Posted: 01:01 PM

TREMONT, Oct 30, 2008 (Republican & Herald – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — When it comes to virtual bowling, staff and residents at the Tremont Health and Rehabilitation Centre are in a league of their own — a Nintendo Wii bowling league.

“The original purpose was for an activity to give (residents) something to do and then once we had it, we realized the potential to use it for therapy as part of the rehabilitation program here,” said Korey Flick, activities director.

Nintendo Wii is an interactive video game system, allowing players to “experience” golf, tennis and bowling, among other games.

“It was a good way for the staff to interact with the residents in a social and non-medical way, which was good for everyone,” Flick said. “We’ve tried golf and we’ve tried tennis. Bowling’s the one that every-one’s the most successful with. Generally on a Thursday we set it up for the day and the residents and the staff rotate.”

Local nursing homes and health facilities throughout Schuylkill County are jumping on board the technology trend that they say helps residents with cognitive abilities and motor skills.

Nintendo Wii systems were also donated by Family Home Medical Support System of Mount Carmel, 121 E. Fifth St., to the Shamokin-Coal Township, Mount Carmel and Kulpmont senior action centres.

The Schuylkill Regional Resource Centre, 138 W. Centre Street, Mahanoy City, hosts a “Wii Wednesday!” each week from 1 to 3 p.m.

Physical therapists at Genesis HealthCare Orwigsburg Centre and Schuylkill Centre, long- and short-term skilled nursing centres and rehabilitation facilities in Orwigsburg and Pottsville, are using Nintendo’s Wii video game technology to help patients after an illness or injury.

“It’s good cognitive activity to keep the mind active,” said Amanda Schwalm, a speech language pathologist at Tremont Health and Rehabilitation Centre “In that respect, it’s working on your deductive reasoning skills, and that’s a big part of what I do for short term to home (care.)”

When the Tremont Health and Rehabilitation Centre — a 180-bed skilled nursing facility for short-term and long-term care — first got the system in August, the staff and residents split into teams, challenging each other and bringing a social layer to the work environment.

Kristy Deeter, an occupational therapist, said all residents have access to the system, adding that bowling is the game of choice for many.

“What it helps for people in therapy is, number one, they’re getting some arm movements — full range of motion,” she said. “That movement’s a natural movement for the arm, so I think that’s why we’ve been more successful with that one.”

“It builds up the muscles and it makes the brain think,” resident Dave Wolfe said. “It’s a lot cheaper than going to a bowling alley.”

Wolfe shows up to the activities room each week to play. Facility administrator Dan Daub counts Wolfe among the “rowdy bunch,” of cheering and excitable players.

“I used to do regular bowling, but this is a lot different,” Wolfe said Tuesday, gearing up for his turn against resident Nancy Gibble. “Today I can’t get a strike to save my soul.”

But Wolfe spoke too soon, tossing a strike in his next shot.

Gibble bowled 130, saying she doesn’t really care who wins, she just tries to do the best she can.

Is competition a factor in the virtual sport?

“There is to an extent, but it’s mostly all in fun and trying to beat your score from the week before,” Gibble said.

“It’s kind of a growing trend and a unique way to get therapy done, so we’re glad we could latch on to that,” Daub said.

To see more of the Republican & Herald or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.republicanherald.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.