Nintendo Wii as therapy treatment?

[chicca]

I read some articles (such as http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/ma ... wii111.xml ) that present the nintendo wii consolle ad a mean to do positive exercises and have good effect on phisycal condition in people affected by neurological stuffs, even ms.
is there someone who tried it? I mean, I was thinking about buying it for my boyfriend who is a "ms guy", but I'd like to here from someone who experimented it. Even because it costs a lost (almost, for me) and so...
thank you all!
chicca

[jimmylegs]

my wii xp is extremely limited but from what i have seen, it wouldn't be a guarantee. you can move the controller in a big wide exaggerated way, or a quick flick of the wrist, and get the same result on the screen.

i would suggest that at worst wii might be slightly better than watching TV if that's all a person can do. if not, i would offer that it's better to push the physical envelope for as long as possible, as long as the aftermath is bearable.

if the wii keeps a person occupied so that they don't get bored enough to get off the sofa and do something else for a while, i would tend to think it could do more harm than good.

my 2cents

[cheerleader]

Hey Chicca-
we've got the wii in our house, my 13 year old son loves it. My husband (MS guy) doesn't use it much, except to play Mario Cart- which isn't a physically active game, just a steering game played seated, like Jimmy says. The wii sports games are fun, but don't use much movement.

That said, there is a game we have called Wii fit, that uses an additional board to work on balance, strength and yoga poses. It would be good for MSers for sure, but my husband isn't interested in it.

If your guy is a gamer, the wii might be a good addition, but taking a yoga class or going to the gym or for a stroll with him might be better for exercise, and cheaper too-
AC

[Sharon]

I am just starting to experiment with the WiiFit. I found the balance routines to be fun and challenging. My theory is the more active your brain is, the better. With the balance games you are looking at the TV screen and then trying to accomplish some balance routines (you have to concentrate on the TV to see what is required and accomplish the routine at the same time) It is similar to the eye/hand coordination in any physical game. It is fun and the grandkids love working with me. Now, am I going to be able to walk better next week? - I doubt it And, I will not be replacing my Pilates workouts with the Wii!!

Sharon

[MattB]

my wii xp is extremely limited but from what i have seen, it wouldn't be a guarantee. you can move the controller in a big wide exaggerated way, or a quick flick of the wrist, and get the same result on the screen.

I really like my Wii.

[geek speak]Ah but see they've fixed that. The new Wiimote comes out later this year and is much more sensitive to directions, speed, etc.[/geek speak]

[Loriyas]

I love my Wii Fit! It is really great exercise for anyone who wants to increase their strength and balance. Lots of games that help with that and also many games for aerobic activity. I highly recommend it for people who want to help balance and strength and you can do it at home whenever you have the time.
Lori

[jimmylegs]

lol re geekspeak - good that they're working on that. glad it's helping some folks

[chicca]

thank you all for your opinions!!
well, I think papers I read were about WiiFit because they talked of exercises on balance more that tv games.
so, i think we're gonna test it in a shop and then decide, because while reading your experiences i realised that it sholud be one of those really personal things (i mean: it depends from people to people).
however, i'm glad to hear that it is a good way to excercise brain, even if it obviously can't solve ms problems....


chicca

[MattB]

thank you all for your opinions!!
well, I think papers I read were about WiiFit because they talked of exercises on balance more that tv games.
so, i think we're gonna test it in a shop and then decide, because while reading your experiences i realised that it sholud be one of those really personal things (i mean: it depends from people to people).
however, i'm glad to hear that it is a good way to excercise brain, even if it obviously can't solve ms problems....


chicca

Just thinking about this a little more: games like WiiFit may not be as good as the real thing but I've heard that one can get a workout from it. Another plus with the Wii is that Nintendo has more than a few games that challenge your mind and keep you sharp.

[CureOrBust]

When I first saw the WII game that practices balance I thought of the "Brain Port" that you can read a previous thread at: http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-4882.html

In particular the woman that regained her balance. And also those that have said YOGA has helped their balance. This system might make it easy to do it at home and as often as you feel like it.

[chicca]

When I first saw the WII game that practices balance I thought of the "Brain Port" that you can read a previous thread at: http://www.thisisms.com/ftopict-4882.html

In particular the woman that regained her balance. And also those that have said YOGA has helped their balance. This system might make it easy to do it at home and as often as you feel like it.

thank you for the link! what I read is amazing: i never hear before of brainport, but what i read and also the video are almost unbelievable... going to read more... thanks!!

[NHE]

thank you for the link! what I read is amazing: i never hear before of brainport, but what i read and also the video are almost unbelievable... going to read more... thanks!!

You may also want to read the book "The Brain that Changes Itself" by Norman Doidge. Here's a link to a brief review of the book that I wrote up a little while back.

NHE

[chicca]

Thanks for the tip! I found it also in italian
the italian title is "Il cervello infinito", that something like "no end brain" or "endless brain" i think, really suggestive expression.
i'm gonna read it for sure!
chicca

[MrsGeorge]

I have a wii but actually stopped playing with it at my last relapse. It is a gerat safe way of getting exercise though and it definitely builds arm strenght - my Wii arm got far moer muscle definition than my other one!

[MattB]

I have a wii but actually stopped playing with it at my last relapse. It is a gerat safe way of getting exercise though and it definitely builds arm strenght - my Wii arm got far moer muscle definition than my other one!

Switch up arms, you may not be very good but it'll definitely make your brain think in new ways!